Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Make a calendar for the weeks you're going to have your own summer camp.
Choose a theme for each week and plan some activities that tie in with each theme. Some theme ideas are horses, insects, Europe, rain and poetry. Write the themes on the calendar.
Get some books from the library that will go with your themes. Choose fiction and nonfiction - some books your child can read alone and some you'll read aloud. Plan time for reading each day. Find some books with craft projects that you can tie in with your themes. List the books and projects on your calendar.
Find some videos that tie in with your themes. Write them in on the calendar.
Plan some field trips that fit the themes. Go to the zoo, museums, beaches and local attractions. Ask your friends and neighbors along. See if your neighbor will take the kids to the science museum one week if you take them to the beach the next.
Look around for free local activities you can utilize. Go to the library story hour, the bookstore craft hour, free concerts in the park, parades ... Plan all of these events out on the calendar.
Incorporate learning experiences into daily activities. Teach fractions while baking, biology while gardening and so forth.
Listen to your kids. Get some feedback from them and pay attention. Your camp plans are not written in stone. If the kids dislike a theme, change it. If everyone is tired and cranky, do nothing that day.
Leave time in your schedule for playtime. Summer should be about fun, not constant learning.
Plan a sleep-away camp in your own backyard or head to a state park for a night. Set up a tent with sleeping bags and flashlights. Look at the stars, eat roasted marshmallows and enjoy the camping experience.