Summer schedule and goals

My memories of my childhood summers are of swimming pools, playing in the sun, working in my Grandma’s garden and lots of fun.  So why am I talking about schedules and goals for the summer for my own children? 

For our family, a summer completely free of any structure ends all of us into trouble.  I have a tendency to let myself spend too much time at the computer if I don’t have a schedule of some sort.  For my children, they tend to get into mischief and squabbles without some goals.  I want our summer to be relaxed but I don’t want our summer to have added stress from lack of structure.

The best solution to our problems is to have a summer schedule and some goals for the summer.  While coming up with a schedule, I had to remember a few things:

• it gets very hot here in the afternoons so outside time is better early in the morning or late in the evening
• we will be doing some school work 3 – 4 days a week (math, reading, history read alouds, and some science thrown in here & there)
• we will go on a field trip/outing of some sort 1 - 2 days a week and the earlier in the morning, the better
• the kids stay up later so they will sleep later so breakfast is served at a later time (which allows me more time in the garden before the kids wake)

Our summer schedule

9:00  Breakfast is served, morning chores, and outside time(play with chickens, work in garden, play)

10:00 Learning time or outing

11:00  Freetime/Swimming/Outing (or completing school work ~ I’m hoping this will motivate some to finish school work in a timely manner)

12:00 Lunch/ Clean-up

1:00  Read aloud books together (history read alouds or library books)

1:30  Little Ones nap and Big Kids complete projects or read

3:00  Afternoon Chores

3:30  Freetime/Swimming/Complete projects

6:00  Dinner /Clean-up

7:00  Family time

8:00 Baths & Books

8:30 – 9:00 Little Ones to bed

9:30 – 10:00 Big Kids to bed

Tomorrow morning, I’m going to have the kids make a summer to-do list of some of their wishes for the summer.  I want to try to include them on summer planning.  I also have a list of things that I want them to do during the summer.

Summer To Do List

(or our summer goals)

• visit the library weekly
• visit city parks & have picnics
• play days with friends
• science museum
• visit historical sites in Natchitoches
• visit the zoo
• visit the gator park
• visit the Native American museum
• older boys – work on car & airplane models
• girls – learn to sew and work on craft kits given to them for their birthdays
• have Wii tournaments (We love our Just Dance for kids)
• play in city water fountains
• each child will read one book chosen by dear old mom{smile} 
• older boys – learn how to play chess
• girls – learn how to play checkers
• Family Movie night at least once a week
• Movies in the park hosted by the city
• Go to a local baseball game
• Family Game nights
• visit the petting zoo
• make a lapbook about nature topic of choice
• draw and paint

I’m sure that more ideas will come to me after I think on it some more.  However, this seems to be a good starting point.  {smile} 

What are some of your plans for the summer?