Summer is upon us and who has not dreaded hearing "I'm bored!" over and over for three months. I decided this summer would be different. Thank goodness for Pinterest. I found a couple of pins that covered theme days and setting up routines and away I went.
I created a check sheet for both kids so that they would have something to do and a themed activity for later in the day so we would all have something to look forward to. Monday-Thursday there is a room to clean (teamwork is appreciated), a dog to feed, journaling (writing or drawing) and worksheets (just keeping up the skills). The older kiddo has some summer homework from school to keep up on and piano to practice. The younger kiddo has some quiet time and quiet play. Each has the option to do computer or art. Once the list is complete, they still have plenty of time to play outside or watch their favorite show (don't judge, the blog was originally created to talk about TV).
The themed activities have been welcomed and they really rant that out of the ordinary, they are just down on paper and that makes them exciting. Masterpiece/Make Something Monday has been a favorite. My kids love to paint and we have found many different projects (name art, footprint butterflies). I see a Movie Monday in our future (Studio Movie Grill has kids movies all summer at 11am, $1 for kids $2 for adults). Trip Tuesday can turn a trip to the grocery store or the library into a treat. On a day short for time, Tea Party Tuesday is always fun. What's Cooking Wednesday has produced sea star pretzels, chocolate chip muffins, gingerbread cookies, and pancakes (anything doughie that they can shape is a plus). Wet Wednesday was also a hit, though I chickened out and we made an ocean in a bottle instead of getting truly wet. Thoughtful Thursday has been great for working on Father's Day projects. Theater Thursday is a good excuse to head to the movies. Fun Friday usually means more art around here, but has also included a "dive in" movie at the pool. No lists on the weekends.
I admit that this works wonders with my 6 1/2 year old daughter, but I've had to make several tweaks for my 4 year old son. If it is on the list, he doesn't want to do it. I tried giving him either/or options, but it still wasn't cutting it. Quiet time and quiet play seem to be the answer, not to mention sticker rewards for the cleaning and journaling (surprisingly, he loves worksheets, perhaps because I help him along).
Mornings are covered with a summer camp this week, so here is a slightly shortened check sheet to get you started.
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