How Many More Days?

I just looked at the calendar and noticed how close we are to the end of school. THE END I tell you. The end of a peaceful, quiet house and the beginning of chaos. Kids home all day long, moaning, "I'm bored" every five minutes while I try to get something important done, like read a book. I've been known to resort to cleaning just to have some time alone (because what kid wants to clean at all, let alone in the summer?) And you know how much I love cleaning. 

So I'm going to make a plan. I want to create a summer activities list for my kids, much like one my mother made for me back when I was young and annoying. But I can't find the notebook she made for me, and my sister has misplaced hers too. I've asked my mother to make a list of what she can remember, and my sister has given me a few ideas as well. Yet I know I will need more. My kids have Wii Brains, which means they have the attention span of sand fleas. Aside from moving to the woods or a third world country, my only other option is to come up with stuff that is appealing to a thirteen-year-old, an eleven-year-old, and an eight-year-old--and to me, since I'll be doing most of it with them. 

This is where you come in, dear readers. Any ideas?

Comments

[Traci]

i know someone mentioned letterboxing or there is also geocaching (if you have a gps) you find the info in-line and go on these hikes'walks to find the letter box or geocaching. we have only done the letterboxing and it was real fun!
how about going to a waterpark or getting passes to one, if you live by one.
i too will be having to come up with some ideas as well! we've got a month left out here!
but looking forward to our summer trip to utah, the week after school is out!!!

[shelby]

Hmmmm, we have a swingset, playdoh, shaving cream for shaving cream art, a homemade Popsicle kit, a ton of books...but my expertise runs out at the 3-6 year old range. So, I guess I'm not much help, eh?

But your post reminded me of this post from a friend of mine in California...it's pretty funny and may give you some ideas if you click on the picture:

http://heymaughans.blogspot.com/2009/09/just-sittin-around.html

[Nicole W.]

Send them to my house for the day! We will hopefully be in our new house the middle of June and the back yard is like going on vacation!! They will love it!

[shannon]

At the beginning of summer, I get a posterboard and give the kids markers. They all write things they want to do that summer- from getting snow cones to going to Disneyland (yeah,right). We try to cross off as many activities as we can.

Look at gocitykids.com calendars and join Utah Kids Club. It's $6 a month, but there are a lot of buy 1/ get 1 deals and the lady sends us free kids meals coupons, so for as many kids as we have- I feel it's totally worth it.

A few weeks ago we went to Antelope Island The kids loved playing in the sand and it wasn't half as stinky as I remembered it- plus it's a great photo location. :)

Also, try letterboxing. My kids LOVE it, and it's totally free. (www.letterboxing.org) Our name that we sign is purple monkey dishwasher. (long story)

Have a fun summer. I am bored enough already of weeding that if you want to send your kids up here, I will pay them to do it for me.

[Christy Barnson]

We often join Julie for park day! There's a really cool castle type playground just west of Redwood road and about 7200 south. Even the teenagers don't mind hanging out there!

I've signed my boys up for some sports. Elijah will be on a track team for the first six weeks of summer. In the middle of July both of my younger boys will have soccer camp every day for three hours lasting one week.

As soon as school gets out, we're headed south for some camping in Moab. LOVE that place. It's the family favorite for camping! A new tradition in preparation for family vacation is to make tie dye shirts so we all match when we go hiking. It makes it easy to keep track of us all!

Like Julie, my kids each have one day a week they're in charge of dinner. This helps me to not have to always be the one to decide what we're having, and the kids have learned a ton of cooking skills which is nice.

Then there's the usual cub scout day camp, boy scout camp, YW camp, and youth conference.

Be sure to add in your city events! I'm looking forward to the Riverton Arts Festival and possibly the movies in the park!

If you don't have one, you can order an Entertainment Book for our area and get TONS of coupons for everything around. This helps a lot when you go to museums and such.

BTW-don't feel bad. The end of the school year snuck up on me, too! I panicked and started searching for ideas to keep the kids busy, too.

I think it would be a ton of fun to get us all together for a bbq.

[michelle]

Herriman recreation offers fly fishing classes.
Mindstorms (robotic) camp at Thanksgiving Point.
Costco book: 60 hikes within 60 miles of SLC.
Service projects for elder neighbors.
Build a tree house.
Good luck! We will have less than four weeks "off of school" for the summer before we start up again with our year round track. I need to get more creative with our off-track schedules.

[Allie]

I'll take them hiiikkkkiiiinnnggg! Biking, etc.!

[Julie Barnson]

This is what I do, and my kids are 12 and 15.

1 day a week for groceries and chore stuff. One or both children is required to come with me.

1 day a week for basic shopping or appointments like hair cuts, dentist, getting shoes, etc.

1 day a week we go to the park or outside- preferably with friends.

1 day we have a field trip to a museum or fun zone of some kind. I use coupons, and find ideas in the Utah Mama's Handbook www.utahmama.com

1 day for library day.

That takes up either the morning or the afternoon. I also have each child choose a recipe to make for the week, and they aren't allowed to just make desserts. They have to make a main dish, a breakfast and a snack before they can make dessert.

We also have a craft project a week. This has changed some with my children getting older, and it has turned into bigger projects like sewing something. I'm toying with the idea of starting a dollhouse this summer.

This has gotten long. I hope it helps!