Fun Summer Schedule for Families

Simple ideas and an easy daily summer schedule for families to make summer easier and more fun with your kids!!! An activity every day that will keep kids busy!

Fun Summer Schedule for Families

The last day of school is QUICKLY approaching!  My kids all love school, but can’t wait to be home for the summer, and I can’t wait to have them home with ME!!! I thrive on a schedule and a regular routine, but I also love the freedom that summer provides, and spending lots of time with my kiddos.

Let’s be honest, people–aren’t we all looking forward to that first week when school is out?  We may not be sleeping in at our house (my kids are too little) but we can keep our pajamas on as long as we want, there are no lunches to pack or homework to do, and no schedule to follow.  That lasts for about…a week.  Then everything (and everyone) starts going crazy, and I start hearing “I’m Bored”. 

A few years ago I decided I needed a plan of action to make our summer easier, go more smoothly, and be FUN!  They’re only out for a couple of months, and I really wanted to make the most of our time together, without me going crazy, and without them feeling like there was nothing to do after the excitement of the first few weeks wore off.  I incorporated some ideas that made a world of difference for our family, and  I’m going to share what works for us, and how to make summer easier and more fun!!!

Even though it’s summertime, the house still needs to function, and there is a lot to do.  Schedules help us accomplish what we need to do, and want to do, my motto is:  Schedules = FUN!!!  Do those two works sound like they shouldn’t go together?  I’ve realized after having six kids  that everyone does better with a schedule–kids love routine, and so do I. Making a schedule that allows for everything that needs to get done, plus all the fun things we want to do while school is out actually provides us all with more freedom, fun, and happiness around the home.  Isn’t that what we all want? YES!!!

What do we do in the summer?

Summertime is also the perfect time to teach your kids new skills–sewing, baking, cooking, sports, swimming–anything they want to learn! It’s also a wonderful opportunity to spend some really great quality time with them. 

My kids like to rotate who helps me make dinner, and they get to choose what we eat, then help me prepare it.  We try new recipes, and I talk about our old favorites–they love to hear about whether or not they liked it when they were little.  Take everyone out to play tennis, canoeing, hiking–summer is the time to enjoy the outdoors.  Make a list together of all the things you want to do, and it will give you better direction to work from over the summer months.

Summer chores for kids

Summer is a great time to teach kids how to clean, and if old enough, to do their own laundry Chores are an important part of our day, but I like to get them over and done with in the morning, so we can play and do other fun things the rest of the day.  I also think it’s essential to continue their education over the summer, so that everything they’ve learned can stay fresh, and they won’t have to backtrack at the end of the year. We read a bunch, work on multiplication tables, and anything else we need to work on.  We also continue all of our music lessons and practices.

I know it sounds like a lot, but it keeps them busy, and we do some in the morning and some in the afternoon so that they don’t get bored or antsy, and it breaks up the day. And best of all, if we need a down day, we take it!  Summer also means flexibility, and we often take full advantage of that. 

No more summer boredom! 

Do your kids ever complain that there’s nothing to do?  I used to hear that ALL THE TIME, and it seriously made me crazy. Really?? All those puzzles and books and games and toys up there in the playroom and you’re BORED?  But somehow they were, and I decided on a fun way to help keep them excited about each day, and give them something to look forward to. We tried it for the first time a few years ago, and loved it.

Weekly Summer Schedule for Kids

It’s such an easy and fun plan!  I assign each day with a specific theme or activity–Library Day, Baking Day, Water Day, Craft Day, and Exploration Day.  It allows for everything we want to do, and the kids already know what to expect each day.

 
 
 

 

 

{Monday}–This is the day we head to the library and read to our hearts’ content, then bring home lots of books to enjoy throughout the week. The library is always a big part of our summer, and so is their reading program.  We also do our own reading program at home, so books are a must.

{Tuesday}–My kids love to bake, and so do I!  We’ try new recipes and make our favorites, too. I think this is the perfect pajama day, don’t you think?

{Wednesday}–Texas is HOT HOT HOT in the summer, and spending time in the water is a must. I’m sure we’ll be a the pool or splash park more often than once a week, but this will be the day that designated for water fun.  Whether we go to the pool, or run through the sprinklers at home, this will be our water day!

{Thursday}–Crafts, crafts, crafts!  My kids love to create, and I’m excited to have them start some new projects and fun crafts. It’s not always a planned idea, but often times we just pull out all the craft and art supplies and let them go to town.

{Friday}–Exploration Day is the day we head out on an adventure! We look forward to exploring the area, visiting museums and zoos, discovering favorite parks, and going to the beach!

I really love having my kids at home, and incorporating this weekly schedule makes such a difference.  Do we ALWAYS stick to it?  No, of course not.  Sometimes things come up, kids get sick, friends will invite us somewhere, there’s an activity we want to attend on a different day, and plans may need to change. All of those things are to be expected, but that’s okay. It’s easy to switch days if we need to.  On the craft and baking days, I can do those in the morning or afternoon, depending on if we swim another day, or head out to another activity. We can certainly do more than one thing in a day, but we don’t always.  This is why I love it so much–it is a schedule, but with enough flexibility to make it easy to follow.

The beauty of this idea is that you can easily tailor it to the needs of your family and ages of your kids My kids are mostly small, so these are things that appeal to them  If you have teenagers, you can totally adjust the activities to what they want to do.  Change the days, the activities, whatever works best for you.

What does a typical summer day look like at our house? 

 

 Early Morning:  My kids don’t understand the concept of sleeping in. Oh, how I wish they did, but it’s just not going to happen. We’re up by 6:30am-7am, and our day is starting with breakfast, followed by morning chores and music practice.  While the kids are doing their chores, I do mine–throwing in laundry, cleaning up breakfast, and my daily cleaning tasks.

Morning: By 10am we’re usually ready to go, and we can head out for the morning for whatever our activity is for that day—swimming, library, park, etc.

Afternoon: Lunch, then naps!! For those that don’t take a nap, we use this quiet time for learning workbooks, flashcards, puzzles and educational computer games, all of which my kids love.

Late Afternoon:  FREE TIME!!! This is the time my kids do whatever they want to do! I’m cooking dinner, and they can play, play, play!  I’m making dinner during this time, and every child gets a turn to help me make dinner during the week.  It’s such a great way to spend time with them, but also teach them.

Evening: We love family time, and whether we stay home and play games in the yard, go swimming, or go somewhere, we do something all together.  It’s the best part of the day!

Once again, things will come up that require the schedule to change, but for the most part, this is what I stick to, and makes everything EASIER.  With a plan and schedule in place, I’m more relaxed and organized, the kids know what to expect, and there is always something to look forward to. It cuts down immensely on the “I’m bored” syndrome, and it’s been a wonderful summer plan for our family. It may seem funny that a schedule is the answer to how to make summer easier and more fun, but it’s certainly been that way at our house!

*UPDATED:  Originally posted in 2014! 

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