Summer Sanity Savers

We're getting so close to summer vacation! Have you made your summer plans? I run my summer with the kids like a summer camp. We have a loose schedule that looks fun but also keeps them learning. I have done the Summer Sanity Savers Series (SSSS) before on my blog, and I often tag posts with SSSS even if they aren't technically in the summer. You can click that label in the tag cloud on the right, and it will bring up all the posts I've previously written on the subject.

This will be the first post for this summer, and I'm just going to touch on the basics today--how do I make my schedule, how do I plan our time. I expect to have several more posts on this topic throughout the next two weeks.

Your schedule can be as loose or as regimented as you'd like. I like to have a basic idea of what we'll be doing every week, and I make it easy by having the same schedule each week. We do this as cheaply as possible, and it absolutely can be done for free or just the cost of gas in your tank.

We like to go somewhere EVERY day, even if it is a walk around the neighborhood. As my kids get older, we can walk or bike further, and we can stay out longer without naps and meltdowns.

Monday is usually our stay home day.  We play in the yard, ride bikes, do gardening, but we rarely venture outside of our property line.  This is also an opportunity to relax, write in journals, and catch up on chores.

Tuesday we love to go to the Family Craft Story Time at the Ames Public Library in the morning.  We plan to meet friends for a picnic lunch or go out somewhere for lunch occasionally. 

Wednesday--in our town, there is always a cool afternoon activity at the public library.  We like to pack a picnic lunch and walk to the library, stopping to eat at one of the local parks.  We trade out our library books and do the summer reading program.

Thursday is our park day.  This can be a local city park or a hike around in a state park.

Friday is our "big" field trip day.  We generally stay in our town or the one next to us all week long, but on Friday we plan a longer drive.  For ideas on where to go, you can click on my wandering label. 

As you can see, this is a very loose schedule.  We rarely have firm plans, except that we know we will go somewhere and we will include lots of reading opportunities.  You may need an hour by hour thing, or maybe you don't even want something this strict.  It's up to you what you do with your family.  For us, we won't always get out of the house if we don't know at least roughly what we are doing.