I used to spend the month of May dreading the upcoming summer “holidays”. I treated summer as if I was going into battle…entering survival mode, but this year I am making a plan for Camp SAHM and am hoping to enjoy myself more!
Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool
I’m not foolish in thinking that this summer is going to be glorious and peaceful. That the kids will suddenly STOP fighting over every little thing or that they will find it in their hearts to sleep in until 8am more than once. My three midgets are not going to suddenly start cleaning the house without being asked, but over the past year they have gained a lot of independence and we are going to cash in on that this summer.
A Loose Plan is Still a Plan
After operating under a pretty strict schedule during the school year it is time to loosen the reigns a bit without completely letting go. I want my kids to take a bit more control over their summers…without dissolving into a swirl of YouTube videos and fidget spinners. So I’ve come up with a few fun ideas to pass the 2.5 months until Meet the Teacher.
$1 Movie Day
One of our favorite Camp SAHM summertime traditions is hitting $1 Movie Day! Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer Regal Cinemas shows kids movies (some older and some newer) for just $1 per person! This is FANTASTIC since 1 regular movie ticket is almost $10!! Of course I frequently splurge on a bucket of popcorn making the cost of our weekly trip a little higher than $4, but still not crazy. See you soon Sing, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Lego Batman!
Pool Time
This is my non-negotiable. Unless we have a special outing planned {like $1 Movie Day}, we will be at our neighborhood pool by 10am. Lunch will be packed even if it is just a bag of goldfish, fruit snacks, and water bottles. We aren’t coming back inside this house until it is 12:30-1:00pm because we need some sunshine on our souls and this mama needs to wear out her Energizer bunnies.
MENSA for Kids Reading Challenge
Earlier this year amongst the onslaught of expensive summer camp flyers that came home I came across the MENSA for Kids Excellence in Reading program. This is a year-long program encouraging kids to read some classic books based on their grade level. At the end of the program record sheets can be turned in for a t-shirt. We are taking it one step further at Camp SAHM. I am challenging my kids to read as much from these lists as they can for some fun rewards. As they hit different milestones (10%, 25%, 50%, etc) they will earn Jeremiah’s, McDonald’s, and possibly new toys. My kids already love to read (yes, I know I’m lucky) so this will be just redirecting them towards some more classic books for their ages. I am even going to take part in the challenge by reading the high school list since I’ve only read a few of the books on it.
“Field Trips”
During the school year my kids took field trip to a bunch of local museums and theatres (Loch Haven Park – I’m looking at you!). This summer I hope to continue doing some of these more education adventures. Our Orlando Science Center and SeaWorld annual passes are geared up for a work out, but I hope to add adventures to the beach, zoo, and a splash pad or two over the 2.5 months of Camp SAHM, but who knows!
Art Journals
The last regularly scheduled cog in the Camp SAHM machine is art journaling. I have been wanting to branch out and start journaling myself so I am holding my kids hostage and making them journal with me. While traditional journals are a collection of someone’s written thoughts, an art journal takes those thoughts and builds on them through mixed-media artwork. There can be paint, stickers, washi tape, clue, glitter, magazine clippings, and so much more. Still not sure about it? Check out these examples (1, 2, 3)!
What Does Your Summer Look Like?
Are you running your own version of Camp SAHM this summer? Tell us about some of your activities in the comments.
Going on an amazing vacation? We want to hear about that too!
Hitting the summer camp circuit? Which are your favorites? Maybe we will try those next summer!
