Summertime Strategies

Having a routine is important, it helps the kids know what to expect and helps summer to keep from devolving into a cartoon and video game marathon. For us getting outside in the morning was helpful, once we were out the door and had places to go the day was not wasted. My kids did swiming lessons in the mornings for part of the summer, so we would go to swiming lessons followed by a trip to the park where the school district here serves free lunch for kids all summer long, then back home to do their "homework" (I printed off worksheets from teh internet, we focued on math and handwriting practice) then they could have some free time adn later on clean up. When we were doen with swiming lessons we often got up early and went on a hike instead, we would go to different nature trails nearby my home. Then once a week we would go to the library for story time and to check out books. We had a great summer and stuck to our routine most days, but there were some days when we did just sleep in and lounge at home watching movies and that was fun too! I took the oportunity to introduce my kids to some of my favorite old musicals and they liked them! Good luck, have a great summer!

Oh and I almost forgot, we had a vaggie garden too, we would weed and water teh garden in the evenings and it was great! It is really good for kids to learn how to grow some healthy food!

I plan a couple camps for them to break it up...this way we get back onto a schedule for the week and I get a bit of free time! This summer my boys will also be at a good age to do things like take them hiking and biking by myself...I have not been comfortable in the past doing this. So 'hopefully' I will get that going too. ANd even some little overnights just me and them.

I would still keep them on a schedule of some sort. Here in Texas, I try to go any outdoor activites early in the morning, b/c it gets soooo bloody hot by lunchtime, even swimming. When we are home in the afternoons, I still make my kid read for 1/2 hr, do some sort of table activity (write, color, draw or do puzzles) for at least another 1/2 hr and play by himself for another 1/2 before I let him watch TV.

Give them housework hour. Each day they have an hour to do some cleaning around the house or outside. You can put up a schedule each week and rotate duties.

Sign up to do some charity work. Find an old lady on your street who would appreciate 3 kids raking her yard or weeding her garden.

Playdates havealways been a godsend for me...maybe you can arrange for 1 or more kids to take turns playing at each other's houses?

How about learning about a different country each week? Sit down at the beginning of summer w/a calendar, spin the globe and write the name of whatever country your finger lands on, be it a big country or small. Then each week, go to the library and internet and learn all you can about that country - the language, what kids their age do for fun, clothing, climate - even find out if any music or movies are from or about that country and listen/watch it. Have them learn to write their names in that countries language and even simple words like house or chair. They can keep a journal about each country they "visit".

A friend of mine plans a different outing a different day of the week. its is from anything from going to NASA to swimming at someone's house to having a picnic at the park. She never tells her kids when they are doing them, so when they wake up thinking they are facing another boring day, she always has at least 1 day a week to surprise them.

I do suggest investing in 3 different timers for each of your kids, so that if you have to resort in sticking them in front of the TV or computer, you can monitor to some degree the time they spend in front of them.

If you plan ahead and plan well, you might be able to keep your kids busy enough where they won't have time to watch TV.

check to see if your local parks do lunch. Where I live the parks give out free lunch and so I take my kids to that and let them play for an hour or 2 after they have had their lunch. I also sign my kids up for a different summer camp each. They each have one they go to on their own. I also do Bible Schools... last year my kids went to 3 of them.