Showing posts with label outside. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outside. Show all posts

Jun 19, 2012

Summer Activity List Check off

I began the summer all excited to spend time with my kids.  I was looking forward to not following a schedule or needing to be somewhere at a specific time.  I loved the thought of not waking up at 4:30 or having paper work to complete.

Last week I began to get down on myself a little, because, well to put it honestly, things were just not going as I imagined.  For some crazy unexplainable reason I thought I would be able to do all of these fun things with my kids, have a little me time, take naps here and there, and maintain the cleanliness of my home. 

Ok, ok, you all can stop laughing at me now . . . I know I'm nuts.  I tend to bite off more than I can chew, frequently!  I think I do this for a few reasons.  First of all, during the school year I often feel as if I have to put my family on the side burner, in order to maintain things in my classroom.  Second of all, I feel as if I have to justify being home so I need to do some kind of 'work'.

Well this week I decided to throw caution to the wind and say the heck with what I'm 'supposed' to be doing.  I'm going to do what my kids and I want to do!  We have done some of the things on the list, but not as much as I thought we would have done by now (beginning week 4 of summer break).  I mean we did create this list of tasks to accomplish throughout the summer.  It was created so that I would hold myself accountable for accomplishing tasks and to provide my kids with some kind of fun over the summer.

So here we go with items to check off of our Summer Activity List:

Item #30:  Dance to the Radio

I really wish I would have had my phone or the video camera within reach for this one.  It was too funny watching G shake his booty to Radio Disney as he danced in front of the fan.


It's these spur of the moment unplanned events that are often the most enjoyable.  He is so random and ALWAYS performing!  There are often time when we are trying to 'calm' his inner diva.  Today he had the perfect opportunity to shine.



Item # 10 Play in the pool in the yard

Ok so B and G may have dragged out like every toy from the garage to play in the pool, but whateva.  They had fun.  B thought he was pretty cool when he figured out how to scoop up water into the noodle and the squirt it out by blowing on the other end.  He's my thinker.  He's always trying to invent new things.





He also used his new found trick to cool himself off.






Like a good brother he taught his little brother how to squirt the water, too.







They made a new discovery today.  Not only does water make the color of sidewalk chalk darker, but it makes it the puddles of water colorful! 




How cool is that? They were simply playing and having a discussion and came to a conclusion about what water can do. Wow, wonder what science standards that meets?! (Sorry for the teacher sarcasm there. I just couldn't resist!)



                                                   *Added bonus = Mommy got some sun too!


I'm looking forward to some more check offs tomorrow!

Jun 4, 2012

Summer Activities


Alright, so I’ve been thinking.

When I say that to Brent I usually get an eye roll.  And in his defense when I do say it to him it typically means I’ve come up with some kind of a project that will take a while.
Ok back to the topic at hand, I’ve been thinking . . .

I’m not the only mom in the world who is home with her kids over the summer.  I personally have been trying to think of fun ideas or activities to do with my children while we are all home together.

For the most part, I’ve been trying to find things to do that cost little to nothing. 

I also like the idea of trying to use things we already have at home or using our imaginations to ‘go places’ without physically traveling.

When we were home for spring break we traveled to the beach and to the moon.

I guess in a long drawn out way, the point that I'm trying to make is, I am going to create a list of summer activities that I want to accomplish with my children this summer.

Some of these activities we have already done and some are things that I would like to do. 

I will list the activities in this post and as we accomplish them I’ll create a link back to the list.  I would love for my readers to share any ideas that they have tried or would like to try.

Summer Activity List:



3.  Ride bikes

4.  Draw with sidewalk chalk


6.  Go to the zoo


8.  Eat lunch outside

9.  Go to the pool




13.  Put on a puppet show

14.  Complete summer practice packet (B)

15.  Complete summer journal (B)

16.  Work on 1st and 2nd grade sight words (B)

17.  Work on handwriting (G)

18.  Work on preschool sight words (G)


20.  Play with water balloons

21.  Play with squirt guns

22.  Make a fort/tent

23.  Go to a park



26.  Play ball outside

28.  Play on the swing set

29.  Eat popsicles /ice cream outside