And to think that I saw it on Creativity Street…

That’ s right!

Summer is around the corner and that means starting to plan on activities for the kids. So what to do, what to do?

As a mom, I want my kids to have the most fun, but I also want the fun to teach them something. Therefore, this summer I plan to change the name of my street to Creativity Street. I want to make sure that I have diverse activities that will keep my kids busy, entertained and of course in learning mode.

First of all we need an activity calendar, and why not make it one of the activities…

An activity calendar: you can print your own, buy your own or create your own. I like the create-your-own approach, and here is where your super mom skills come into place. There are so many things you can do to set up your activity calendar.

• For older kids you can have them set up a calendar using Microsoft Publisher, this way they can improve their computer skills.
• Another way can be, to use some fun materials like felt, scrapbooking papers, or construction paper. This one is my favorite. I plan to use felt and have my daughter cut out the squares for each day. We will also cut out different shapes to be used to identify the summer activities. I will put some magnetic tape on the back of the calendar and place it on the fridge.

Now that we have our calendar in place, we need to fill it up with the summer activities.  Here is my share of ideas, please join in and share your ideas too.

Places to go: one thing kids enjoy during summer is the outdoors. But there are also interesting indoor places to go to.

• Plan a picnic at the park. You can stretch a blanket, have lunch and play board games.
• Check for local festivals and events. One great website to search for local events is: http://eventful.com/. You can search for events by zip code and category: family/kids.
• Visit family.
• Organize a play date at a local playground.
• Visit museums and historical places if nearby.
• Go on a road trip.
• Go to the local library. They also host many fun events during summer.
• Start the kids on music lessons or sports (both if possible).

 Things to do: here is where Creativity Street is in action. 

• Writing: have them create an acrostic with their name. You can then make copies and mail them to family. They can do an acrostic exchange with friends and mail them to each other. The anticipation of getting mail for kids is quite interesting.
• Reading: sign up for a library reading program. The kids get free stuff, while improving their reading skills during summer.
• Scavenger hunt:  create your own set of items to be found around the house or right down your own riddles or clues. You can have a hidden treasure at the end of the game (like a summer journal notepad).
• Family night: try to set up one day during the week to make it your family night. 

 a) Read a book out loud, taking turns and, role-play the scenes of the story.

b) Another thing would be to watch a good movie and enjoy some popcorn. 

c) Play board games.

d) Work on a family project (start a family tree album).

• Cooking:  if the kids are old enough to do this: bake cookies, make cupcakes, try a new recipe. If you have a girl, get her a cute apron or if you sew, make one as an activity. For boys, get a chef hat. I like to role play like I am on a TV program (LOL…).
• Cleaning: this is can be a tough one, for many parents including me. But we can find ways to creative, back to the super mom skills.

a) Get one of those ticking timers and complete over a task. Time yourselves to see who can fold the towels faster or wipe the table faster. Maybe things won’t get perfectly organized or cleaned, but it gets the kids the idea that cleaning can be fun.

 b) Put on a CD, a song with a catchy beat, and list a set of tasks to be done while the music plays. Once the song finishes, whoever completes the list of tasks and screams “okie dokie artichokie” gets a treat (ice cream for instance). You can come up with your own screaming code too.

c) Some people do something called spring cleaning…what? Why not summer cleaning. Let’s teach the kids about giving. Have them select, let’s say 10-20 items from their rooms (it has to be things that are still in good quality) and have them put those in a box and give them to a local charity or homeless shelter.

Let’s enjoy this summer and make wonderful memories at the same time, right in your own home; in Creativity Street. A high five to all the moms out there!

Warmly,

Jo-Ann