As the summer break comes to a bittersweet end, I am both happy to go back to work teaching and getting my routine back in order, and sad to not be able to spend so much time with my kids. I see how fast they are growing and it feels like when I am at work, I miss so much with them. That is why I need to make sure that I make the most of this summer.

I wish I could take them on a nice vacation, but that is simply not in the cards for me right now. I have to be thrifty and creative with what I do with my six-year-old and two-year-old, and sometimes with my boyfriend’s four- and nine-year-old. Believe me, when we are all piled up in my tiny apartment, I am always looking for something to interest them.

They love their electronics, but I do not want to be that mom – the one who lets the TV and Smartphone raise my kids. I want to make lasting memories with them.

Last year, I wrote about my daughter and me writing our “Summertime Bucket List”. This year, we decided that since she is into writing, we would put it in a composition notebook and journal each adventure with a picture glued on the page. Here are some thrifty and fun ways you can make lasting summer memories with your kids.

Craft

You do not have to be one of those craft queens you see online to craft with your kids. You also do not have to go spend hundreds of dollars to put together a project. Start a collection of stuff around the house that can be made into something new. You can use old pickle jars, tin cans, toilet paper rolls – you can even use the pieces from stuff that you accidentally broke to make something else. Careful with the glitter – that stuff is a nightmare. Toilet paper rolls quickly become puppets, old wire creates the base of an amazing sculpture, and even the cardboard from the frozen pizza you just stuck in the oven for lunch can become a masterpiece. Kids are not as picky as we make them out to be when we let them be creative.  My boyfriend’s son, who is nine and into things like Minecraft, has a box dedicated to his creations where he takes something like a wire hanger and other items and creates awesome inventions. My six-year-old daughter loves melting crayons or pony beads and making different creations with them. There are so many things you can do that will keep the kids entertained for hours.

Camp

It doesn’t have to be in the woods if you are deathly afraid of spiders or the sound of snapping twigs. We camped out in the living room this summer and watched a movie. We plan on doing it again and telling ghost stories. When I was a kid, we would light the fire in the fireplace and roast hotdogs and marshmallows in the fireplace. This is one of my favorite memories.

Watch a movie OUTSIDE

Not only do we have the drive-in close by, but we also have the movies that are free on Franklin Street. In fact, there are many things happening on Franklin Street these days that you can enjoy and take the kids to.

Discover a new favorite park

When you have little ones like I do, you spend a lot of time at the park and I know that I am one to find one and stick with it. For kids, though, it is exciting to try out new playground equipment or explore new areas that are very exciting to them. Rather than finding yourself with a bored, over-it, restless child – you may find yourself able to sit down and relax and crack open a book or even wanting to explore this new world with your kids.

Have a picnic

Do I really need to go into the joy of a picnic? Grab a blanket, the PB&J, bread, maybe some pretzels or chips, and some juice boxes and have lunch under a pretty tree or find a nice picnic table. Before we know it, we are going to be frozen inside our homes again, so enjoy the sunshine while we have it!

Go get a Snow Cone

… then take a selfie with all of your funny-colored tongues sticking out! J

Read at least one book

Maybe it is the ELA teacher in me, but there is something satisfying about completing a book and the snap of the book closing. My daughter and I have read five chapter books so far this summer, and every time I tell her that was the end of the story, she beams with pride and excitement and then we decide what next – Stuart Little or another Junie B. Jones? It’s very special to set together each night and read a book together, and then finish it together, too. It gives you something to discuss and relate to other things that happen in real life. Wilbur was Charlotte’s friend and never judged her the way that others on the farm did. Wilbur was good because of this, and a true friend. You always want to make sure that you are a true friend to others.

Go on a road trip

You don’t have to go far, especially with little ones, but it is good for everyone to get away for a day or a weekend. If you can spring for a hotel, get one with a pool and be sure to jump on the beds (because that is the best part of being in a hotel room).

Go on a hike

There are a lot of places to explore and unplug in this area. We have Harmonie State Park, Audubon State Park, Scales Lake (my personal favorite!), Burdette Park and USI Trails, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, Howell Wetlands, or you can even travel a little to Garden of the Gods or Land Between the Lakes.  Watch the kids discover the beauty of the natural world. Let them gross out over a frog or get excited when they find a cocoon.

Do a good deed

This one is my favorite because I always want to instill goodness in my children. There are many places where you can donate your time and will be happy to have you, or you can clean out those toys and have them play an active role in deciding which items they want to donate to those in need. It doesn’t have to be grand, but it should be somehow noted so they are proud of themselves and know what they did was a wonderful thing.

You don’t have to break the bank to make a memorable summer for your kids. The best memories made are with the people you love, no matter where you are.

Happy Summer!

 

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