Start the summer off by doing some planning and organizing. - With your family, make a list of "Family Activities" you would like to do this summer, for example: ride bikes to park, have a picnic, visit grandma... Schedule these events now. By planning ahead, you will get to do more of the activities you'd like to do.
- Sort & purge all the papers your child/ren have brought home from school. Save a few samples of written work and a few pieces of art work – fewer than ten total. Write the child's name, grade, and year on each selection. Store in a bin, labeled with the child's name. See http://simplespacesorg.blogspot.com/2008/05/end-of-school-year.html for more ideas for memorabilia.
- Toss school supplies that can't be reused and store the rest in a container labeled "school supplies." Next school year you'll have those supplies ready to go.
- Make an Indoors "Unbored" List and an Outdoors "Unbored" List – for each, list at least 20 activities your child/ren enjoy doing. Have your children help brainstorm ideas. When your child says he/she is bored, suggest he/she check the list for some ideas. Really, this works!
- Sort through toys. Toss any that are broken and donate or sell any that your child/ren have outgrown or no longer play with.
- Sort through each child's closet. Toss, donate, or sell any clothing & shoes that they've outgrown or no longer wear.
Plan, declutter, then enjoy your summer!
2 comments:
#1 and #4 are especially valuable tips - if you wait until the time you need the ideas, you'll waste half of it trying to come up something!
Thanks Janet. Making an "Unbored" List when children are energetic and engaged is an absolute must. If you wait until a child is bored, nothing will sound interesting.
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