Great Ideas for Summer Spaces, Places and Family Fun
by Molly Gold, founder of GO MOM !NC
I love summer and all that it brings. Sleeping in, playing outside well after dark, swimming for hours, and cookouts with friends. I’d venture to say that it’s my favorite season and I’m sure it’s because summer begs us to relax, have fun, and be social. Who can argue with that? But you know me, I can’t leave well enough alone. In order to have a relaxing summer full of fun, you need to do a little prep work to make that happen. Take a closer look at each of these areas and see what ideas might work well for your family this summer.
Plan Your Space
• Tour your home with two questions in mind. Is it organized in a way that works well for you and will that space still work well once the kids come home? Don’t panic! I’m not talking about a whole house overhaul. I am recommending a room by room strategy that encourages order and makes room for fun.
• Streamline your desk to make paperwork the least of your worries and keep your supplies separate from those your kids want to use.
• Sort and store everything that came home from school in that last week and plan time to make a small scrapbook or folder of things your child would like to save.
• Engage your kids in spending just one hour together in their bedroom to rotate their toys, books, and even furniture for a sunny new look for the summer ahead. Encourage them to pack up what they hardly use and store it until the fall. If they don’t miss the items over the summer, then you can have a family garage sale at summer’s end with all the unused items and throw an ice cream party to celebrate your accomplishments.
• Place a collapsible towel rack on your deck to handle wet towels when they come in each day.
• Update all first aid and safety items, restocking in key locations like a bathroom on each floor, the garage, and your car.
• Replenish all sun block and bug sprays with fresh supplies including poison ivy ointments.
Plan for Fun
• Check out local parks ahead of time to identify where you will find age appropriate equipment, restrooms, and plenty of shade. Make it a point to visit as many local parks as you can over the summer, helping your kids stay busy and enjoying your local community.
• Include outdoor physical activity in every day. Even if you don’t hit the pool, you can still have plenty of age appropriate fun. Take a ride around the block using anything with wheels, load up the dog and take a walk in your local park, or break out lawn games like croquet or your water gun stash and have a blast.
• Use media wisely, saving TV time or an afternoon movie for when you need it most. Downtime after a big day at the pool helps everyone relax and get organized for the night ahead, even if the only thing on the agenda is catching fire flies.
• Think outside the box when it comes to creative expression. Sort through your recycling each week to pull unique items that can be used to make arts and crafts. Pick a theme like music and you are on your way to making enough instruments for an entire band!
• Let your kids hold a talent show - inviting their friends to join in and all the parents to enjoy. Help them with the basics of how to organize the project, things they need to do to make it all happen, and then sit back and watch the fun unfold. Or you can scale back and help organize a neighborhood art show or my all-time favorite, have a good old lemonade stand.
Plan B
• When you make your field trip list, don’t forget to include all the indoor locations you can think of so if the mercury climbs too high or the rain showers just won’t quit, you can draw on these life savers and make a day of it at the local museum, having saved it for just this sort of day.
• As long as the rain is thunder-free, don’t let it stand in your way when it comes to playing outside in the water. Invite friends over for “survivor style” water games including slip and slides, water balloons, and anything else you might fancy.
• Keep a stash of baking supplies on hand and ready to go so you can make the most of a rainy day by whipping up a variety of items. Once your creations have cooled, take a walk in the rain to deliver them to friends. You’ll spend a wonderful day working together making a delicious treat, and do something kind for someone else at the same time!
• Call a pajama day complete with hot cocoa and lots of books, letting everyone get cozy, even if it’s July. Hang out with your kids and really listen to their chatter. Play games like hide and seek or monopoly and simply be. It’s a priceless way to spend a rainy day.
Founder Molly Gold is a mother of three and the creator of the GO MOM!® product line, which is produced via license partnership with Mead Westvaco Consumer and Office Products and sold online at www.dayrunner.com and in OfficeMax stores nationwide. Molly is known for her keen insights into Family Scheduling and has been featured both in print and on air.
