Fun Summer Ideas

Summer planning feels easier when we stop trying to fill every day and instead build a light structure kids can count on. We share cheap and free ways to make summer fun, protect downtime, and even use boredom to spark creativity.
• brainstorming summer activities that fit our time and budget
• using a simple weekly theme calendar to reduce daily decisions
• creating activity jars and digital lists for at-home, go-somewhere, and rainy day options
• exploring low-cost places like libraries, kids-bowl-free programs, and summer discount movies
• finding parks and rec options like concerts, movie nights, and pools
• toddler-friendly water play using frozen toys and a DIY water table

If you have any questions or need a sounding board, you can message me on Instagram at Be Their Parent.
If you found this episode helpful, follow setup automatic downloads, review, and share.

Bowling- https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/all_centers.php

AMC- https://www.amctheatres.com/events/summer-movie-camp

Regal- https://www.regmovies.com/promotions/summer-movie-express

Transcript

Summer Planning For Real Life

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hi, I'm Sheila, and I'm here to help you be their parent. Summer is just about here, and I know the summer months can be challenging, you know, to keep your kids busy, whether you're at home with them all day or you're at work and then you just have your evenings with them. But I think you should take some time to brainstorm some activities that you and your kids might want to do this summer. And I'm gonna have quite a few to that might be a good option. And I've tried my best to keep them things that would be free or really cheap, because I know in these economic times that can be challenging. So we're just gonna I'm doing my best to keep that in mind for you. Um, but I'm hoping that some of these ideas you can just use as a launching pad and that it will get your family talking about really what would be a fun thing to do during the summer. And by doing this, you're gonna add a little bit of structure to their summer days because it's gonna give the kids something to look forward to as well as you know, just helping you keep your sanity of them asking, what are we doing next? What are we doing next?

Structure Versus Downtime And Boredom

SPEAKER_00 1:12

But by having a plan in place, that's gonna help you out. However, I am also a really big proponent of kids having downtime, they need time to play, they need time to get their tours done. You can even give them some time to do some educational things, whether it's reading, um doing some hands-on building things, scheme teacher here, highly recommend, or even maybe some math games. And the ultimate thing that I think you should work towards is letting your kids be bored, because out of boredom comes creativity. So just keep that in mind. It's okay if they get bored. Now, I don't want you doing all the things I'm going to list because that would be way too much, and you will totally fill up your summer, and then they wouldn't have that much free time. Truly, this is a balance, and you know your kids best of how much free time to give them versus structured time, but find a way to give them that. All right, here

A Simple Weekly Theme Calendar

SPEAKER_00 2:10

we go. Are you ready? Here's some things that you might want to consider. Now, depending on your margin for time, like I said, whether you're at home with them all day or you just have your evenings, you could set up a calendar that you do certain things on certain days of the week, like make it Mondays. And that could be crafts, food, a DIY project. Um, you can also maybe make ahead some meals to put in the freezer for when school starts back in the fall and life is kind of crazy in those first couple of weeks. Um, you could do takeout Tuesday and pick something up and take it out and do it as a picnic somewhere. Go to the library on Wednesdays. Thursdays, you go thrifting. That could be a fun activity, right? And it can be relatively cheap. Give your kids just a few bucks, tell them that's all they can spend and see what they can come up with. Uh, maybe Friday is a movie night. Saturdays, maybe you go to garage sales or you go on a hike. And then Sunday, you know, maybe that's the rest day because I'm not gonna lie, you parents, you're gonna need the rest too, right? So, you know, just setting that up. Now, those are just ideas. You can always tweak that for whatever would work best for you. But maybe you don't have

Activity Jar And Spinning Wheel Picks

SPEAKER_00 3:20

the time to do a something every day. So instead, you could do take all those ideas of things you might want to do as a family, and you could either put it in a jar as a tangible thing or make a list digitally. Um, and I would have a couple of lists. So I'd have one for things you could do at home, things that you would need to go somewhere, and then I'd have a rainy day list because you know it does happen in the summer months or slash rainy day slash it's way too hot to be outside, kind of a thing. Um, and so if you do the jars, then all the ideas that you have that you are willing to do, you put in each of those jars. And then when you have time, or you know, like it's Thursday evening and you know Friday you're gonna be home earlier, and you guys could do something in the late afternoon into the early evening, you could pull something out of the jar. Um, something like that that helps your kids to look forward to. Um, if you do it digitally, put numbers next to each thing, and then you can use a spinning wheel. I use this for at school. It's I I just Google spinning wheel and it ends up the same one because I use it every time. Um, and then you just put the numbers in it and you hit the wheel and it spins, and then whatever number it lands on, that's what you're doing. So

Libraries Bowling And Cheap Movies

SPEAKER_00 4:40

that could work. Now, some other categories you might want to consider is your family brainstorms ideas is something that's related to art or sports, video games, board games, hikes, camping, gardening. Um, this one I've never done, thankfully, it really wasn't much of a thing until my kids were older is a say yes day. And so that's the day that within reason you say yes to all their requests for the day. Good luck with that. And then, of course, the rainy day list that you might want to have. Now, some places and things you might want to explore as an option to do are the libraries. Obviously, they have books and they often have some kind of summer reading challenge. Um, but I also know like our library has other things now, like DVDs, which I know old school, but if you have an old DVD player, that can be fun. Um, games and puzzles and other odds and ends like that. So that could be a fun place to explore. Um, bowling. Now, this one has been around for a bit now. Um, and I will put the link for in the show notes. Um, it's that kids can bowl free, and it's they can bowl two games for free each week. Um, and then it depends on the location, like the place for our town, it they do charge for the rental for the shoes, but some places they don't. They include that in the freebie or they set it up with a family pass that the kids are free, but you're paying for the adults. So each location is different. And I found it really interesting because I scrolled through and it is for the United States. Not every state has one, um, but a lot of them do. And also most of Canada had one too. So I was like, that's kind of cool. Um, and then there's movies. Now I know movies going to the movies is super expensive, but both the AMC and Regal movie um theaters are offering some summer discounts. Um, some of them I think was like a dollar per movie, and another one was like a pass. Um, the local theater for us doesn't, is it connected to either of those? They're an independent. Um, they haven't put out yet what they're doing, but they usually do a cheaper one. So also check your local theater. And then there's often a lot of free and

Parks Water Play And Toddler Ideas

SPEAKER_00 7:05

cheap activities through parks and recs. So, like ours has concerts like once a week. Um, they also usually do a movie in the park nights. Um, and then of course they have sports and day camps that are minimal fees for those of us that live in the city. Um, there's always community pools, sprinklers, super soakers, reusable water balloons. Highly recommend those over regular water balloons because you don't have as much trash and splash pads for the days you're trying to keep cool. Um, parks, they're always a great option. And you could, you know, try to see if you could hit all the parks in your town over the course of the summer. You know, that could be a fun way, like a checkoff of yes, we did this one, yes, we went to that one. Um, sports that don't use a lot of equipment, and then you can use park facilities for would be soccer, frisbee, or disc golf, basketball, pickleball. A lot of our parks in our town have those available at most of them. Now, for little kids, I'm talking like toddlers, preschoolers, some things to keep them occupied, freeze their toys in um like margarine tubs of water or other small um rubber made type things. Um, and then once they're frozen solid, then you put them in a tote of water. And I would get a short tote, like the totes that are meant to go under your bed, those are a great size because they're the kids can reach well, but it's not too deep, so it's not as big of a drowning hazard as with all things with kids in water supervision, it's always recommended, even if it is only a few inches, because toddlers are top heavy, their heads are a lot heavier if you didn't know that. So, anyway, your little PSA in the middle of this. Um, but it's fun because then they can watch the things float, and then over time it does melt, and that works. You could also just use it as a water table and of your own making instead of buying the big fancy ones. Um, add cups, spoons, funnels, some of their bath toys, all the things that they would enjoy doing and without having to run a bath for them. Um, sidewalk chalk and bubbles are always winners for those

Affordable Summer Snacks And Treats

SPEAKER_00 9:15

younger kids. Now, when it comes to food, kids tend to eat us out of house and home during the summer months. Um, some cheaper treats, there they are still a cost, right? But Slurpees, homemade popsicles, uh, make sure you're buying in-seasons fruits and veggies. I know kids eat us out of house and home when it comes to berries. I know. Um, roasted marshmallows, popcorn. You can make homemade check mix or granola. Now, I only recommend that if you keep most of those ingredients on hand, don't go out and buy a bunch of ingredients. Like only do this if that's what you normally would do. Um, and those could all be good options for you. I know some of that it just depends where you live, too, right? Um, and also a good way to do it too is to buy the big bags of chips and those kinds of treats that kids enjoy from Costco, Sam's Club, whatever. And then you put them into smaller containers. That way you're controlling the portion size and also helping to stretch further. So, just some tips for the snacky, snacky end of summer.

Final Encouragement And How To Reach Me

SPEAKER_00 10:22

And so, with a little bit of planning, your summer could be a lot of fun and not too expensive. So, embrace the season and have fun with your kids. Run through the sprinkler with them, let them have that extra roasted marshmallow. Summer is a great time to really connect with your kids. So enjoy it. If you have any questions or need a sounding board, you can message me on Instagram at BeThereParent. Um, if you found this episode helpful, follow setup automatic downloads, review, and share. I'd appreciate it.