Happy Summer you guys!!! I’m not sure if you mamas are going to need coffee or wine more? Summer can be rough, here in Minnesota the kids get three months off school. It’s another job by itself to figure out what and how you’re going to cope. It starts off with late mornings where everyone is sleeping in, lazy breakfasts, watching tv, more tv, lunch I put together in less than 3 minutes, then outside play, dinner, bath, and repeat. For the first couple of weeks, this is all well and dandy, but then I’m not even going to talk about how many times my two oldest screams at each other. How I have to pry them out of bed to brush their teeth, how they are picky eaters and how I have to drag them off of their electronics.
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By the 3rd week in I’m pulling my hair out and I want to enroll them in military boarding schools, even the toddler who copies everything her older brother and sister does. Alright, alright, I might be over exaggerating a bit, but I have to create some structure and schedule to keep the sanity intact for the next couple of months.
Aside from all of the above, I know my summers are limited to when my kids grow up and move into adulthood themselves. I know that I have three months to teach them things that will impact them in a non-school manner. I want to teach them how to be better beings. Not just how to get through the growing pains and have fun during the summer months but how to make a difference and knowing that life isn’t always about fun and games but also about so much more.
Here are 5 Exceptional Things Your Kids Can Do This Summer
Plant A Tree
This one is by far the easiest to do. Plant a small tree in your garden, or ask about doing this in your school’s garden, better yet contact the nearest park and see if they need help with the trees there this summer. If you require more info on what to plant, how and where, just contact your state’s DNR services or the city.
Remember planting a tree just doesn’t stop there, you have to nurture it and take care of it for it to blossom and grow. It’s all part of the responsibility. Besides, planting a tree has a lot of benefits. Click here to see more.
Donate
We do this one all year round, but in the summer months we kick it up into high gear. We unload all of our unwanted winter clothes, gears, jackets, socks, and whatever else we have grown out of, box it up and donate. After spring cleaning, there is usually a good amount of household items I also want to purge. I have a list of places we donate to. I leave everything in my driveway, and they come and pick it up, easy peasy. The kids usually lead the charge with this one and donate a lot of their toys as well.
Here are some places that we donate to:
- Epilepsy Foundation
- Disable American Veterans
- Salvation Army
Volunteer
Another one our home is familiar with, but during the summer months, the kids get more involved in this since they don’t have school. The possibilities here are endless, from helping out at your local church, library, a local shelter to assisting the elderly or community work. There are so many ways your kids can contribute to making a difference this summer.
I guarantee you the feeling of self-worth they will experience will last a very long time and don’t forget how much it benefits the community or structure they assist.
Write Letters
Take out the paper and pencils or markers and let your kids write letters to loved ones, friends, classmates or Congress even. This is a great way for them to express themselves and also to practice their penmanship.
There is also a site called Students of the World your kids can write to penpals around the world.
The possibilities are endless with this one. They can write to their future selves even.
Read A Book Series
Well, as most of my readers know that I’m big on reading. We read throughout the school year and the summer months are no different. In fact, during the summer months, we set goals and rewards for reading.
Instead of getting several different books for the summer I encourage my kids to get a series under their belt during the summer months. They are usually longer, and some of them are a lot bigger, so the kids enjoy them better in the summer because they don’t have to juggle the books with other homework.
Here are some of my kid’s favorite book series:
Do you think your kids would be interested in doing one or any of these exceptional things this summer? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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Kami
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The pen pal thing is so cool! We will definitely have to do that. Great list, thank you for sharing !
It is! Hope your kids enjoy it.
These are great ideas for the summer. It is definitely a great time to read for fun and give back!
Hi Emily, you can also ask your kids to do storytelling once in awhile to develop their oral skills.
I love that you mentioned donating and volunteering! This is something I work on with my niece and nephew often now that they’re a little older and can understand why it’s important.
Wow, that’s awesome Kiara! You’re doing a great job in being a good role model.
I love these ideas. Especially the ones that focus on helping others instead of just playing or keeping kids busy.
Thanks Brittany! That’s my favorite too.
These are great idea! When I was a kid I was obsessed with reading and I also had pen pals. It was so much fun! My daughter really enjoys making her own story books, so that’s fun. We also have a garden we take of together.
Thanks Cole! Looks like your daughter has a potential of being an author someday or a blogger, perhaps.
Wonderful ideas, love the idea of planting a tree!!
Thanks Lorraine! Hope your kids would enjoy it too.
I love these ideas. Planting a tree is such a good way to give back! It’s a small thing that lasts for a long time, just like a lot of the ideas.
Precisely Jenn! It’s really about what your kids can learn from doing these activities.
We are planting a tree this weekend! Really great tips for older kids!
Wow, that’s nice! Do you do this every year?
I had never thought to have my 9 year old volunteer! Great tips – this year I enrolled her in a bunch of camps but will be looking for community work she can do on the “off” weeks 🙂
Hi Kylee, as long as your kids are spending their time productively…that’s perfectly fine! Maybe she can do community work next time.
My kids love crafts and books but I love the idea of getting them involved into community works. Thanks for sharing!
You’re mostly welcome Jane! Kids can do just about anything… while having fun.
Haha, I’m all about keeping sanity. Love the idea of planting a tree and definitely need to look into volunteering, I was just talking to my hubby about that. We also donate lots of things during summer time, my older daughter loves doing that. Since my littlest turned 2 in April we’ll be involving her this year in the whole process.
That’s nice Sarah. It’s great to know that everyone in your family is involve in charity. Kids have something to look up to.