3 Ways To Have a Wholesome Summer

The last day of school, I got my son ready and sent him off with a happy heart and waited for the clock to strike 12:00 pm when he would come back and I would hug him, wishing him a “Happy Beginning of Summer Vacation!”

The mere thought of summer vacation puts a pep in your step! The source of this joy is not just in not waking up early and prepping for school every morning. It is in having the kids complete another school year. Our little ones are growing steadily!

The last day of school marks not only carefree days, but also the anticipation of a new school year coming soon. The days in between are precious because they are full of endless possibilities.

Summers are a time for memories. When I was younger, it meant trips to India (I lived with my parents in Kuwait), visiting family. It meant happy-go-lucky play time with cousins, and fun celebrations with family and friends. It also meant learning a new art form and keeping up with homework my teachers gave me.

Now that I am a parent, I aim to make sure my children have a similar well-rounded summer of nostalgia! The idea is to nudge children in the right direction towards unstructured play and directional thinking. Organized chaos if you will!

How do we achieve this lofty goal ?

Create a Summer Bucket List

Whenever we try something new, our brain cells expand, opening up new worlds to us.

Get the kids together and make a list of all things you want try this summer. Add new activities, new places to visit, books you want to read, etc. Stick it on your fridge! This will be your Summer Bucket List. If not every day, cross things off every week and watch the kids and yourselves grow together with new experiences!

Earn Screen Time

We all know free time often ends up meaning screen time. To make sure screen time is accounted for, fill a jar full of folded notes or ice cream sticks with chores/lessons/homework kids can do before they get screen time. Attach five minutes of screen time to each activity. So, to earn 30 minutes of screen time, kids have to hand in tokens for six completed tasks.

This has four benefits. Of course, it limits gadget time. Kids learn the importance of earning something they want. They will voluntarily find ways to help out around the house. Also, the summer will include much needed writing/math practice for them to grow academically. Win win!

Boredom Buster Closet
Fill a closet with board games, activities, chalk, sprinkler sets, and other fun activities. Also, stick pictures of activities to do like baseball, cycling, back yard fun, and whatever else interests your child. Bonus would be toys they haven’t played with in a while. Whenever your kids come to you complaining of being bored (which is often code for wanting TV time or mindless eating!), direct them to the Boredom Buster Closet.

Be sure to keep the One in, One Out rule. When they take out one activity and are done playing with it, they have to put it back in before they take out the next one.

With a little bit of prep work, you are sure to have a blast this summer ensuring the kids grow mentally, physically and academically before their new school year begins.

About the Author

Aditi W. Singh is mom of two and positive parenting coach specializing in cultural sensitivity. Founder of Raising World Children ezine and a freelance writer for Huffington Post, Thrive, Richmond Moms Blog, she has been featured in NBC12 News and Richmond Family Magazine. Through her work, she provides parents with tools to empower their children to become positive, global thought leaders.