Today is the last day of school. The boys and I are so excited!!!! One of the things I like to do is ask each child if they could only do one thing this summer, what would they want to do. We make sure to do those things, within reason of course, before the summer ends. Today we are hammering out the first one with camping - Daniel’s choice. I had reservations at a campground but had to cancel because of health issues. That’s not going to deter this mama! We will now camp in the backyard. Being intentional in this way has led me to have a lot fewer regrets on the way time is spent during the summer with my kiddos.
Another thing I do is think of what each child needs to work on. Jonathan is getting closer and closer to adulthood so this summer he’s going to be cooking a meal once a week for our family to get more used to the kitchen. Joshua and Daniel are going to learn how to ride bikes without training wheels. Again, picking one thing per child. This helps the boys and I not only set, but attain every goal that we set for the summer.
I have a no screen rule in the morning. While dad is ok with screens on during the weekend as soon as the kids emerge from their rooms, Monday - Friday is my domain and that's a big no for this mama. There are things I expect to be done by each child as well as fun activities I do with my kiddos before screens are even allowed. I love charts and I've found that purchasing the small magnetic dry erase boards at Dollar Tree has been crazy helpful. I make a chart on each board complete with areas for the kids to check. All of this is done with sharpie markers. Things we may include are getting dressed, brushing your teeth, reading for 30 minutes, exercise, chores, etc... One app we found out about through my kids school was Epic! - Books for Kids. We used it for the first time last year and loved it! They always have summer promotions. Check out this link for the info. This way they choose what they want to read, and if they want to be read to or read themselves. 
When it comes to activities, less is always better. Remember what it was like to be out of school on summer vacation? Oh man, most of us couldn't wait to sleep in and just relax. I longed for having the down time to read books for hours in the shade with a cool breeze on my back. When I was older I liked being able to work a summer job and make some money as opposed to working at home for free. Yep, it's true. lol. Ask your kids what they want to do. Packing their schedules full with activities doesn't give them time to relax or be creative. Boredom spurs creativity. See what's important to them and work with that. My eldest likes to go to summer camp - that's only 1 week. He doesn't need to go to 4 different camps. My middle child loves science so he takes 5 classes at a local science center. The little guy is currently signed up for tball - that's only 1 month of organized sports. The rest of the time we have available for visiting family, going to the beach, having friends over, learning life skills with mama, going to a park, having bonfires, and all the other fun things I'm currently forgetting. The summer is ours for the taking. We are sleeping in, relaxing and having fun. We will not be bound by endless scheduled events. If you have gotten stuck in the busy rut during the summer, let me encourage you to take that time back.
Last but not least, setting up a snack area either in the fridge or on the counter is so very helpful! That way when someone is "so hungry" they know exactly where to go and what they can have. No asking mama questions multiple times for a snack. You can also set a cut-off time when snacks are no longer allowed. 1-2 hours before meal time is what I shoot for.
Be intentional about the time spent with your kids during summer vacation. You will be glad you did.
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