Prepping for the Summer

Summertime is right around the corner and although it feels like it’s been here for weeks there’s still time to prep for a great summer for everyone! After a long, long school year moms across the country are looking for the best way to occupy their kids for the next 3 months. Personally, I’ve been doing virtual school with a Kindergartener and homeschool with a toddler, so I’m looking for ways to occupy myself this summer too! Nonetheless, I like to plan out a mock schedule for our summer to make the most of our free time!

When planning our events for the summer I like to divide everything into different categories. Vacations, Summer Camp, Excursions, and Learning. You can add more or fewer categories as you see fit, but these are the main ones that work for my family. We also like to set budgets for our family vacations and other events but you don’t need a lot of money to enjoy yourself.

Vacations: This is probably the most important part of the summer to me! After an intense school year and the ongoing stress of Covid, everyone is ready for a getaway. I like to start by considering the places we’d like to visit, setting a realistic budget, then booking flights and Airbnb. We always aim to plan a beach vacation because it’s close, inexpensive, and a beach is a place everyone in the family can enjoy no matter their age. (Pro Tip: Airbnb’s are usually better than hotels, IMO, because they are cheaper and give you much more privacy and space.)

Summer Camp: Depending on your child’s age, summer camp can be a great option for you and them. It gives the kids the structure they’re used to during the school year and the freedom to have way more fun! They’re all different types of camps around the city, but if you’re in the market I recommend checking out KidCam. They have multiple locations and are pretty affordable. They also offer a lot of field trips and swim days to keep the kids entertained daily.

Excursions: When we’re not traveling on the weekends we like to visit City Park to feed the ducks and ride the bikes. They offer a slew of other activities there and they also have the mini amusement park, Storyland. We also plan on visiting Blue Bayou and camping in a cabin in Monroe, LA. These are all activities that can be done in groups and good for all ages.

Learning: I like to continue the momentum of learning new things throughout the summer so the kids stay prepared for the school year. For my 5-year-old, I enjoy using programs like ABC Mouse and iXL to keep my little future first-grader focused. For my 1-year-old, I mostly use youtube and everyday objects to teach him. Early on in quarantine, I found Mrs. Monica on youtube and it has to be the best thing ever for toddlers and kids under 5. She teaches the days of the week, colors, numbers, letters, weather, and does activities for the little ones. The best part is she posts every day (Monday-Friday), does summer camp during the summer, and it’s 100% free. My son usually watches her videos every morning while eating his breakfast and he absolutely loves it!

I hope this information was helpful for anyone looking to find ways to entertain their family this summer. Let me know how you plan on spending your summer in the comments below!