Do you plan your kids' summer break or let it flow freely? In the past, I have worked with a loose plan of attack. It went something like this:
Go out and buy every workbook I can find
Set them in the corner of the dining room
Forget about them as the kids ran out the door to play each morning
Due to the "flexibility" (read: lack of dicipline) of my schedule, I ended up bagging the whole thing 2 weeks into the summer, then 2 weeks before school started I was rushing them through the summer work packet their teachers provided. I feel like they lost so much over the summer that they were behind each September and bored a lot of the time in between.
This year, I'm trying something different. Since I'm posting it here, I will look like a flake if I don't follow through. I'm counting on all of you to keep me honest.
I began with an outline of the essentials to cover each day of the week (weekends off, of course) that incorporated the studies and the "specials" they love so much at school (art, gym, music) It looks like this:
Monday: Reading, Math, Music
Tuesday: Reading, Science
Wednesday: Reading, Art
Thursday: Math, Phys. Ed.
Friday: Reading, Field trip!
Next, I printed out a 5 day calendar from Calendars Quick. I wanted this schedule to be our "school calendar", and separate from our daily calendar of activities.
I used the back of the calendar to list the supplies I need to complete the projects. If I don't shop ahead of time, I might as well throw the proposed calendar away each month. Nothing is worse than beginning a project without the proper supplies.
Next, I began to gather up activities to add to the boring workbook pages.
Art,
Science,
Phys Ed
Music
Field Trips are chosen from a long list the kids develop together at the beginning of the summer.
Now, fill in your days. I will post next week's schedule here:
Monday: 9-9:20 Read, 9:30-10 Math, Music (Rubber Band Instruments)
Tuesday: 9-9:20 Read, Science (Mentos and Diet Coke, collect tadpoles)
Wednesday: 9-9:20 Read, Art (Textured Watercolor Painting)
Thursday: 9-9:20 Math, Phys Ed. (Bike Ride at the park)
Friday: 9-9:20 Read, Field trip (Pool)
I'll try to remember to post the next week's schedule here each week all summer.
I filled out the entire month along with the supplies needed all at once. It actually took me longer to type out this post than it took to fill in the schedule for the rest of the month.
My plan is to work on boring stuff (worksheets, etc...) in the morning,from 9-10,and have the "special" activities ready for the first "I'm bored..." each day.
I should be able to shift around days pretty easily if a field trip comes up on a Tuesday, for example.
So, for my feedback this Friday, give me your opinion of the schedule, suggest fun activities, share your own summer plans. With all of our heads together, we should be able to come up with a pretty good working schedule for the summer.
YOU GO GIRL! I don't plan much. We DON'T play any type of baseball. Why? with 6 littles, I'd be running like a mad fiend every night-no thanks! We have got to 2 Bible schools so far, the 2 oldest littles have church camp, going to Grandmas next week. We read and the oldest writes his times tables DAILY! You are organized-good job sister!
ReplyDeleteWOW! I am impressed! I have 4 kids and do not to that stuff.
ReplyDeleteI send my older 2 to sleepaway camp for 2 weeks. The other 2 are young so we do day trips and such.
Stopping over from SITS!
No kiddies, so no feedback here but I think it looks like a great, and mostly fun, schedule!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by to visit!
Have a great weekend!
We have a schedule for the days we are home, which is usually three weekdays a week. We do reading/workbooks every day for our schedule--reading every day, no matter what. We also have chore time--and if those get done, there is 30 minutes of computer time later. We have outside time and quiet time while the baby's asleep--DS usually plays with his Legos or watches a movie. No tv except before breakfast and after dinner! We have VBS, Art Museum camp, cousins staying, going to cousins, vacation, Aunt and Uncle coming to visit, Summer reading programs, and more! :)
ReplyDeleteWowza! I can't wait to go to Calendars Quick to get organized! Just like the faces of your followers are your crack...schedules are mine!
ReplyDeleteYour boys are lucky to have you...
My kids aren't huge fans of workbooks so I've found quite a few educational and free websites that acomplish the same thing and my kids look forward to doing.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I can never stick to a schedule.
I like to pretend that I am as organized as you ... I'm not ... but it is fun to think about.
ReplyDeleteyou look like you've got yourself a good plan & I'm thinking you'll be able to stick to it ... seems reasonable. :) sorry ... no suggestions as I type, but if I think of anything, I'll be sure to let you know.
I have on my list .....get SummerBridge workbooks......but as you say...they lose interest in them after the first few days....we'll see......actually checking into kumon for math for Cindy Lou as well....
ReplyDeleteYup no kids so I cannot give you any feedback but a plan is always good!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, first of all thanks for stopping by my blog and reading that woeful Etsy poem, lol!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog--don't have any estrogen to spare being *ahem* in that 'change of life' stage, but I'd love to follow your blog, anyway.
Ambitious summer schedule! (I'm so glad mine are now 16 and 21.) As a former teacher, I used to try the workbook remediation and keep-them-from-getting-bored-and-losing-brain-cells approach, too. Unfortunately, the older they got, the less say in the matter I had in that, lol. ;)
I don't have kids but I remember my parents sending me away to overnight camp for most of hte summer. :)
ReplyDelete