Only 1 1/2 more weeks and the 2012-2013 school year will be in the rear-view mirror. Hard to believe! But as is the case with all of life's great journeys...when one ends, the next one begins. And for us, as we say goodbye to "official" learning, we welcome summer and the education that only comes with experiences, adventures, and good-old-fashioned family fun!
Like in year's past, I have put together a list...a bucket list, if you will...of all our "hopes and dreams" for the summer ahead. We do not GLUE ourselves to this list. But rather, use it as a "suggestion". Because, in truth, some of the best adventures are the ones that just HAPPEN!
All that to say, my purpose for making a summer bucket list is to hold myself accountable to making our days count! Too often, I see/read about a great summer activity, but because I don't PURPOSE to make it happen, it DOESN'T. For me, a plan...or a list...helps to ensure we ACTUALLY do all the meaningful things we would like to do as a family.
But, I digress...
Here's our 2013 Summer Bucket List!
"New to us" Adventures
- Make rock candy.
- Have a paper airplane race at a park.
- Make mini volcanos with baking soda.
- Play Pooh Sticks. (We've actually done this before, but my oldest kids were really young and don't remember doing it.)
- Make a giant bubble wand and homemade bubbles.
- Make campfire donuts.
- Plant a "Back to Eden" raised garden.
- Host a 3-day backyard Bible club for neighborhood kids.
- Make grilled banana boats.
- Make marshmallow shooters and have a marshmallow "war" in the yard.
- Play camping bingo.
- Make and use homemade sidewalk chalk.
Annual Favorites/Everyday Fun
- Go camping. (We've never ventured farther than the backyard since adding babies 3-5. This year, we're heading out of town to a state park! Could be interestin'...)
- Take an egg carton nature scavenger hunt.
- Have a campfire with S'mores.
- Go to the beach.
- Enter several homeschool projects in the county fair.
- Visit each local park at least once.
- Take a family bike ride...or many!
- Visit a splash pad.
- Go strawberry picking and make homemade jam.
- Go fishing.
- Go to two summer festivals in our area.
- Go to a zoo in the neighboring town. (This year it's their 100th anniversary, so there will be many extra happenings.)
- Visit a farmer's market.
- Make a frog terrarium.
Summer Long Adventures
- Learn together with an annual summer-long science project - (Although I haven't completely decided, I'm kinda' leaning towards a flower study with our new flower press. But check back with me after I've run it by THE BOYS.)
- Take a pause each day for discovery quiet time.
- Play T-ball. (for the oldest two boys)
- Play basketball at basketball camp. (for Sweetie Pea)
- Participate in the library book club.
- Host an annual summer girls club with Sweetie Pea.
Do you make a Summer Bucket List? I'd love to know what's on it!
For more summer bucket list ideas, be sure to check out the growing list of LISTS from the ladies of iHomeschoolNetwork.
We play Pooh Sticks fairly regularly! After reading the book one year, we found the perfect place to do it on one of our walks. The kids love it! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to host a Bible club for the neighbor kids!
Sounds like your summer will be full of fun. :)
We don't have a bucket list, but we do plan on visiting the zoo more with our new membership, swimming lots, and having a baby in July!
Sounds like your summer will be super fun, too! Especially in July.
DeleteI love how you make a plan to plan. Your ideas are ones I have thought of but have not planned for as carefully as you do. You inspire me to try. We have not had a vacation in years do to a tight budget, so we plan day trips, and staycation times together. I will make a bucket list for 2013 in hopes of involving all of the family in the planning. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe do a couple of staycations during the year too. Sometimes with little ones, those kinds of low-key vacations are the best kind. Less stress and more cost-efficient.
DeleteCan you please share the campfire donut recipe? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the recipe that inspired me. I don't use refrigerated doughs so I'll just make mine from scratch. But, the original version I had at a campout once was made with Pillsbury biscuits and they were quite nummy. Whatever works best for your family.
Deletehttp://lifeatthecircus.com/2009/08/17/camp-fire-donuts/
Do you follow some kind of a schedule or something during the summer so you make sure you do your activities? Great idea about discovery quiet time!
ReplyDeleteIn year's past, I have assigned all the activities with specific dates/times on the calendar and have put all the other ideas in a bucket or pretty jar and have allowed one of the kids to draw out a slip whenever we have time. (I mark the activities that would require more time, so that if we only have a few moments to play, he/she doesn't draw one of these longer items out.) Other years, I have just randomly announced that we will be doing XYZ today.
DeleteI keep the schedule pretty flexible. My goal is to do at least one item "new to us" activity each week to ensure that we get them all done. Obviously, there are many outside influences on our days that would dictate doing one particular activity over another...like the weather.
Love the paper airplane race idea! So many fun things and adventures ahead!
ReplyDeleteI've never made a summer bucket list, but I love the idea! I'll have to see what my kids come up with for our summer. Thanks!
ReplyDelete