Ah, summer's in the air: The smell of barbeque, the blessing of a cool breeze in the hot sun and the endless hours of sunshine well into the evening. But you haven't planned a schedule yet! What should you do? Where should you go? How can you make the most out of the wonderful season, for yourself and for your family?
Really, planning a summer schedule is a cinch, it's just a matter of personalizing it to your (and your family's) needs. Prospective summer activities are endless, depending on what you are looking for. As you plan your summer schedule, you will of course need to consider your budget and limitations, as well as the rest of the members of your family. Consider the following:
Of course, a vacation isn't always in the cards every year. And anyway, going on vacation is the easy part; if you have kids, it's the day-to-day of two weeks off school that can be difficult to plan.
Probably one of the biggest summer activity dilemmas is finding activities for the kids. Many exist, but sometimes it might seem like you resort to the same old thing, year after year. You will likely need supervision and care for your children if they are out of school and you're working; ideally, this care will be fun, memorable and perhaps even educational for your kids. Of course, one option is to network with other local parents, find families you trust and coordinate care schedules with them.
However, one of the best summer offerings for children--particularly for working parents--is summer camp. Today, "camp" doesn't just mean spending the summer in a log cabin, sleeping in a bunk bed, learning to make friendship bracelets, paddling kayaks and swimming. While that probably sounds fun to you, different kids have different needs and interests, and camp options are available to suit virtually everyone--from academic to sports to religious to just general outdoor fun.
There are also a variety of scheduling options, from day or afternoon camps a few times a week to sleep-away, summer-long camps. Your child's school and other local parents can be a great resource if you're looking for a reputable summer camp for your kids. Contact your city or town's local recreation department to see if they offer day camps or classes locally.
Local churches, schools, libraries and museums are also good places to find out about local summer camps for children; your local museum may offer an arts camp, or a math and science camp may be run by a teacher at your child's school. Groups like the YMCA and Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts offer camps throughout the country.
If your children are attending camp and other organized group activities, they will have a concrete schedule that you can work into yours and make adjustments accordingly. Again, if possible, networking with other parents is an easy way to help share transportation responsibilities.
In addition to summer camps and organized groups, summer activities that you and your children can share are endless. Taking an afternoon off or designating Sundays as "family days" in the summer can be a great way to enjoy the season together. Planning easy, inexpensive activities and events for younger children can help take some of the stress out of summer planning. Here's a little taste of some fun, kid-friendly activities for summer:
These are just a few of endless possibilities. Of course, there's always the summer standby of a trip to the amusement park, but the beauty of most of the listed activities is that you don't have to travel far or spend too much to have a wonderful time with your children.
Because these activities are flexible, they can be worked into your schedule at your convenience. Remember when planning outdoor activities to avoid the heat of the day (around noon) and when visiting museums or movie theaters, check into times or days when children might get special rates.
If you don't have kids--or they're grown--you probably have a lot more flexibility around your summer schedule, which makes the option of traveling much more feasible. Summer travel doesn't have to be stressful and expensive. Consider the following options:
For the more adventurous philanthropist, and to combine several summer activities into one, check out volunteering vacations. These vacations provide all sorts of volunteering opportunities all over the world, from teaching English to children in Phuket to building houses in Haiti to clearing debris with local fisherman in Ecuador.