Summer Schedule

School is out, and I know one thing for sure. If I schedule nothing, we will do nothing. It's just the way things are. The bed feels too good, the toys are too handy, and the tv is too engaging. My solution? A full schedule. Sure, we want time off, but I prefer to overload the calendar with things we can do and leave some undone rather than have large blocks of time with nothing to do.

Summer camps look like so much fun. Imagine sending your children off for four hours a day of fun activities run by someone else. Then do this little equation $200 (or more) x 4 kids x 10 weeks of vacation = $8000. Feel free to substitute your own figures. I don't know any stay at home moms with that kind of money. I don't know many working moms who will make that kind of extra money during the same ten weeks. So we do what mothers have done for ages, we get creative.

Start with your local library. Summer reading programs are a great opportunity to get out of the house, meet up with friends, learn something, and keep the kids turning over their reading lists. You can also get CDs and videos at most libraries. Our local library has begun having programs for teens as well. There's no obligation to go to every event, but put the schedule on your calendar so you remember it's an option.

While you're filling out those summer reading lists at the library, make sure you fill out your downloaded copy of the summer Double Dog Dare Challenge from borders.com where reading ten books gets each kid a free book.

You can also get free ride tickets at our County Fair for reading a number of books. Look for activity and contest books from your own local fair to see what's available in your area. We enter as much as we can in the Home Arts Department of our fair to get free entrance tickets, and will spend two days there during its two week run. One day we take a Grandma we adopted and see all the exhibits and animals. The other day we get wristbands for unlimited carnival rides and meet up with cousins and friends for a wild time. Just don't put all the kids in matching red or blue shirts for easy visibility. We discovered our fair has a rule against them to discourage gang activity, as do an increasing number of other venues. Try orange, purple or green. They put the staff in yellow.

This year we're taking up bowling. Sign up at freebowlingforkids.com to get free bowling passes to your local lanes in your email all summer. Shoe rental is not included and we plan to go a lot so I'll be buying shoes. Mondays at ten I've scheduled as a regular time so we get an up and out start to our week. We'll be going one afternoon a week too, so dad can come. With kids ages five to twelve it's an option that all can enjoy.

Vacation Bible School was one of the highlights of my childhood. Many churches offer a week long VBS at no cost. The day camp format gives you a break from the kids and them an opportunity to learn what the Bible is all about through games and crafts. If you have other/no strong religious beliefs of your own, but want to give your kids the opportunity to learn about Christianity, then this is a good way to expose them to a church in a fun, no pressure setting.

Download schedules from your local roller/ice skating rinks, nearby museums, and parks and recreation departments. There are lots of things going on that don't cost a lot or require an extended commitment.

If you have your own pool or a friends' you can use, find a copy of the YMCA's Progressive Swim Instruction book (I found it used on Amazon.com) to follow and schedule regular "lessons" where you take your kids through the steps of learning to swim. This I did a few years ago with two other friends and their kids and not only began to feel a lot better about taking my kids swimming, but got nicely toned myself. Two hours twice a week in a pool is a good workout.

Some larger museums have free days once a month. They're busy, but still a lot of fun. If you go a couple of times a year, a family membership is a worthwhile investment. Not only will your family benefit, but your business keeps these important institutions going. Our nearest big museums in San Francisco define a family as two adults and their children so I shared a membership with my sister-in-law.

Simon malls have a Kidget's Club (google it) where a $5 annual membership gets your child a membership card, t-shirt, bag, monthly prizes, special monthly events, a birthday gift, and balloons every time you go to the mall. My older daughters don't need more motivation to have a good time out shopping, but the under six crowd has a much better time and can be assuaged by the free trinkets in lieu of more expensive purchases. I love the way Winnie slaps her card down on the counter like she's making a big purchase.

We may do less than half the things I've put on the schedule, but we'll never sit around the house for lack of something to do. Since I translate "I'm bored" to "please give me a job" it's the least I can do. Find your fun spots and make memories. Try something new every year. Let me know what your favorite summer activites are!