Ten Things to Consider When Planning Weekly Summer Activities
Whether you're doing an organized "Camp Mom" or just looking for a way to build some fun activities into your summer plans, consider these guidelines to find regular weekly events to build into your routine. They're similar to your considerations for larger field trips, but thse are outings you'll be repeating every week, same day, same location.
Unlike a big field trip, in which you have the whole day to spend and can therefore allot more of it to travel, for these smaller events you'll be doing as a portion of a day week in and week out, think close to home -- ten minutes drive, max. If you can walk there, all the better. Poll the families who will be participating to find out what they do for fun around the neighborhood.
Decide how much of the day you want to devote to the activity. Generally, it will be a morning or an afternoon, with time back home for meals and other activities. Consider things you can do and see all the way through within that window of time.
Of course, if any of the kids in your group have short attention spans, that window may be a little narrower. Since you're going to be doing this activity every week, you don't want to be scheduling a weekly struggle and fight. Tailor the activity to what the kids will tolerate -- maybe one game of bowling instead of three, or a movie minus the 25 minutes of previews that precede it. You can always expand the time as tolerance grows.
Free weekly events are the best, and fortunately many movie theaters are happy to accommodate with summer weekday morning showings. A morning or afternoon at a park is also extra economical. For other activities, see if you can negotiate some sort of break if you promise to come once a week for eight weeks with the same group of kids. Whatever you do, make sure that the activities your planning don't put an uncomfortable burden on any of the families involved.
As with bigger field trips, things that might be perfectly safe for some children your child's age may be a big bad bet for him or his "Camp Mom" mates. As parents, you're all a good judge of what sounds like a good idea and what sounds like a bad one, and when all you're looking for is some lightweight summer fun, there's no reason to ever take a risk. Keep in mind, too, that due to different sensory needs, what's fun for one kid may be fearful for another. Find venues that offer some choice, so that, say, a kid who's terrified of climbing a rock wall or hanging from monkey bars will have other things to do.
Obviously, if anyone in your group has a physical disability that makes accessing or appreciating certain venues difficult, you'll want to put that tops on your list when considering where to go and what to do. Check for wheelchair-accessible playgrounds in your area, or bowling alleys that can provide equipment for people with disabilities.
As with bigger field trips, schedule things that sound fun to your kids, not to you. Brainstorm things they've enjoyed doing at school or in after-school programs. Focus on things they've been able to do successfully, and will be motivated to participate in.
It's not as easy to reschedule something that you're basing your weekly schedule around as it is a one-shot field trip. Indoor and air-conditioned activities are probably more realistic to be doing as part of your routine than outdoor activities that will have to be called on account of rain or heat.
Make sure whatever place you're going to will be happy to have a group of (possibly behavior-challenged) kids coming by every week. Bowling, for example, is a good kid-friendly choice ... unless you're coming by the morning of the senior-citizen leagues. Talk to management about scheduling the best time for your group.
You may have found a lot of fun things to do outside the house, but don't go overboard. Kids need a range of experiences, and sometimes down time spent in a comfortable and predictable place is better than running from one outside activity to the next. Create a balance between different types of activities so you get plenty of learning time, creating time, friendship time, and silly time.
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1. Distance
Unlike a big field trip, in which you have the whole day to spend and can therefore allot more of it to travel, for these smaller events you'll be doing as a portion of a day week in and week out, think close to home -- ten minutes drive, max. If you can walk there, all the better. Poll the families who will be participating to find out what they do for fun around the neighborhood.
2. Time
Decide how much of the day you want to devote to the activity. Generally, it will be a morning or an afternoon, with time back home for meals and other activities. Consider things you can do and see all the way through within that window of time.
3. Attention Span
Of course, if any of the kids in your group have short attention spans, that window may be a little narrower. Since you're going to be doing this activity every week, you don't want to be scheduling a weekly struggle and fight. Tailor the activity to what the kids will tolerate -- maybe one game of bowling instead of three, or a movie minus the 25 minutes of previews that precede it. You can always expand the time as tolerance grows.
4. Cost
Free weekly events are the best, and fortunately many movie theaters are happy to accommodate with summer weekday morning showings. A morning or afternoon at a park is also extra economical. For other activities, see if you can negotiate some sort of break if you promise to come once a week for eight weeks with the same group of kids. Whatever you do, make sure that the activities your planning don't put an uncomfortable burden on any of the families involved.
5. Safety
As with bigger field trips, things that might be perfectly safe for some children your child's age may be a big bad bet for him or his "Camp Mom" mates. As parents, you're all a good judge of what sounds like a good idea and what sounds like a bad one, and when all you're looking for is some lightweight summer fun, there's no reason to ever take a risk. Keep in mind, too, that due to different sensory needs, what's fun for one kid may be fearful for another. Find venues that offer some choice, so that, say, a kid who's terrified of climbing a rock wall or hanging from monkey bars will have other things to do.
6. Accessibility
Obviously, if anyone in your group has a physical disability that makes accessing or appreciating certain venues difficult, you'll want to put that tops on your list when considering where to go and what to do. Check for wheelchair-accessible playgrounds in your area, or bowling alleys that can provide equipment for people with disabilities.
7. Interests
As with bigger field trips, schedule things that sound fun to your kids, not to you. Brainstorm things they've enjoyed doing at school or in after-school programs. Focus on things they've been able to do successfully, and will be motivated to participate in.
8. Weather
It's not as easy to reschedule something that you're basing your weekly schedule around as it is a one-shot field trip. Indoor and air-conditioned activities are probably more realistic to be doing as part of your routine than outdoor activities that will have to be called on account of rain or heat.
9. Kid-Friendliness
Make sure whatever place you're going to will be happy to have a group of (possibly behavior-challenged) kids coming by every week. Bowling, for example, is a good kid-friendly choice ... unless you're coming by the morning of the senior-citizen leagues. Talk to management about scheduling the best time for your group.
10. Balance
You may have found a lot of fun things to do outside the house, but don't go overboard. Kids need a range of experiences, and sometimes down time spent in a comfortable and predictable place is better than running from one outside activity to the next. Create a balance between different types of activities so you get plenty of learning time, creating time, friendship time, and silly time.
Back to "Camp Mom" Tutorial
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