Summer Isn’t Cancelled – How Our Family is Embracing Summer and Staying Safe

One of the most common questions I’ve noticed moms ask on social media lately relates to how to occupy kids this summer with all the restrictions in place and risk of Covid-19 infection. For us, we had to cancel vacations, family visits, summer camps, and organized sports. We haven’t made our usual trips to playgrounds, museums, movie theatres, festivals or concerts. And sadly, there have been no trips to local toy and book stores, something my kids always enjoy. Even my teen’s plan to work towards getting his volunteer hours was derailed. We are currently three-and-a-half weeks into the summer break here in Ottawa, with five-and-a-half weeks remaining. In my Summer Isn’t Cancelled post I share with you some amazing ideas for summer fun and what we’ve been up to and our plans for the rest of the summer.

Homeschooling is Done! Yay! Now What?

After three-and-a-half months of homeschooling, during which time I had to take a hiatus from my job, I was elated when the school year ended. I think I heard the cheers of joy from parents, teachers, and kids from around the neighbourhood. I was so ready to give up the 9-5 days of trying to be a teacher’s helper to my children and keeping our home in some semblance of order and cleanliness. Like many of you, I was exhausted, concerned about the future, and I missed my job.

Balancing Work, Learning, and Fun

I work from home in a creative field and was able to stop working temporarily. However, my family relies on my income, so I returned to work at the end of June. One of my summer goals was to get my business up and going again and to be in a good position for the return to school in fall. I ‘ve had to plan for the possibility that we might be homeschooling again in September.

This summer, I’m working two full days a week and on the other five days, I’m working about four hours each day. That’s almost full-time work, which means that children’s activities and family activities need to fit into the remaining time. However, after the challenging year our children (and all children) have had, I wanted to give them a fun summer. Here’s how I’m trying to accomplish this (without losing my mind). Note- my husband is available weekends and evenings to care for the children, and my three boys are aged nine to fourteen, so they don’t require the kind of care and supervision that younger children do. Even though they’re older, I didn’t want to jump on the “80’s childhood” bandwagon, at least not as a full-time option.

Create a Wish List

• Before you start your wish list, write down a list of things that have to get done. This may include work, chores, summer school or other commitments.
• Determine your budget for summer activities.
• Consider your comfort level with certain activities given the current state of Covid-19 in your area.
• To start making the wish list, consult each family member individually. Ask them what their top 3 wishes are for the summer. If they suggest something that you know is not possible, then guide them to some suitable alternatives. Include your own wishes too!

My boys’ wishes ranged from camping to playing sports in the backyard to going to the drive-in theatre. Luckily, they didn’t wish for anything impossible. My wish was to spend more time in nature and to help the boys with their learning goals (their main educational interests are violin, drawing, coding, rocks and minerals, and creative writing). I also wanted to foster their ability to occupy themselves without the use of technology such as tablets, phones, and television.

Plan it out

• Create a daily schedule – it doesn’t have to be overly restrictive or structured. Our days don’t start until 10:00 am so that we can sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, and enjoy the slower pace of summer.
• Include the educational activities earlier in the day when the children are less tired and more receptive to learning.
• If you have more than one child, consider doing some activities one-on-one or in smaller groups. I’ve scheduled an hour per day to work with one child on anything they want (so far, they’ve asked for help with drawing, storytime, a walk, and board games).
• Spread out the bigger activities, such as camping trips, out-of-town visits, or extra special activities throughout the summer so that there is always something to look forward to. Our bigger activities include a couple of camping trips this summer and a few socially distanced visits with family members and friends.
• Plan something big. When I say big, I mean big in relation to staying home and homeschooling every day. The big thing could be a trip, such as a camping trip or cottage or hotel stay. Or it could be an investment in your child’s passion (online drama classes or an instrument purchase).
• The big thing could also be a physical item if your budget allows for it. This could be a pool (even just a small inflatable variety), outdoor sports equipment, or a children’s playhouse. We actually purchased a canoe because it fit our desire to spend more time in nature, would ensure physical fitness, and was within our budget.
• Plan a family project that everyone can contribute to all summer long. This could be a family album of some sort, a building project like a deck or playhouse, or even something simple like a puzzle.
• Incorporate physical activity every day. Trust me, if kids don’t get enough activity during the day, they will get their revenge by staying up into the wee hours and disrupting your much-needed sleep. Disclaimer- any grammatical errors in this post are the result of sleep deprivation.
• Include chores in the schedule. Summer is a great time for kids to take on some of the household responsibilities. We have a points reward system for chores- since our kids are older, points translate into money that they can save or spend.
• Plan at least one volunteer opportunity during the summer- we are making masks to donate to an organization that provides them to families in need since masks are now mandatory in all indoor spaces in our city.
• Plan for unscheduled time in 1-2 hours blocks. Ideally, children will have access to basic art supplies, books, and board games. We do let the children have their devices or watch television during this time if they choose.
• Make sure that weekends still have perks- for us, this means no educational stuff on the weekend and only my teenager (who has an upcoming music exam) needs to practice violin.

Our “Summer Isn’t Cancelled” Summer

Work

The three main things that our summer is focusing on this year is getting my Etsy shop ready for fall (work), camping and outdoor activities (fun), and preparing my 14-year old for his two upcoming music exams (learning). As a result, the majority of our time focuses on these three goals. My boys are helping me with the craft side of my Etsy shop and they also know when to give me the time I need to get my work done.

Learning

We devote three hours a day practicing violin and working on theory. I feel good that they’re learning something over the summer. For your family, it could be writing that sparks the interest of your children, or movie making, or science experiments. It’s best to choose something that is at least somewhat fun and to focus on just one or two subjects. Summer school is another option for older children. My husband recently purchased what I consider to be a mini-library of books for the boys.

Fun

We go for a walk or bike ride every day and spend time in the backyard playing soccer or badminton, or playing around in the sprinkler on hot days. I encourage them to do these things on their own without my supervision as I can’t be everywhere at once (Hamilton line I’ve adopted). And, every week we plan a half-day canoe trip in the area. We have one camping trip planned for each of our two summer months.

Summer Isn’t Cancelled Ideas

These lists are just some ideas and are not exhaustive. Please only participate in activities that you feel are safe given the current state of Covid-19 in your area and any health conditions that affect you or your family members. We are being fairly conservative in our activities and I haven’t included any activities here that are considered to be high risk.

Vacation and Social

• Plan an in-province, or in-state trip- camping, cottage or hotel
• Plan an outdoor visit with family (take the necessary precautions to remain safe)
• Host a socially distanced BBQ or picnic with friends or family
• Plan weekly Facetime or Zoom meetings with friends and/or family
• Make sure children have a way of communicating with their friends (we use Messenger Kids for our youngest who doesn’t have a phone)

Sports and Physical Fitness

• Go mini-golfing, disc golfing, or to the driving range
• Play tennis at an outdoor court
• Set up a badminton net in the backyard
• Purchase some fun sprinklers for the backyard or visit a splash pad if they’re open and you feel it’s safe
• Go for a neighbourhood walk or bike ride
• Consider getting your child a scooter or skateboard
• Train for a sports event like a 5K race
• Visit a local park (throw a frisbee around or fly a kite) or playground if you’re comfortable with that
• Try horseback riding
• Explore the hiking trails in and around your city
• Go canoeing or kayaking (rentals are available at many locations)
• Consider swimming lessons if pools are open and you feel it’s a safe environment- children still need to swim and learn about water safety
• Purchase or make an outdoor game like Horseshoes or Cornhole
• Visit a local beach
• Visit a local conservation area or Provincial park and make a day of it (don’t forget the picnic)

Educational

• Participate in free online activities such as workshops, concerts, and virtual museum visits
• Watch National Geographic or other educational TV programs
• Learn an instrument or continue with virtual music lessons
• Set up some science experiments
• Order some science and technology kits or get a monthly subscription (we tried and love KiwiCo)
• Purchase some children’s educational workbooks
• Play educational board games like Prime Climb and Scrabble (check out Our Favourite Family Board Games)
• Teach your children about what you do at work
• Consider teaching your children how to do laundry, balance monthly expenses, or other adulting skills
• Do a nature scavenger hunt
• Try out geocaching in your area

Hobbies

• Knitting
• Sewing, quilting (try out my Adorable Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial)
• Papercrafts
• Woodworking, woodcarving
• Make slime or playdough (The Best Homemade Playdough)
• Rainbow Loom or jewellery making
• Drawing, painting
• Digital artwork
• Rock painting
• Flower arranging and fairy garden crafting
• Soap making
• Calligraphy
• Baking (Easy Giant Cookie Recipe, The Easiest, Tastiest Crusty Bread Recipe, Delicious Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Pie)
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Reading and writing (journaling or writing poetry or stories)

Random Fun

• Plan a kid’s room or playroom re-decorating project
• Go to the drive-in movie theatre
• Visit a farm and go berry picking
• Watch a TV series or movie together at home (Netflix and Disney Plus are our favourites)
• Consider adding play value to your backyard- pool, sandbox, playhouse, play structure, hammock, trampoline, firepit (please consider safety precautions for each)
• Play a board game or do a puzzle
• Have a themed day at home- e.g. everything Superhero or tropical or even everything chocolate. Pretty much any interest your child has can be turned into a themed day
• Buy a new Lego set
• Camp out in the backyard and make smores
• Order takeout or visit a patio for a meal out (if you feel it’s safe)
• Watch the chapter-by-chapter readings of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by HP cast members (my youngest and I loved this so much!)

Summary

Recognize that it is ok to have an off day or even an off week where you don’t have the energy to stick to a schedule. We’re all going through a difficult time and we shouldn’t put undue pressure on ourselves. I’ve had days where I ended up working all day and ignoring the schedule. I’m also not suggesting that any one family do all of these activities. Select a few that excite you and your children. We certainly will not be doing anywhere near all of the activities listed here. And remember to stick to your budget. I’m a firm believer that fun is all about creativity and gratitude, not dollars.

I sincerely hope that I have given you a few ideas to bring excitement to the summer. Do you have an idea for a “Summer Isn’t Cancelled” activity you’d like to share? If so, please leave a note in the comments.