Summer Lovin had me a blast!

Summer is here! I was very surprised with how hard the transition from our first year of full day everyday j/k to now having both kids home. The first few weeks we struggled with keeping busy, sibling rivals, routines and extra circulars. The past few weeks we have seemed to get in our groove. I wanted to share some of the activities we have done so far and what’s to come.

1. Camping – We love camping. We go with a few families with kids around the same age. By the end of the day the kids were ready for their sleepovers in the big tent. I have people tell me it’s crazy to camp with kids but really all you need is a little organization and a laid back attitude and everyone will have a great time. For some camping tips you can check out That Moms Blog.

2. Treasure Hunt- We did this well we were camping which was nice because when the children were getting a little too excited it really focused them. We started each hunt with a little circle time, doing duck duck goose and singing different songs. I picked up 6 treasures, one for each of the children. When they found the treasure they needed to share it with all of their friends. Our treasures were: crayons with colouring pages and crafting materials, balls and frisbees, Fruit snacks, sand toys for the beach trip later in the day, glow sticks and finger lights, and water balloons with water guns. This was just so much fun. Each child got a treasure map with their names on it so they took turns being the leader and everyone else had to follow holding hands. They went around under benches and over logs, finding treasures hung in trees, behind rocks and in tall grass.

3. PLAYDATE PLAYDATE PLAYDATES!!!- This one is very important to me. Being a SAHM it’s nice to get the kids together with friends and I like getting together with some awesome Moms too. We just had a Ice Cream Tasting play date today. Everyone brought a topping or ice cream. The kids tried all the different kinds of treats and made a sundae. What a great time! Some other different play date ideas we've done or been to are book play date- bring your favorite book, superhero play dates- make masks out of construction paper and elastics, Cookie decorating play dates, fairy play dates with a tent and sparkles and a nice picnic with friends never fails.

4. Road Trips – We have good travelers so we pack up and take a day trip to the beach with a packed lunch. A few weeks ago we had tired kids in the van but my husband and I didn't want to go home. The kids slept in the van well we drove almost an hour to get to a beach for an ice cream. We sat and enjoyed the view beside our van with 2 sleeping children inside. FANTASTIC! We are also excited to plan a family road trip to National Museum of Play in Rochester NY. I’ll let you know how it is but I’ve heard great things.

5. Kids Games – We can spend the day making tents out of bed sheet and pillows, playing hide and go sleep seek, dance parties, Lego, painting, colouring, water balloons, playing on our trampoline and tea parties. Here are a few links that have bucket lists for summer activites. Side note – Gotta love pinterest! Summer Activity Bucket List Quiet Time Activities I hope you enjoy your summer and if you have some family summer activity ideas you post your ideas below. Tammy