SENSATIONAL IDEAS TO HELP YOU SAVOR YOUR SUMMER

Set Summer Goals ~ Here are some suggestions:

Walk down 25 different streets or blocks in your neighborhood.
Invite a group of friends or another family to walk or bike together at a regular time each week.
Try a new food each week~ Many towns have “Taste” events and/or small neighborhood restaurants that serve different ethnic foods.
Invite a new person or friend to play an outdoor game like croquet, badminton, horseshoes, or bocce ball in your yard or a park each week.
Find six places around your area that you’ve never visited~ Enjoy new parks, museums, ice cream shops, lakes, art galleries, and bike paths.
Earn or put aside money each week for a special outing at the end of the summer.
Our personal favorite summer goal: Attend an outdoor concert every week!

101 Things for Teens to do in the Summer
(Most of these ideas would be fun for anyone.)
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/teenculture/a/funteenstodo.htm

The Gift of a Day
Give your child, spouse, parent, sibling, or friend a certificate good for setting aside a “Your Day” this summer. Have sections on the certificate allowing them to choose their meals and activities. Promise that you will join in the activities of their choice or help them with work or projects they want to do. Make sure it is a chore-free day. You may want to offer a little shopping spree with a set spending limit, perhaps for new summer clothes. Find a “Your Day” certificate to print and use for children at the end of this page.

Something Different
Plan to do something new before summer is over. Go somewhere you’ve never been before or go to a familiar place, but do something different there.

Three Ideas:
Go to the beach to build a giant sand castle.
Have a scavenger hunt at the zoo or a museum. (Just take pictures of the finds.)
Bring outdoor games like croquet, badminton, or bocce ball to a park.

Outreach
Summer is a great time to plan a family, friends, or small group outreach project. It can be simple~ Ask a senior citizen (grandma?) if you can spend an afternoon helping with tasks like window washing, cleaning, or gardening. Volunteer to make snacks for your church’s VBS program. Go around your block with a garbage bag and pick up litter. Give a busy mom a day off by volunteering to take her child(ren) to the beach, museum, zoo, etc. Volunteer to weed in a community garden.

A Summer Theme
Choose something that interests your child(ren). Possible topics are bugs, cooking, kites, fish, bikes, the ocean, rockets, dolls, cars, rocks or gems, paper or fiber art, and gardening. Make it a theme for a day, a week, a month, or the summer. Read books about it, both factual and fiction. If appropriate, create a model of an object related to the theme. Do art projects (consider making jewelry, mobiles, books, postcards to send, sculptures, and t-shirts). Take field trips.

Read stories from the Frog & Toad series of books by Arnold Lobel – Great for ALL ages!

Available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Frog-Toad-Treasury-Arnold-Lobel/dp/0060267887/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245977997&sr=8-8


Read about the role of frogs in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. (See Exodus 8:1-15)

Make origami or clay frogs, Paint pictures of frogs.

Collect inanimate frogs— plastic, china, stuffed, etc. You can find them at garage sales, flee markets, dollar stores, etc.
Once people know you are collecting them, you might also receive more than you know what to do with!

If you live in the county or near a river or woods, take a walk and look for toads – Consider adopting a frog or toad as a pet.
(See http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/species/index.html for information about frog care.)

Learn the traditional song Froggy Went a Courtin’
(Words & a Bob Dylan arrangement of music available on the website: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/songs/childrens/frogmp3.htm)

Do a virtual frog dissection on the website http://www.theteachersguide.com/froglessonplans.htm.
 It’s also a great place to find many other ideas and frog-related computer resources—screen savers, games, etc.

Watch a Kermit video, then write and perform your own short play using homemade frog puppets.
(You can make a simple puppet by using a pair of dyed green socks with big buttons for eyes.)

Each person write and/or learn a frog or toad poem.

Have a Green Day in honor of frogs & toads~ Wear green clothing & accessories, eat green foods & drink green drinks, fingerpaint with green paint or play with green play dough, play in the green grass

Journaling

Provide your children with spiral notebooks with fun covers or covers that can be decorated.

Write a question at the top of each page and have them answer it before they go to bed each night.

Ask the chidlren to write at least three sentences describing, explaining, or giving examples of their answer. (This could also be done by e-mail.)

For pre-schoolers, discuss the questions at dinner or bedtime.

Suggested questions are listed below.

What was the best idea you had today?
What would be your dream vacation?
What is your favorite kind of music? How would you describe it to someone who had never heard it?
What is the most fun thing you’ve ever done in your back yard?
What do you most like about your best friend?
What was the best thing that happened to you today?
What was the funniest thing you heard today?
What was the yummiest thing you ate?— Try to describe it so that someone who has never tasted it might be able to imagine it.
Who was the most interesting person you talked to today?
What was the most beautiful thing you saw today?
What did you thank God for today?

Write a few encouraging comments on the bottom of each page. “I’m glad I was there to share that with you.” “That sounds so interesting, I’d like to hear more about it!” “Your description of that S’more was so vivid that I can feel the marshmallow melting in my mouth!” “I am glad you enjoyed meeting Mrs. Smith. She is one of my favorite people.”

This kind of journaling will accomplish many goals.

1. It will keep your children writing. One of the hardest parts of writing for kids is getting started. You will get them past the “I can’t think of anything to write about.” barrier. Answering questions is easy and can become a habit.

2. It will help your children learn to reflect on their lives, behavior, God’s working and creation. Your questions should help them grow in the ability to express their feelings.

3. It will help you to know more about what your children are thinking and give you the opportunity respond in a thoughtful, nurturing, constructive way.

Put together a family Summer Memories book

Include photos, post cards, ticket stubs, souvenir programs, etc. along with answers to questions like “Tell us about your favorite day.” “What was the most interesting thing that happened this summer?” “Which place would most you like to go again next year?” “What will you never forget?” “What did you learn this summer?”

Labor Day

Labor Day signals the end of summer. Here are a few ideas & resources to celebrate Labor Day.

History of Labor Day:
www.healthcareers/aboutLaborDay

Labor Day Recipes: Grilling, Crockpot, Make Ahead, & More
http://busycooks.about.com/od/summerrecipesandmenus/a/laborday.htm

Labor Day is a great day to thank God for the work we have and pray for those who need jobs.

Ideas for some summer fun with your kids:
http://spoonful.com/summer/summer-games#carousel-id=content-carousel&carousel-item=2

Extra

For Anyone Who Lives Near or Plans to Visit Chicago
(Many of these ideas can be applied to other cities.)

Focus on one area & aspect such as:

Art (Focus on a Chicago artist or thoroughly explore the Art Institute with multiple visits)

Food (Trying a different kind of Chicago pizza each week?)

Music (There are lots of free outdoor concerts!)

History (Choose a time or event such as the Chicago Fire or Chicago World’s Fair.)

Architecture (Explore one style or architect such as Frank Lloyd Wright)

Science & nature (Rivers & Lakes could include beach trips & boat rides.)

Sports history and teams (Choose a particular team.)

Geography/neighborhoods (Visit and map one.)

Transportation: Take a tour using the el, Metra train, bus, cab, taxi boat, pedicab, and if you want to make it a very special event and can afford it~ a horse-drawn carriage ride or double-decker bus.

Visit neighborhood festivals~ Learn about the ethnic groups living in different communities

Learn about Chicago’s flag, then design your own.

 Create a Chicago coffee table book using your own photos and commentary. 

Visit the Chicago History Museum (Free on Mondays and free for children under the age of 12)

Visit http://www.chicagohistory.org/mychicago/ for online activities.

Your Day Form