Did you know that there are 16 Mondays from Memorial Day to Labor Day? I was stunned when I consulted the calendar. That’s a lot of weeks of potentially bored children begging you for something to do.
Over the years I’ve found that if I have a plan, I can keep boredom at bay. And I enjoy the days with my kiddos all the more. Hosting a playday for friends has always been a welcome break in the week. (To read more about how we’ve done this in the past, you can read my article here.)
But more than that, being deliberate in our family’s reading, viewing, and playing has given direction and substance to our summers. Over the years, I’ve designed enrichment activities based on themes to guide our summer learning and living.
Every Monday this summer I’ll be featuring Camp Wannalaffalotta posts that will feature a whole host of crafts, books, snacks, field trips, and other kid-friendly activities that fit a different theme each week. They will focus on toddler to age 12.
You can choose to do them with just your family or to include friends for a playday. You could follow one theme a week or stretch each one out as long as you want. There will be lots of family fun to choose from.
And if your kid chooses one of these themes for a birthday party? Oh my! What fun you’ll have, especially with the research already done for you.
Here’s what’s in store:
5/25 Oceans of Fun
6/1 Meanwhile, Back on the Farm
6/8 Come on the Safari with Me
6/15 Welcome to the Jungle
6/22 Camping and the Great Outdoors
6/29 The Good Ole’ USA
7/6 -holiday-
7/13 Blasting Off into Outer Space
7/20 Digging for Dinos
Camp Wannalaffalotta starts Monday, May 25th. In order not to miss out on post, you might want to subscribe to LifeasMOM by email or subscribe in a reader. Help spread the word so that other families can benefit from this series as well!
It’s my hope that we will be on the road to joyful motherhood and that we’ll “laffalotta” this summer with our peeps.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m really looking forward to this series!
I’m looking forward to the series as well. I love summer.
I will be traveling much of the summer, but I would like to so some of the things while visiting the friends and family that have kids.
Oh this sounds like fun! I’ll be checking in to see what ideas you all come up with!
I am really looking forward to reading your ideas. how fun!
I posted about it and look forward to sharing my ideas and getting some new ones from you!
I can’t remember how I actually found your site, but been lovin’ it! Love the camp idea too. We’ll be in the middle of a huge move this summer, so hopefully I’ll be able to follow.
super coool!! i wanna go to camp!!
Great idea! can adults join the camp too
Great idea! I can’t wait to read more about this!
If you check those links, there are 8 different subjects that I covered extensively last summer.
@Jessica Fisher, I realized that after I commented! I am checking them out now! Thanks!
My five year old picked out “outer space” for this week…we hit the library today with your book selections and also made a trip to Hobby Lobby to pick up some glow-in-the-dark t-shirt paint and stars for his bedroom ceiling (used a coupon!). Our library has some themed bags that can be checked out that contain videos, puzzles, books, etc. and we found one on the planets and space! The alka-seltzer rocket “fizzled” but we had a fun time making it anyhow!
@Sara, that is so cool!
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