I am a lover of routine. Having “a plan” makes me happy. Even if it’s fun stuff, it makes my little heart happy to see it mapped out on paper. I start my days with more confidence if I already know I have some ideas and tricks up my sleeve.
Because of this, summer break looms long for me. I am so delighted to have all my littles home with me and I love the flexibility of our days. But, well, I can come to hate that flexibility if I don’t have a game-plan in place. This summer… I was ready.
Armed with Jessica’s Summer Survival Guide, I spent a fun June afternoon mapping out nine weeks’ worth of Camp Wannalaffalotta ideas. The kids and I giggled as we tossed around topic ideas and they shared what they’d love to learn more about.
We’ve been at it for four weeks now and it couldn’t be going more smoothly. The kids look forward to it. I feel calm and confident that I have a solid plan that’s fun and entertaining. Our days are full, but we always feel free to abandon the routine if something comes up.
We kicked it all off with Dinosaur Camp. With only one library visit and a little scrounging up of toys we already had, we were totally set for the whole week. My children are 6, 5, and 2. Some of the activities we enjoyed?
We started off our Monday morning with “Land Before Time Oatmeal”. The kids loved arranging their dinosaurs atop the mounded “land”.
After reading some non-fiction and a couple fun storybooks, the kids got to work decorating our “camp”.
The dusty toys I’d unearthed needed a bath. Not a problem as I had some very eager and willing hands!
We talked about (and drew pictures of) what those dinosaurs liked to eat.
And they delighted in playing dino-babies-predator after we discussed carnivores vs. herbivores. (Never fear- somehow, the babies were always kept safe. 
)
)
Cool “Dinosaur Ice Cream Sandwiches” made for a fun afternoon treat…
And that’s just a sampling of what went on around here!
My kids are having an absolute blast and I am free to be a “fun mom”- a “yes” mom- because I feel like I have it all under control. It never seems to be chaotic around here and I really think it’s because I had the tools I needed to make a solid, workable plan.
Oh, and the bonus? My kids are learning- SO much. They can tell you all about dinosaurs now. And bears. And some famous artists. They’re even learning their states this week.
All under the guise of fun.
How’s THAT for a plan?
(Right now is a FABULOUS time to arm yourself with these excellent tools. With summer breaks starting any day, now is the time to grab the Summer Survival guide for only $5.)
[...] her recent post, Setting Up Camp, JessieLeigh reveals what her process was for setting up their very own at-home summer camp and how [...]
This is great!!! I hate taking the time to plan and so I’m living proof that “failing to plan is planning to fail”.
Honestly, Wendy, so much of the planning was done for me already (thanks to Jessica’s Summer Survival Guide), that it only takes me 5-10 one evening on the weekend. I use some freebie calendar and just scrawl ideas on there. Not the most orderly way to do things, but it totally works right now.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
[...] Because it was our first time attempting anything along these lines, last year I very closely followed Jessica’s guide and selected from the topics she provides. (You can read a bit about the fun we had with Dinosaur Camp right here!) [...]
[...] all know I lean heavily on Summer Camps to keep my kiddos engaged and learning. We also insist upon encourage lots of reading. We’ve [...]