School's Out, Now What?

So the kids are out of school and summer break has begun, now what?

 

If you’re like us, you’ve done some planning for the kiddos waaaay in advance so they can get a spot in their favorite camps and activities. Yet, it never is quite enough to keep ‘em occupied, happy, and healthy all summer long. We find ourselves in the same boat every year; our kids are overscheduled throughout the school year, and we want to find the right balance for them for summer. We want them to have fun activities, plenty of fresh air and the outdoors, time for sleeping in and being lazy, and we want them to be learning, making new friends, and coming home pooped at the end of the day. How do we fit it all in?

 

We recommend planning the summer break by week, organizing different events, activities, and downtime planned each week. I booked sleepaway camp for my 11 year old in advance for the second year in a row. Once my son secured his spot in camp, it was time to tackle the camp checklist, enlist in a few weeks of day camp, and sprinkle in some family-friendly adventures.

 

The three months of summer offers so much to do in so little time. The hectic, fast-paced summer schedule is what inspired us at mimish to develop the Sleep-N-Pack. We were horrified that every time the kids came home from a sleepover or a camping trip, their sleeping bags would NEVER fit back into their tiny little stuff sacks. They would complain that they spent hours trying to fit it in, but to no success. Clothes never seemed to be changed, and so many items sent with them never made it back home.

 

With his Sleep-N-Pack on his back, my son’s latest 6th grade class trip to Camp Frost Valley was a huge success! He was resting easy while all his fellow classmates where struggling to pack up their sleeping bags. He knew where his flashlight was at all times, used it, and actually brought it back home. I can’t say that he changed his clothes every single day of the trip, but success is incremental.

 

While packing for camp, I recommend clearing out the closets of clothes, shoes, bathing suits, and toys that you know you won’t be using for the summer. My family, friends, and I do a clothing swap seasonally, so that no outgrown clothes go to waste. My sister has two older kids, so when my family visits we bring an empty suitcase to fill with their hand-me-downs. We also pack a box or two of fall and winter items to send to our younger niece and nephew in Texas. The clean drawers, shelves, beanbags, and poufs in our home makes the start to summer feel fresh, clean, and organized.

 

With more space, we can now bring out the beach towels, bathing suits, goggles, shovels, pails, fishing gear, hats, and new toys. For the Winter Gear that still fits and the new hand-me-downs (yes, we swear by hand-me-downs), we store away in my son’s Storage Beanbag and Storage Lounger. There’s plenty of space for boots, ski pants, winter hats, scarves, gloves, and coats. With our home now updated for our summer wardrobe, we can now easily get ready for all the adventures to come.

 

Summertime is here, and although we wish it could last forever, we know it will fly by. This is the perfect reminder to unplug, sleep in, hit your favorite beach, and relax. Enjoy the sounds of nature, play with your kids, or curl up with a good book. Don’t stress about fitting it all in this summer. Every day is another opportunity for a summer adventure, wherever you may be.