What's everyone been doing?

[reanna]

So....

Now that the kids have been out of school for awhile(or in some cases are just getting ready to go back) I thought it would be interesting to see what everyone has been doing to keep the kids occupied to date. We have had some great ideas and threads in this forum, let's expand it and see how well everything worked or didn't, or if you found anything neat to do that wasn't on the list.


So far, our children have been out of school since June 28th.
As usual, boredom set in shortly there after.:(

We to date have gone on a couple of nature walks, started nature journals, gone exploring at the beach, done some stargazing, watched the sun set and the moon rise down at the beach, did a very impromptu full moon ritual, read some great stories and books, gone to the water park a few times, swimming a few times, a local indoor playground thingy(Go Bananas!), completed a moon chart(which if anyone is interested, I have a make shift template for that I could give out), collected treasures and preserved them to include in our journals, done research on local plants(weeds as the hubby terms it:p )made several crafts,done some sun catchers, painted some terra cotta pots for candle holders(they look cool), painted some faster plaster bugs and went on a bug hunt(no catching aloud:))
That is about I can think of at the moment. I am looking forward to reading everyones replies. :):):):):):)

Me and the kids really enjoyed some of the wonderful things and ideas that came from these threads. Thank you :):):):):)

[Lilu]

I don't have any kids, but I do want to say that I think you've done a great job of finding things to do and keeping your kids occupied with interesting things rather than having them sit in front of the TV all day :)

Do you plan Summers, like "we'll do this and this on week one" and "this and that on week two", or do you keep a folder with ideas and pick one to go with the needs at the moment, or just make it up as you go along???

Lilu

[Yvonne Belisle]

My children prior to getting grounded for the summer went horseback riding. Planted a garden, made gods eyes, painted a lot of picktures, made jewelery, played video games, read books, gathered huckleberries for cakes and pancakes, built miniatures with toothpicks and a few other things that I have spaced. To get grounded for the summer they snuck into our closet and set off a firework in the woods behind the house. The older ones all knew about it and didn't tell me then didn't want to admit that they knew about it. This ended fine but could have resulted in death or a massive forest fire it's very dry right now. This after they saw me get upset at my husband for lighting one under a tree and repeated warnings that only an adult should light them because you can be hurt very badly if you aren't killed outright.

[reanna]

Thanks! :):):) I think it is so important to challenge their minds.
They do get to watch the boob tube too, but I find that we try and save for that for really ucky days or as a treat on a fri night. Rented movies and a big old fort built in the livingroom. :D:D:D

As for planning the summer......
I have to answer yes to all the questions. We plan big outings for particular days(we have a playland trip on Aug.1st) and I teach,so I do have files and files and books and books of resource material. So, sometimes I pull stuff out of there and somedays, the weather won't completely cooperate or the kids just don't feel up to what I have planned, so we decide together what would be a fun activity.

A friend of mine(very meticulous type) disagrees with that approach. She says it would be much better to make them stick with the planned program, teach them structure.:eek: :eek: :eek:
I can see her point when they are in school or class, but c'mon. they are on vacation. It should be fun and interesting or you are draggin kids who really don't want to do that activity and what benefit will they reap from it? They learn much faster if it is fun and interesting.(IMHO)
In the sense of pagan parenting, I was blessed with all of you as friends. I have been given some wonderful ideas from these threads as well as the sites posted.
So, the kids and I are having a blast. I am learning new things with them and from them all the time. It helps mind you that I was put off work for the summer on stress leave. So, we are snoozing in, enjoying the days and each other to the fullest.

[reanna]

:eek: :eek: :eek:
I am so glad that everyone is okay. Why do kids do things like that???!!!???
We can tell them until our faces turn blue, and still they have to test the waters. I know that is what learning is all about but it is so hard when they do something that could be very dangerous.

My mother takes it upon herself to remind me that I use to do stupid things too. UGHHH!!!

Not what I need to hear at the time, but she means well.

[Faery-Wings]

Reanna, I want to come live at your house!! :D :D

We have been having a nice and busy summer here too. Mostly going to the beach (local lake). I have been really proud of my son. Last year, he fell into a lake when he was fishing with my dad. I think that spooked him and he hated being in the water. This year started the same, but I got him this Safety Seal vest that keeps him afloat. he regained his confidence and is now starting to swim and go underwater w/o the vest even on. This is a big proud mommy moment for me :)

We also went to a small zoo, worked in the garden, read a lot of books and worked hard on writing letters before Kdg starts. Next week we are going to my mom's lakehouse and two weeks after that we are going camping.

And then summer will be almost over, boo hoo! :(

Chris~ remembers when summers seemed to last forever!

[tigger759]

Wow my summer with my kids sounds dull compared to yours. Though keeping the kids busy i try to do. My daughter has a social life and i'm her taxi. There is a great program at our local park for art and crafts and sports. It's 3 hours 3 times a week. Then we have season's passes to Darien Lake six flags. So we go there almost every monday. The water park is great.
We live in a very wooded area so the kids play back there bringing me all nice stuff. My son who is 5 found a stray cat. He has taken on the responsiblity of it. Took his own money and asked if i would take him to get food. So he buys the food and plays with him for hours. I'm not into cat so this one does stay outside. He has made his home on the porch which i can deal with.
But all in all i hope the kids are having fun. My son goes to speech 2xs a week so that kinda messes up those days as his time is at 1130am. But we are dealing with it.
Raining today. Its about time we are about 10inches short on rain this summer. I don't want it to come in the form of snow so i hope it rains the farmers here need it. The vegtables aren't growing!! So we are all happy that it's raining!!

[Lilu]

Yvonne I'm so glad things didn't go awry with the fireworks :eek: We don't really do fireworks for anything in Australia, so we'd go off and get into stuff on the farm. I remember one year my cousins and my sibs and I building a "fort" with rams skulls (horns and all! haha) in the ditch, hanging these skulls on the trees nearby. Boy did we get in trouble for hanging them on Dad's new willow trees! haha

Chryssi That's GREAT about your son. How wonderful that he's overcoming his fears of the water!!! :)

Reanna I agree with your approach. I don't think kids should be forced into doing something they don't want to do on their vacation, that just plain sucks and they get enough of that with school. Vacation is meant to be relaxing time and unwinding time so they are refreshed for the new school year. (IMO)

Tigger I don't think your kids are boring at all! You sound like you are taking wonderful advantage of the great things around you. We live like 5 MINUTES from the Wisconsin Dells Waterpark (Noah's Ark), and I'm sure when we get around to having kids, many a summer will be spent there. LOL I don't go now, but I would brave it if I had kids.

Lilu

[reanna]

Originally posted by tigger759
Wow my summer with my kids sounds dull compared to yours. Though keeping the kids busy i try to do. My daughter has a social life and i'm her taxi. There is a great program at our local park for art and crafts and sports. It's 3 hours 3 times a week. Then we have season's passes to Darien Lake six flags. So we go there almost every monday. The water park is great.
We live in a very wooded area so the kids play back there bringing me all nice stuff. My son who is 5 found a stray cat. He has taken on the responsiblity of it. Took his own money and asked if i would take him to get food. So he buys the food and plays with him for hours. I'm not into cat so this one does stay outside. He has made his home on the porch which i can deal with.
But all in all i hope the kids are having fun. My son goes to speech 2xs a week so that kinda messes up those days as his time is at 1130am. But we are dealing with it.
Raining today. Its about time we are about 10inches short on rain this summer. I don't want it to come in the form of snow so i hope it rains the farmers here need it. The vegtables aren't growing!! So we are all happy that it's raining!!

This sounds absolutley fun filled and wonderful!!!!!!!!
Great job!!!

[Loki]

My wife and I both work full time so it is hard to do things.
We try to set aside time, especially the weekends, to do things but its tough to stick to it all the time.
This weekend we are treating our oldest to a weekend away from home. We are going to the Reneisance festival in Sterling NY.
We are leaving our youngest, who is one year old, with my mom and we are disappearing for the weekend. The three of us are looking forward to it alot!

[tigger759]

Let me know if you like that? we were thinking of going !! But not sure if my kids would like it??
Let us know!! thanks.

[Faery-Wings]

I can't belive it starts this weeken! :D

My mom saw in the paper coupons for buy one ticket, get one free. You might try to look through some newspapers when you come in locally. Her's was in the Star Ledger.

tigger, I can't speak for your kids but my kids have always had blast. We started taking ds when he wad 15 months old. Last year we dressed the kids up as Robim Hood and Maid Marion and they thought it was so neat that the "characters" were talking to them. :)

I want to go this year in the worst way- only $$ will tell.

[tigger759]

How cute!! Maybe i should take them they just may like it!!! I'll have to look for those coupons!

[Loki]

I was there years ago and it was great.
My son can't wait to go, he can hardly sleep at night he is so excited. I'll let you know how it went.

[tigger759]

should does sound like fun!! I'm so thinking about going!! let me know!!!

[Loki]

Well the Renecaisance fair was GREAT!
We had a blast! the shows were fun and the jousting was good too. We cheered and laughed, man what a good time.
It was great to see the people encourage the spectators to participate in the action.
The artisans that were there were really good they made armor, glass and any other thing you could think of.
There was a place to buy herbs, oil's, and incense. I bought a bronze pendant with a green man on one side and a celtic knot in the shape of a pentegram on the other.
Things were a bit pricey there so we plan to save our money so next year we can get what ever we want.

Tigger759 if your going, the last weekend is the 19 of August. Otherwise you'll have to wait until next year.

[tigger759]

sounds like fun!! i'll have to check into it though we are moving so who knows!! We may have to wait to next year!!
Thanks for the info.