Easy + Accessible Summer Camp At Home

“We miss Daddy when he is at work.”

“We miss her when she is at school.”

These are go-to scripts we discuss when family members are not with us.

School’s out for summer,

and “we don’t have to miss her anymore!” is a script on repeat as we get excited for the shared playtime we will have this summer.

We are so happy to have her home for the summer. We are ready to be together…and to embrace being a little bit nap trapped.

Yes, we will leave the house. Yes, the baby will nap on the go and we will live our lives, but we will also stay home.

I am a homebody.

Staying home is not a sacrifice for me.

Staying home can feel like a sacrifice for one of our kids. That said, there’s not much for kids to do in our city… at least not at their ages and not without spending money. And I don’t want to spend money.

Enter summer camp at home.

I have loosely planned 10 weeks of summer camp at home for my kids.

I say loosely, because, in all honesty, I have pulled together 1-2 activities per weekday related to a weekly theme. Most weekends have a family outing or activity associated with it so my husband can join the fun!

• One day each week will include an outing to daily mass and library story time.
• One day each week we have invited a cousin to join us for “summer camp” activities.
• Some weeks we will drop activities in favor of play dates or travel.
• Some weeks we will invite friends to join us at our house for play dates (summer camp activities optional).

I’m not a mom who lives to entertain her kids. My kids are pretty good at finding things to do to fill their time.

• They play independently and together.
• They wash windows, wash bikes, wash cars, and wash toys.
• The put laundry and dishes away.
• They read to themselves, to each other, and to the baby.
• They dance and sing.
• They color and make art projects.

Towards the end of last summer, even with the skills to fill their time, I could feel the fatigue of monotony.

This summer, I loosely planned 10 weeks of summer camp at home.

The goal of this is family bonding and memories through easy and accessible activities.

• STEM week + local hot air balloon festival
• Camping week + backyard fire pit with s’mores
• Art week + local art museum
• Water & Ice week + community pool
• Nature week + state park hikes & nature center
• Games week + break open a new family board game (will report back on if we recommend the game)
• Little Chefs week + TBD
• Garden & Bugs week + visit to local farm
• Building & Construction week + TBD
• Back to School (prep) week + practice donuts/ practice playgrounds

It is about family bonding and memories.

My husband even ordered shirts for us.

I’ll keep you posted on how summer camp at home is going.