Parenting Under the Stars

Are you all prepared for summer holidays? I’m not but we’re working on it. Our children are so excited about having school off but I know that they will be complaining after a few weeks.

I decided to start a list of summer supplies to see what I’m missing and to fight off those summer boredom blues. They will go to a couple day camps here or there but we don’t want to ship them off for the whole summer.

List of summer supplies:

Bubbles: If you’re into making your own, Ecobites.com have instructions on this make your own bubbles post. It’s no fun running out of bubbles or running back and forth to the store to purchase more.

Chalk: Some people get upset about kids drawing on the sidewalk but I love looking at all their colorful art and it’s a great creative way to pass the time. There are certainly worse things they could be doing and I still like hopscotch.

Balls: Basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, check. We have them all. The basketballs seem to drive the neighbors crazy but they can’t just sit around reading all the time.

Rollerblades: They will have to get new ones this year but they’re a lot of fun. I might even spring for a pair for myself.

Bicycles: Got that covered as long as they aren’t stolen. One year someone smashed up our daughter’s bike and threw it in the bin. That was strange and slightly disturbing.

Don’t forget helmets. A little boy just fell off his bike here and went to the hospital with a broken arm but he’s lucky it wasn’t his head.

Arts & Crafts Supplies: Paint, crayons, beads, glue, play dough, construction paper, scissors, string, buttons, egg cartons, milk cartons, sticks, Popsicle sticks. Some children will need supervision with some of this stuff but crafts can keep kids busy for a long time.

Skipping ropes: Invest in a sturdy one if your kids are anything like mine. They tear those cheap ones apart within a day or two.

Tent: Even when we’re not camping, our kids have fun pitching a tent in the backyard. There are a lot of kids here though so that can get overcrowded quickly once they all spot it. We need a new one this year.

Swimming Pool: We don’t have one so we keep buying them every year because they are wrecked quickly. I’m sick of the inflatable pools because they spring leaks right away and the harder ones are mostly for tiny kids. Any ideas for alternatives?

Activity Books: Word games, mazes and crossword puzzles are fun and educational. You can also find great workbooks for your child’s grade level to help them prepare for starting their new school year. Kimberly L. Keith has an impressive list of free print and learn activities for children from kindergarten to grade 6.

Freezies, sunscreen and sunglasses are a few more things I need to stock up on. Does anyone have anything to add to the list?