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I have been in such a rut lately! Basically our days have been freeplay with a few arts and crafts mixed in for the last couple of weeks and I hate it...I don't know how I fell off! Over the weekend I'm going to regroup and make a new plan for the weeks to come and I was wondering if I could get some ideas to use. Arts and crafts, cooking, games (inside or out). What is everyone doing to keep their days fun and structured? ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated!
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Muffins are always an easy thing for cooking. I have been staying away from games, because it is always a fight, people want to cheat. Arts and crafts is a favorite here, I just ordered a bunch of stuff from oriental trading hopefully it will get me through the summer. I may have more ideas if I knew what ages you are dealing with. -
We usually do a theme for each week (or longer depending on idea). Camping: set up a tent or make one with a blanket, fake campfire, picnic lunch outside or in, etc.
Circus week: carnival games, crafts geared toward circus theme, make clown noses, big ties, etc.
Ocean week: set up pool filled with stuffed fish and whales to "swim" with-no water, have fish sticks for lunch, make octopus hot dogs, etc.Comment
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I do super easy fun summery themes.....maybe three/four related activities each week
Themes we have fun with
Strawberry week-paint cut out construction paper strawberries by sprinkling on dry un-sweetened strawberry kook-aid, homemade strawberry play doh, eat strawberries, make strawberry smoothies, etc.
Water week
Root beer week-I make root beer playdoh with root beer extract from the spice isle, we make root beer cake with root beer frosting, paint with the extract to make a root beer float, eat root beer floats!
Watermelon week
Sun week
Camping week
Bubble week-I make bubble pipes out of plastic cups, cut a wash cloth up, place squares over cup and secure with a rubber band. First punch a hole on the side at top. Make sure there are no air leaks, insert a straw into the punched hole, wet cloth and pour on a little dish soap. Big long strings of bubbles will flow out. When bubbles run out just re-wet. You don't have to add soap for awile! We do other bubbly things,
4th of July week,
Hungry Caterpillar week with a hungry caterpillar lunch! It's sooooo fun!
We eat lunch a lot on the picnic table
Sand week- we make sand castles by adding a little cement to the sand and water. They make a creation by sticking in those bigger sequin shapes. We've made garden stepping stones too.
Fairy week and make fairy gardens from rummage sale figurines, jems, fake flowers, etc.
Chalk week or just fun chalk activities throughout the summer.
To round out the weeks I tie in books and and snacks to the theme. It's all laid back and easy. No pressure! Lots of activities are done outside.
We paint rocks all summer from the landscape stones around the house, we make the ice cream in a bag...it's just milk-I think whole milk chocolate taste the best.
Another fun one is fishing or ocean week
Lots to think about!Comment
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Unreg. I'm coming to your house to play!! Lol
Lots of cool ideas!
We've got a big sandbox with the good playsand(I could sit and play in that stuff for hours
), added lots of containers, bugs and dinosaurs.
We're waiting for it to warm up to load up our water table corner. It's only been 50's here this week.
I saw a fun activity where you do the ball painting, with big sheets of paper in a baby pool.
Get a cheap Dollar Store shower curtain to hang outside and paint on.
I don't plan ahead much(wish I could like unreg.) but always have a written list of things to offer if they even look like they're gong to utter those dreaded words 'I'm bored'.
They could make up their own game on large poster board.
We just received our caterpillars today so am looking forward to the next couple weeks or so. We'll learn about caterpillars, butterflies and do some artsy stuff with that. We just finished learning about worms and making a mini worm farm that was fun.
To me summer is about being free and having fun, for all of us!Comment
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I love all of these ideas! I knew i came to the right place
I have all girls ages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 so it's hard to find things that the older kids have fun with that can also still be fun for the littles. I'm already feeling better about everything just by reading these suggestions...can't wait to try them out!
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Next week we're doing water gun painting. I bought the crayola washable watercolors to mix with water in squirt guns. I have two easels to line up outside and have the kids go nuts.
We're also doing a couple nature projects this month.
They'll gather leaves, pinecones, sticks and what not. Then we'll come back from our nature walk to press them onto salt dough. We'll also assemble pictures using the leftovers (glue/construction paper). Then later this month, we'll do some bark rubbings on the trees in back.Comment
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My first question would be "what are they interested in? and then go from there. I have really tried to be child led these days.
Now, I may pull things for a "theme" but generally it is because someone asked to play with a certain thing or someone showed interest so I pulled out more. I change out what is in the playroom often. When kids show an interest though I try to expand on that. I have a little girl right now that is all animals and farm.
Painting, play doh, bubbles, collages are always an interest.Comment
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I do monthly themes because I'm lazy and changing them theme each week sounds hard
This month is BUGS! The books and toys out this month relate to the theme. We do 1 teacher led craft a week to send home. In the winter I do more, but now we spend 2-2.5hrs outside a day. Outside I have trucks, tubs for water play, musical instruments, magnifying glasses...we catch bugs.
Lots of open ended art always. I have 2 boys that would do it for hours.
Honestly it sounds like you are already doing plenty though. Don't stress I always talk up what the kids did and learned to parents more when I feel like I am slacking. As long as kids are safe and happy and parents are happy...I am doing my job. No need to go too crazy 
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Unreg. I'm coming to your house to play!! Lol
Lots of cool ideas!
We've got a big sandbox with the good playsand(I could sit and play in that stuff for hours), added lots of containers, bugs and dinosaurs.
We're waiting for it to warm up to load up our water table corner. It's only been 50's here this week.
I saw a fun activity where you do the ball painting, with big sheets of paper in a baby pool.
Get a cheap Dollar Store shower curtain to hang outside and paint on.
I don't plan ahead much(wish I could like unreg.) but always have a written list of things to offer if they even look like they're gong to utter those dreaded words 'I'm bored'.
They could make up their own game on large poster board.
We just received our caterpillars today so am looking forward to the next couple weeks or so. We'll learn about caterpillars, butterflies and do some artsy stuff with that. We just finished learning about worms and making a mini worm farm that was fun.
To me summer is about being free and having fun, for all of us!
Thanks. but it's just two or three easy ideas combined with a story or two! Maybe a snack that goes....we are foot free and fancy in the summer.
Breakfast
Easy idea
A story
Play outside!
Eat lunch
Rest
Play outside!
Sounds like you do lots too. I always have plastic, frogs or spiders or fish, or sequins in the water table. Water wheels etc. I don't plan much but I like to have a little extra each week or I go crazy.
Outside is the sand kitchen, can't do mud, water table, sponges for washing cars, bucket of soapy water with those big bubble wands, chalk....just fun messy play!Comment
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