I have to be honest with you. I am over school. My fingers are still sticky from gluing pictures on to a poster board for my first grader this evening. I haven’t signed his reading log in a few weeks now and the bottom of his backpack is a disaster zone, likely filled with important notes that I have totally missed out on. There are 13 days of school left, but who is counting?! When my kids ask if they can skip homework and just play outside longer with their friends I have a very hard time cracking the whip and telling them that it is time for homework.
So when that last school bell rings and the kids come flooding out of the school I love to celebrate the freedom that it summer break!
So here are 5 ways to celebrate the beginning of summer break!
Have ice cream for dinner! Better yet make it a party!
This is the one time of the year that I let my kids eat ice cream for dinner! When we do this I get every topping imaginable and let them go wild with their creations! For added fun let your kids pass out invites to neighborhood kids the week before!
Have a neighborhood water war.
If it is warm where you live arm yourself with water balloons and/or a super soaker and prepare for attack as soon as your kids step off of the bus! Letting your hair down (literally) and sharing belly laughs with your kids is a fantastic way to kick off a summer vacation.
Make a summertime bucket list with your kids
After having a year of schedules and actives dictated to your kids, there is something pretty awesome about getting a feel for the things that they really want to accomplish over the summer. Obviously you won’t be able to take them to far away lands (unless you were already planning that) but being able to fulfill summer wishes is pretty fantastic!
Make it a no bedtime night!
Assuming that you don’t have a big day planned for the next day, let your kids stay up and play outside until the street lights come on! This is huge in my house because we have early bedtimes (8pm) and the street lights are far from coming on when my kids get into bed. We typically cuddle up on the couch and turn on a movie and let the kids fall asleep while they are watching!
Grab some books
Yes, I know that I just said that I couldn’t begin to sign another reading log. BUT, keeping skills sharp will help you at the beginning of next year. My kids seem to enjoy reading more when they don’t HAVE to do it for anything other than pleasure. Plus, we really enjoy taking part in the summer reading programs at our library. It is also a lot of fun to give each kid $5 each and head to Half Price Books. They can leave with 4 books if they make wise choices!
Tell me: What end of the school year traditions do you and your family celebrate?