six tips to summer fun

Our summer fun list is posted eye-level on our fridge.  And I think our biggest obstacle will be trying not to cross them all off in one day.  We had plans to do at least five of them on day one....thankfully, plans change.

Another challenge is making sure the fun stays in our summer.  Here's what seems to work for us:

1. Think ahead.

This could be as simple as making this list.  All our great ideas pinned on Pinterest do no good if we don't look at them.  Sometimes a good ol' fashioned pinboard is necessary.

When planning our day, I always consider driving times, snack times, supplies on hand, and cost, as well.  Snacks are key...as much as I hate to pack lunches, it saves a fortune if I continue to do this in the summer.



2. Be flexible.

We hit the Science Museum the last day of school.  They were having a LiveSky event which included a talk about space junk, a free IMAX movie about the same thing, and then their telescopes would be set up to view the night sky.

But we were late...and there's no late admission to the talk.  The good news was we could still go to the movie, which is probably all we wanted to do anyway.  The bad news was it wouldn't start for an hour and a half.

So we hung out in the lobby of the closed museum.

Still way cool.  No one was there.  We had full run of the place, and you can bet they were running all around.

I'm still amazed at how much I learn every time I go there.  This pendulum is demonstrating the rotation of the earth.  It only swings in one direction, but since the earth rotates, the pins will all eventually be knocked down around the circle.  We played a little game to guess how many swings it would take to knock one over, then sat and counted until it happened.



If you look close, you can see us all leaning in to get a picture of us in the reflection.



3. Be creative.

We had an unexpected hour and a half to kill...so we had to be a little creative.  Kids are naturals at this....next fun game?..... scooting around the wooden benches on your back, using your feet to push around.  (JP and I didn't try this, but we should have.)



4. Go outside.

When they got bored on the inside, we headed outside.  I know we hear this all the time...to get outside with the kids, but sometimes they just don't want to go.  Water is the key...a hose, bubbles, sprinkler, pool, fountain.... kids cannot resist water.



No sooner had we touched the fountain water and Joaquin (not Diego, btw) had scooped some and put it to his mouth.  What?!  Come on, now.  That is just too gross.  Which means this is a good one to add to the list:

5. Lay ground rules first.

I often forget this rule and end up with a wild group of monkeys to control.  It is best, before getting out of the car or doing anything, to let the kids know what to expect, and go over how to behave.  This quick reminder helps it all stay fresh in their minds.



6.  Be involved.

I often become the safety patrol, bag holder, family photographer, clock watcher....and that's when I find myself getting grumpy.  Being those things is never fun (well, except the photographer part).  So passing the job off to dad every now and then helps me relax and enjoy all the fun myself.

Actually, I realized this at Joaquin's school party...the parents were invited to play Heads Up, Seven Up and Four Corners, and I was the only one that did!  I had fun (especially when I won at four corners, oops!), but I think it made the game even more exciting for the kids.

Four corners is easy anywhere....at the science museum, we used the North, East, South and West blocks around the fountain.  It's not quite as fun with fewer people though, so ask other families to play and you could make some new friends.



And a simple game of chase is a great fall back anytime....look at scary mommy with those "I'll get you my pretty" witch hands!



We finally got to see the movie Space Junk.  Who knew there were millions of pieces of junk constantly circling the earth?  So interesting, and quite disturbing.

Unfortunately, we had to miss the telescope viewing.  A late night soccer game was calling.  But we'll try another night, now that our curiosity of space has been sparked.

I think most moms do the things on this simple list instinctively, but sometimes, at least for me, it helps to have it written out.  Here's to a summer full of fun!