Summer Projects

Join a summer team

Two weeks ago, I told my kids that they will need to pick a project that takes all summer long and if they don't I will pick one for you.  Every couple of days, I ask them if they've been thinking about their project.  Both of them did, but I'm not allowed to say.  So, I thought I'd give you a list of things your kids could do that I would have suggested (or made) my kids do this summer:

Tips to keep in mind:
Establish a budget.
Establish how much time you want to commit and how much they should work on their own.

1.  Read a book series
- Some of my kids favorites are: Harry Potter, The Ranger's Apprentice, The Princess Diaries, Divergent series and yes believe it or not the Laura Ingalls Wilder books)

2. Make a go-cart
- I've been dying for my kids to do this but no, sigh.

3. Plan, prepare and take a bike trip
- We have lots and long biking trails that you can spend days on where we live and now with google maps showing biking trails it's even more fun.

Learn photography and take
weekly photo tours

- This could also be a camping trip

4. Start a business
- Etsy is making that easier for crafters.
- Grow flowers or vegetables plants to sell
- House sitting, plant watering - I have a friend who is a pet sitter and she warns about pet sitting.  She said if anything happens to your pet, your child is liable.  It seems we're in a strange new world.
- Tending the garden, I would love it if someone came in and would plant my veggies, week and water.  I want the homegrown veggies but don't always want to tend it.  And forget about it, if we go on vacation, all my work usually goes down the tubes.

5. Build a treehouse/playhouse
- Even my teens wish they had a place they could go to, to hang outside.

6. Learn something new
- model trains, bonzai, yoga, model airplanes, anime, illustration, writer's group, pool, darts, tai chi

- See what hobby groups are in the area. Many are free or a nominal fee.  And remember if your child is a teen they can check into the adult hobby groups.  I'm sure when asked, most would love to have a kid in the group.

Make and execute plans to visit local historic sites

- when we first moved here, my kids were not used to the trees (we had mostly palm trees).  I told them that it was the rite of passage that they learn to climb them.  They did and now they look at a tree and decide if it is a good climbing tree.
- My youngest loves animals, so every other week she would learn about a new animal.  Now any animal question comes up, she's there to answer.

7. Develop an old skill to a new level
- I often find that people in general like to learn the basic skills when they learn on their own but do not often move on to the next level.  Instead of learning just book one of the piano, make it a challenge and move on to book two.

8. Plan and cook a homemade meal each week:

- I am amazed at how kids do not know how to do something simple like cook from basic ingredients.  My kids' friends did not know how to make a cake mix that was not from a box.  I almost feel these skills need to be passed down before they are lost.

9. Join a summer team

-  Swim, baseball, archery, soccer

10. Have the kids plan day trips for the family.  Let them figure out time, money and everyone's availability.