It’s only March so summer certainly seems a long way off, however, now is the time to start thinking about the options that are available for kids. Many organizations already have their summer camp information available!
Did you know that summertime is historically and statistically an unhealthy time for children? As a Together Counts™ Ambassador, we help combat this, and offer ways to engage your kids in activities that foster both learning and fun. Here are some things that you can be doing now to ensure a smooth AND healthy summer:
Do your homework – Do some online research to see the available options. Speaking of homework, summer camp can be the bridge from one school year to the next when an emphasis is placed on healthy habits and nutrition/physical activity education. Did you know that your local parks and recreation center is likely to be promoting these healthy habits? Through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), The OrganWise Guys programming will be available in 1000 sites across the country this summer, so if you would like to find a local parks and recreation site that offers activities and education to keep your kids’ energy equations balanced, you can contact us here.
Map it out – Print out a 3-month calendar to plan for the summer months. Figure out when all your camps, events, vacation days and other special activities are and put onto the calendar. If you are a visual person, you may want to color code the activity by child.
Get organized – It’s never too soon to create folders to organize the various camps and activities requiring deposits, permissions slips etc. You can keep schedules, driving directions, lists of things to bring, etc. in these folders so you are ready to go once summer actually does roll around. Go ahead and fill out any forms and make a shopping list for any items you will need. This will help avoid the frantic feeling of “I forgot something” right before a new activity begins. It’s always great to feel prepared!
Be creative – The whole summer can’t be spent away from home! Make sure and schedule in some creative and fun family time on the days that are not filled up with camp or other events. A family vacation is always a great way to bond, or try incorporating nightly walks, playground time or other fun sports you can do together as a family. This will allow for great quality time together, while also getting in some physical activity. Win – win!
We know many of you are burdened with an abundance of snow right now, so this may be a nice break from the snow to start thinking about the summer months and the bright sunshine and heat that is awaiting you!
What are some of the activities your kids enjoy doing during the summertime months?
This post was originally written and shared as a Together Counts™ Ambassador on the TogetherCounts blog.
