You know that I love routines! I couldn’t resist developing something new for this summer! This summer’s routine is mostly a plan for things I’d like to accomplish and do this season, it includes things like establishing a chore chart and going on some fun outings.

Although I want our summer to be pretty free and open, I like to add a little bit of structure to our days. I won’t be setting up a daily routine like I have in the past, but I do want to implement some sort of daily chore chart. If you have any ideas or just want to let me know what you do in your family, leave me a comment! I’m looking for inspiration!

Aside from chores, I’ve also made a bored jar with ideas for things we can do when we can’t go outside and play.

We’ll also be using a few simple activity books to incorporate a little sit-down learning into our days. I have two Kumon workbooks for Porter- My First Book of Mazes and Are You Ready for Kindergarten- Math Skills. Porter LOVES the mazes one. I also have two books for Wyatt, a sticker book and a coloring book that are just the right level for my 2.5 year old. I don’t really think a toddler needs a workbook like this, but it does give him something to do when Porter is doing his. I don’t really think Porter needs one either, but he enjoys them and they’re great to get out when I’m doing dinner prep.

I’m also pulling inspiration from two books: Tinkerlab and 101 Kids Activities. We’ve had Kids Activities out from the library a number of times (I should probably just buy it) and I love the range of activities it provides. It includes simple homemade games and toys, crafts, and science experiments. This book is great for a range of different ages because included in each activity description is a suggestion for adapting it for both older and younger kids. Tinkerlab is new to me- it came up as I was looking for art books to use for our kindergarten homeschool next year. You can check out author Rachelle Doorley’s blog to get an idea of her philosophy and for some fun creative activities. I’m really excited to read through this one and flag some of the activities to do with my kids this summer.

Lest you think I’m not planning for lots of books and reading, we’ll be visiting the library on a regular basis. I’ve made a picture book reading list that we’re working our way through this summer. I’ll share our favorites in some upcoming kid lit posts. Porter and I are also reading our way through the Magic Treehouse series as our current read-aloud.

So our summer “routine” will look something like this: simple daily chores, activity books 1-2x a week, plus one project each from Tinkerlab and 101 Kids Activities, and lots of good books.

Stay tuned for part two of our summer plans, where I share our bucket list, some of the bigger things I want to do with my family.