Summer Camp at home

Maybe, like Kendra, you’d like the scoop on summer entertainment. “What on earth are we going to do while the kids are out of school?” Or, maybe, like us, you’re putting the bucks it would cost for camp towards Dave’s debt reduction plan. It could be you are simply searching for a fresh idea.

Whatever your reasoning, it’s fun to take a week and do one of these camps with your children at home. Each is a nice break in routine. You’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll have too.

• Starting today! Skip to My Lou Craft Camp – 30 days, 30 bloggers, 30 crafts
• Camp GonnaWanna FLY – hosted by Flylady (remember Tools Not Rules)
• 8 Weeks To the Perfect Home Scholar – my favorite is learn mom’s machines week
• 7 Great Camp Crafts and Games – from Family Fun
• Camp Staycation – June issue of Better Homes I just read over the weekend. A whole bunch of neat ideas starting page 223. Even more for staycations on bhg.com.
• Outdoor Hour Challenges – Just one hour a week. We love these.

Last year we came up with Camp Hodgepodge to keep us busy a week in July. We’ll update with some fresh ideas and favorites for this year.

“…Sorta like church camp with all the comforts of home. We’ll have a morning devotional, some camp-type food in the mess hall, recreation (swimming in the neighborhood pool or the backyard kiddie pool), evening worship and lights out time.

Here’s the schedule the children and I came up with.

• MONDAY  – Family Day – visit grandparents, afternoon ATTACH meetings; hamburgers and s’mores
• TUESDAY – Christmas in July – make Christmas gifts, watch Christmas movies and bake Christmas cookies
• WEDNESDAY – Friend Day – older children have friends over/younger ones have Teddy Bear& Baby doll picnic with Winnie-the Pooh theme. Maybe a marching parade.
• THURSDAY – Book Club Day – go to library, build tents with sheets and read outside/if it rains -games, puzzles, computer learning games and tents inside
• FRIDAY – Nature Day – My Nature Journal project, gardening, outdoor sprinkler games, camp in backyard“

I encourage you to take some of these ideas and make them your own. What is your child’s favorite right now? Make a whole day out of it – just for fun! Why not?

So, what are your summer plans?