Summer break and Camp Mommy are here! The Explorers and I are looking forward to nine weeks of vacation, packed with rest, play and plenty of adventure.
To kick things off, I’ve made a summer fun kit for each of The Explorers. The idea first started when I saw this post on summer fun kits from Crazy Little Projects a couple years back. I’d already been making fun kits for our family travels, so it seemed like a natural extension – a way to get excited about the adventures ahead.
Our summer fun kit is a collection of items the kids might enjoy using during the season. It’s nothing extravagant and includes items the kids need (such as new bathing suits) with items I know they’ll like (like water blasters).
I waited to give it to The Explorers until after the excitement of the last day of school died down. We need transitions around here, so the summer fun kit helps take us from the school year to summer vacation quite nicely.
Which specific things go in your own kit will depend on the ages and interests of your children and family, of course. Here’s a peek at what’s inside our summer fun kits this year, keeping in mind that The Little Explorer is 6 and the Big Explorer 9 ½:
- Summer journal
- Water bottle
- Water blaster (water guns, water balloons or other water sprayers work, too)
- New bathing suit
- Sunglasses
- Water misting fan
- Friendship bracelet (each member of our family gets one to wear all summer)
- Books (for our summer reading challenge)
Everything is placed inside a backpack, either one for the trail or a new one for fall that can be “broken in” during summer. A beach buckets is a great alternative for younger explorers.
Need a few more ideas? Check out 50+ Easter Gift Ideas for Nature Kids for lots more items that would work perfectly in a summer fun kit.
