In one short week, The Explorers will be out of school for summer. Nine weeks of vacation are almost here. I don’t know which of us is more excited, them or me.
Don’t get me wrong – there will be lots of bickering, tantrums and frustrating moments. But heck, we have those all year! Summer is a time to slow down, play, explore, savor long, warm evenings and say “yes” more. I can’t wait.
In the past, our summers have been divided between family vacations, preschool (for The Little Explorer) and a few day camps for The Big Explorer mixed in. This year, aside from two separate, weeklong vacations, both kids will be free for the entire break.
If I learned one thing this school year, it’s that my kids need structure – that is, a predictable pattern to their days. Yes, they need plenty of room for play, but they also need to know what to expect from their days.
Which is how the idea of Camp Mommy was born. Camp Mommy is the name I came up with for our summer vacation plan. One filled with plenty of free time for unstructured play, with some fun outings and activities sprinkled in.
I have to premise this all by reminding you that I’m not a professional educator or a camp counselor. I am merely one mom answering the call to offer my kids what they need at this point in their young lives.
- Science experiments
- Adventures in cooking
- Skills development (like learning to use a pocket knife & build a fire)
