Do you have summer camp sticker shock? I do! $300-$400 for one week of Day Camp! WOW! We just can't do it for both kids. Luckily Gramma and Grampa are giving one week to our 8 year old as a Birthday Gift and I found a budget Girl Scout camp for our 6 year old. But that's only one week of activities for each kid. The rest of the summer will be filled with free trips to town pool and playgrounds, zoo and museums!
A group of Moms in our neighborhood have taken a different approach! They are holding their own summer camp for their kids. Each day a different family is in charge of activities. Kids gather at the host house for a hike, art project, game, or cooking activity! They are holding one this week for Pre-schoolers while older siblings are still finishing school. Later in the summer there will be another circuit for the elementary school crowd.
A few ideas for camp activities:
- Go on a nature hike: We live right up against a county park, so this one is easy for us. In addition to looking for real wildlife, that might be startled by a herd of munchkins tromping through the woods, hide small toy animals in the trees, brush and along a path. Just be aware of poison ivy!
- Water games: Have a good old fashion water balloon fight, water bucket relays, squirt bottle target practice. And who can forget Slip and Slide!!
- Obstacle course: Jump from hula hoop to hula hoop, jump over mop handles, ride bikes through plastic cones!
- ART!!: My favorite! Paint outside on large pieces of paper, have fun with shaving cream even paint on each other and then go to the water games!
- Have a sleep over: OK this one scares the poop out of me! More than one or two extra kiddos sleeping under my roof is a bit crazy! But if you have ambition and bravery, pitch a tent and roast some marshmallows. Goooood Luck!
Put on those creative caps and beat the bad economy by doing it yourself!
1 comment:
I LOVE the sleepover idea....just have it with the parents, too!! Let the kids have the basement, the grown-ups have the living room. Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone sleep at your house, but the parents can stay until the kiddies fall asleep and then come back in the morning and everyone can have breakfast together!!
Also, I'm big on day trips. We live SO CLOSE to so many great things - Gettysburg, Williamsburg, Pennsylvania Deutch Country, Hershey, Annapolis, Skyline Drive, to name a few. There are things at all of these places for kids (and parents) of ALL ages!!
We've been to them all, so feel free to ask for suggestions!!
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