Sprout Scouts Playcamp is in Session! (And How We Are Surviving Summer...)

I don't know how it happened, but summer vacation is HERE. Just like that, S graduated from preschool and visited kindergarten and Shavuos came (and went) and now we're all home for the summer... Which means, Sprout Scouts Playcamp is in session!

Sometimes, I am totally rocking this play at home with three little sprouts thing (like when I got all three kids to the botanical garden center and returned home again with the same three kids--the matching camp shirts really helped). Sometimes, not so much (like last Friday when Y stuck a piece of magenta fish gravel up his nose that he recovered from his self-directed turn-his-room-into-a-gravel-pit project from too many months ago to still have gravel on the floor and we had to go to the pediatrician to have it extracted. He was quite impressed. He asked for a shot on his way out. I hope they give punch cards for this kind of thing, like get 12 objects extracted and your 13th extraction is on the house. I am in trouble...). But we are surviving summer here, and with a little bit of planning and lot of deep breathing, humor and perhaps some additional vices, you can, too!

 Give it a feeling of formality. One of the hardest parts of that summer transition is the change from the formality of school and routine. In order to create a feeling of structure and support around us, we create a sense of formality for our time together at home. Even if it is essentially barely planned, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-skirt chaos here, we call it camp. Sprout Scouts Playcamp to be exact. We started off the adventure with t-shirts for each scout and a backpack to decorate for the older two scouts.

Decorating camp bags was a big hit!

We do not have a schedule that requires watching the clock and in many ways that is nice. In some ways, that can also lead to disaster, so having some core routines is helpful. Morning work set out on the table gives a structure to the beginning of each day. It's something we did as well throughout the school year (per S's request) and both of the older scouts quite enjoy seeing what's on the table each morning (whether or not they participate in the activity).

 These types of activities and other table time activities require some setup and preparation on my part, but are aimed to entertain with minimal support from adults. That means they can be busy at work and play and I can be busy drinking my morning coffee or feeding a hungry baby or both at the same time...

Let's Get Outta Here! I love my home and our play area and outdoor area are great places for play, learning and fun. But to be quite honest, I find it easiest with all three to get out of the house for a bit on most days. I need to see other people. Maybe even adults. And it breaks up the day for us (not to mention sibling squabbles).

We load into the van and go. If going out is your thing, too, here's a few tips to help it go as smoothly as possible:

• Dress to impress: Ok, I thought matching outfits were just cute, but honestly I'm only here now because I'm not lost in the mall and I'm only not lost in the mall because I was in an outfit my mother could easily recognize. I'm sorry I complained when I had to wear it again as a hand me down 3 years later... But having the clothing you need (and extras to change into just in case) for where you are going is very helpful. You might want to leave a change for everyone in the car (even yourself). Maybe also a towel. Be prepared for temperature and weather changes. Make sure everyone is comfortable in their shoes if you'll be doing lots of walking...
• Speaking of walking... mobility is a huge aspect of my going out with all three kids now. How will we get around when we get there? Stroller for the baby or will I wear her? Usually I need to have both options since she gets really irked when she's not happy with one. And if you're using a stroller, is the location stroller friendly? With two other kiddos, I also have to keep safety in mind. Each of them holds one hand on the stroller while we walk through parking lots and busy locations. Even getting in and out of the van is now a process of making sure the most mobile are safely in their seats or on a sidewalk as we load and unload. If you're visiting a location where your little ones can be more independently mobile, it can be helpful to station yourself at a central location and to discuss with your brood where that will be. If it's important that everyone stay in one area together, that's also a valuable topic to mention. And in particularly busy and crowded locations, it's useful to tell your children where to go if they do get separated from you and how to identify safe adults to ask for help. 
• Don't go hangry! Packing adequate snacks and water and lunches if you'll be gone that long keeps everyone happy and going. And don't forget yourself. For some reason, my kids are twenty times as interested in snacking while we are away than they are at home. It is the same food. In the same container. But now we are at the museum so they need to snack and ask about snacks and ask for more snacks every five minutes. Yes, this is annoying. Yes, I come prepared. And yes, my last mode of "preparedness" is an equally well prepared statement of "we can leave now and go home for lunch if you are super hungry." Yes, many times that is how I get us out the door with minimal children under my arm being hauled like a football...
• Silver linings: they can be hard to see, but find them... "Two of my kids are NOT crying right now." This is a statement I make a lot these days. Yup, that's my silver lining when one is throwing a massive fit or totally melting down. I'm not a mathematical genius, but those are pretty good percentiles. And know that even if folks are staring and condescendingly shaking their heads, many many more of us are quietly cheering you on--we've been there, we'll be there again, maybe even five minutes from now...you've got this!
• It's More Fun With a Friend! One of my favorite things about our summer outings is an impromptu meet-up with friends. Many families are home with kids this summer and creating a way to communicate plans through social networking or phone groups can help lure us all out of the house and into each other's company with minimal effort and no pressure.

But what if leaving the house is not my thing? That's OK! Sometimes we all like the comfort and familiarity of home and sometimes staying in is necessary either way. When we are here holding down the fort, there are a few tricks of the trade that are helpful:

Set Up for Success: Less is more. I have to always remind myself of that. It can feel like I need to go out and buy a lot of materials to keep us busy or like I need to set up a lot of toys for playing. And honestly, we do best with less. I recently did a massive clean out of our kids' room and closets (as in 12 trash bags full...) and do you know what? My boys LOVE playing in their room now. I also revamped our art shelves and writing center, swapping in a few items that had been stored away and swapping out others the boys had grown bored with. I did stock a big tote bag with some simple craft kits I had in storage. I call it my U-Pick-a-Project Bag and I reserve it for those lulls in activity where we really need something to shift our attention and mood. And if it's not a toy at all, it's automatically interesting. For the last year, my boys have followed me like puppies into the kitchen to empty the contents of our recycling bin. So...I moved the recycling to their very own recycling bin in our art & writing center. Voila! They now have easy access to toilet paper tubes and produce containers and tin cans all day long! Loose parts? Check. Craft supplies? Check. Good to go!

I think we could totally manage to make it all summer and not buy anything special aside from that plastic sweater box their recyclables are now in, but I did invest in some cheap 1 inch binders at the beginning of the season as well. These are our Sprout Scouts Journals and each of the older scouts has one. I hole punch various pages in it as Morning Work activities. S is quite into drawing and dictating and even took to writing his name independently (a skill he possessed long before he actually wanted to demonstrate it at home). This allows him a venue for working on those skills as he nears kindergarten in the fall. Y is also working on fine motor development with these activities even if his drawings and dictations are at his own developmental level. Some form of journal for the summer can be a great and inexpensive investment to keep children of all ages and stages busy (and learning).

All three Sprout Scouts now enjoy a morning routine of "reading" from our Ever-changing Book together. This photo was taken milliseconds before the tiniest scout required 4th breakfast and abandoned Morning Meeting with her mother in tow. I swapped in some seasonally appropriate songs, action rhymes and games for spring and summer and there's no need to reinvent the wheel here, either. We just fish from the pool of materials we used at this time last year. The boys will actually request to "do the Ever-changing Book" and usually between everyone's needs and attention span, we make it through a few pages at a time, so the book in full as it is currently stocked will likely keep us entertained for the summer! If creating your own Ever-changing Book is not your thing, no worries! You don't need any props to sit and sing, read and share some favorite action rhymes.

Troubleshooting Cabin Fever:

Even the most well prepared and protected campers experience Cabin Fever. They get bored or wild or start to squabble with one another. Having some tools for troubleshooting can help. One of my favorites is asking my scouts how they'd like to proceed. They can often resolve their own squabbles and even engage in an activity with some support and minimal suggestions. Having some favorites at the ready can help as well. 

Playdough is always a favorite here, so on one unexpectedly rainy Friday when we'd planned to take a trip to the science museum but had to stay home at the last minute due to inclement weather, we moved through feelings of disappointment by heading to the kitchen to make a fresh batch of playdough. When you need to shift activities or plans or just moods, even grownups can release some stress by squeezing the lumps out of warm playdough...

And Don't Come In Until It's Dark Out! Ah, how I miss those days of being tossed (with love) into the back yard for hours and hours. Nowadays, I join my little ones out there, but indeed the yard is where I long to be. And it's also a great location for messy play! In fact, any location that is not inside my house is great for messy play. What's that? Playdate at your house? Sure! We'll bring the glitter...

As it is, my apartment has increased in property value now that we can officially declare it beach front property after the installation of a sandbox in our backyard that likes to enter our home via 4 very adorable feet, 4 equally adorable hands and 2 very sneaky (and oddly sticky) little boys...

Location, location, location...sometimes we need a little change! If we can get outside, some time in the yard is great! If we can't, we head upstairs and play in the kids' room. Or turn on some music. Or head to the kitchen to whip up a batch of pizza dough for Make Your Own Pizza Night...

Just Call It a Party: I had no idea how much of my parenting would involve lying to my kids re-branding. One thing I know for sure: If you call it a party, they will come. Let's have a pajama party. A bath party. A bubble party. A Dinner Party. A Dance Party. A Movie Party. A Laundry Folding Party (Ok, I haven't actually tried that one yet...)

Here we are at our Butterfly Release Party

A little celebration can even lighten the bittersweet mood of saying farewell to the 12 butterflies we grew from caterpillars 

Resources: Use 'Em! Don't be a hero; use your resources. Surviving the Summer with Kids is not for the faint at heart. I love being home with my scouts and it's also challenging! There are some great resources to support us this summer and we are going to use them.

Libraries are incredible. Especially ours. Story times, special events, summer reading programs and contests keep us reading, learning (and sane) all summer long. S and Y are both at the stage of loving to choose their own books. We bring our Sprout Scouts backpacks and hit the stacks.

Other Humans with Tiny Humans: Misery loves company. Don't go it alone. Grown-ups need playdates just as much as kids do. And if you need some ideas on how to meet more humans with tiny humans, check out those libraries I mentioned above, meet-up groups, gyms, grocery store aisles, the parking lot at Target...

Screens for Everyone! Yup, you read that right. Sometimes I scream, you scream, we all scream for screen time. Pop in a video, it's OK. Or use that screen to peruse some websites with apps and activities for kids. Or websites with ideas of activities you can do with kids. It's not your all day long solution (at least not every day) but it is an option.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and ours is full of great parks, farmers' markets, museums, garden centers, pet shops, a zoo, a botanical garden center, playgrounds... We have memberships to some favorite locations and this is a worthwhile investment for us (or great gift idea for family members wanting to buy a birthday gift). We also make use of many free attractions like the amazing parks and playgrounds we live near. Have a list of places indoors and out that are good for your family or check out some new ones. We tried strawberry picking at a farm last summer and had an amazing time. We tried a visit to our local art museum and it was a little too museumy for a certain Sprout Scout. But be open to adventures (even flops) and you will find new family favorites along the way! Many local shops have summer specials geared toward kids. Craft stores, garden centers, bookstores, pottery painting studios, and museums are great places to check. Some programs and events may have a cover cost, others are free.

Breathe, air is free! This last tip is mostly for me, but perhaps you will find it useful as well. During the school year, life is a rush of getting places on time and maintaining order and routine. Our summers are a little more relaxed, but that doesn't mean I am. We don't need to rush, it's OK to slow down. It's OK for there to be empty space that is not filled with adult-directed activities. It's OK for not everyone to be happy at the same time all of the time. Keep a big picture mindset and don't get stuck in the moment. It's OK to start over even if you need to brew up a pot of coffee at 2PM or eat breakfast for dinner. Let the kids skip a bath night and go to the sprinkler park with some baby shampoo in the morning. Get them dressed in their pajamas for bed way too late and then instead of going to sleep, go outside and play with glowsticks in the dark. Pitch a tent in their room over Shabbos. Give in to that extra stop at 7-11 for Slurpees on a Thursday. Say yes when you can because no is exhausting for everyone. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from summers long gone by, but the joy and the whimsy are so palpable even still that it's as if they happened yesterday. Those are the memories I want my Sprout Scouts to grow with. They will be beanstalks before I know it! But growth is slow and slow is OK. Stop and smell the roses this summer; don't get stuck on the thorns.

So there you have it, we are only a few weeks in, but we are surviving the summer and you will, too. Check back here for updates and activity ideas along the way and until then...

Happy Playing!