Summer Activity Jar: Planning for the Free Spirited Family

Since I became a stay-at-home mom, I have discovered a free-spirited nature within myself I didn’t know existed when I was driven by work performance or school demands. Thirty-seven years into my life and I realize I don’t love routine and structure as much as I thought. Sure, I like to have a plan and I love a good to-do list. But I’m more inclined to go with what I’m feeling in the moment. Who knew?!

So when I started seeing pins on Pinterest like this one and this one for summer planning, my newly-discovered-free-spirited-self started to twitch. I’m entering my first post-public school summer {after getting used to having only one child in my constant care} and I’m honestly not sure how it’s going to go. I want a plan but a loose one. After thinking through my options and my personal tendencies, I’ve decided to try this summer activity jar. It’s “summer planning” for the rest of us. . .those that want a more spontaneous and adaptable plan. I hope this idea resonates with some of you and helps you to find a level of “structure” you are comfortable with this summer.

Summer Activity Jar: Planning for the Free-Spirited Family

The idea: Each day, kids get to draw an activity from the jar. You can draw multiple activities per day, depending on what you are up for and how much time you have to spare. This gives your child{ren} a sense of adventure while providing fun and engaging activities to keep them from getting the summer blues.

 What you will need:

A large jar {or tub or something you can draw a small piece of paper out of}

Scissors

Tape

Activity Jar printables – FREE in this post, see below

Total cost for project: $0 if you have these items at home!

Total time investment: approx 15 min once you have items printed out.

This little project is so easy, I don’t even need to explain it in steps. Simply print out the FREE activity jar printables. Cut the ideas into strips. Cut the label. Put idea strips in your jar or bin. Add your own if you think of some other activities. Attach label to front of jar with tape. Done! So easy!

Download the Activity Jar label here. {best if printed at 30%}

Download the Activity Jar ideas here.

I will include the following rules when we play this “game”:

1. Children must take turns pulling an activity from the jar.
2. We can pull one activity per child per day. If you only have two children {like me} perhaps mommy gets to pull a third. If you have more than 4 children, you may want to consider a different strategy. 3-4 activities per day is probably best.
3. Mommy has the right to set the time frame for more involved activities. {i.e. “go on an adventure” or “go to the zoo” may require a little planning.} But commit to completing the activity within a few days.
4. Only children with a good attitude get to pull an activity from the jar.

Your turn! What strategies will you implement this summer to keep both mommy and kids happy?

PSST. . .if you are more type-a and you LOVE a good, structured schedule or calendar, take a look at our SUMMER board on Pinterest for some great ideas!