School is out - or almost out - for Utah children, with approximately 81 days until school starts again. The question that seems to be on every kid’s mind is “What do I do all summer?!”
If you’re like me, I almost always get to about day 60 and wonder where summer has gone and why there are back-to-school sales already. I’m in a different phase in life right now, with my children grown, but one of the millions of American grandparents raising a grandchild. She’s 10 and keeps me young, or so I tell myself. So, in the hopes of a summer with no less screen time, here are some ideas for summertime activities with kids and grandkids.
Grandma Camp
First, I’ve started doing a few days of “Grandma camp” in the summer for my grandchildren old enough to spend time at our house. Pinterest remains a key go-to website for inspiration. In past years, we’ve made butterflies from coffee filters, washable markers and pipe cleaners. They turned out very well. We’ve also tried our hand at “salt art” with white glue and salt - that didn’t work out very well. Clumpy and not nearly as cool as Pinterest promised. But, it kept them occupied for 30 minutes and only cost a dollar, so that’s a decent trade-off.
We’ve also tie-dyed T-shirts every year - messy, but a fun outside project. We’ve also done bead crafts, backyard treasure hunts and of course, a day in the canyon, with dirt, water, hot dogs and S’Mores. Great recipe for happy, tired children.
Regular Camping
Last year, our family went tent camping after a break of a few years. Yes, it’s work to prep and recover, but it can be so much fun, especially as we were able to camp with some of our grown children and grandchildren. There was uninterrupted family time, a rarity in today’s busy, busy world. We played games, chatted, told family stories (including previous camping stories), laughed until our sides hurt, and hiked (strolled) to a small waterfall, dousing ourselves in the refreshingly cold water.
We were completely disconnected from the Internet for four wonderful days. And, I slept better! Weird, I know. However, I found a 2017 study that suggests that a couple days of camping in the great outdoors can reset your circadian clock, help you get better sleep and let you awaken more refreshed. Seemed to work for me!
Getting Outdoors
Full confession: I don’t love heat. So, outside activities for me need to either be in the early morning, the evening or places where it’s shaded, there is water or at higher elevations. With that in mind, here are some things we are hoping to do this summer:
Our 10-yr old wants to try hiking. That might mean more meandering and strolling than actual hiking, but it’s a start. We found an app a few summers ago called “All Trails” that helps us find easy hikes that are just right for us.
There are also so many state parks and, of course, Utah’s Mighty Five. The newest of Utah’s 46 state parks is the Utahraptor State Park near Moab. It opened officially on May 23 and prompted Gov. Spencer Cox to quip: “This is the first project in state history to take over 100 million years to complete!”
Swimming makes the list as well and so does gardening. While we used to go big when we had our large family still living at home, this year, we have scaled way back to flowers, zucchini and tomatoes. I think there is something magical about working in the dirt. I already know that there will be considerable time spent in a hammock with a book and I am great with that.
Staying Inside
Air conditioning is one of this world’s greatest inventions. On our summer list are movies, museums, aquariums and other air conditioned spots. At home, we have some of the following on our to-do list:
We have a long list of things we want to trying making and baking. We also enjoy family board games, card games and building with Lego bricks. The 10-year old also wants to do YouTube Pilates and yoga with me, as well as a summer “glow-up.” We also have multiple craft projects and when I can’t be home, we have an adult daughter who lives at home and is an art teacher who is excited to do projects. So convenient!
We’ve also set up pup tents inside for inside camping, had family movie nights, told corny jokes until we laughed so hard our sides hurt and worked on family history. So many non-small-screen ideas out there.
Summer Jobs
For families with older teens, summer might mean jobs. That could be everything from fast food to lawn care to babysitting to lemonade stands. I started working as a teen first by babysitting, then by working at a fast-food restaurant. I think I made $3.35 an hour.
Troy Lamb, a workforce development specialist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, recently told KSL Newsradio that there are hundreds of jobs up for grabs right now. Teens can start by creating a profile at the Department’s website, where they can find a variety of jobs from summer camp counselors, to lifeguards to the ubiquitous fast-food jobs.
Being Bored
Of course, the most common complaint parents (and grandparents) might hear is “Mom! I’m bored!” I used to stress a teeny bit about my kids being bored, thinking that boredom was bad. It’s not. In fact, it can be good.
Jodi Musoff with the Child Mind Institute says that “boredom also helps children develop planning strategies, problem-solving skills, flexibility and organizational skills — key abilities that children whose lives are usually highly structured may lack.”
Boredom lets our minds reset — neither children nor adults are wired for constant stimulation. Manoush Zomorodi, a journalist and author of “Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self” writes, “It’s not being lazy. This is when the brain’s default mode network kicks in and our best, more original ideas get gestating, because we dip into profound and hidden reservoirs of emotion, memory, and thought.
So, this summer, we will also have some time to just do nothing and let ourselves be a little bored. I hope you do too.