Summer - Week one

I take summer very seriously. As a teacher, aside from having a job I am passionate about and love, the next major advantage is summer's off. It's amazing to be home with my kids. That said, I also feel I have to be planned and organized or it slips away. I found a couple (okay, a lot) of really cool ideas for the summer on Pinterest. Courtney doesn't nap anymore but Dan and I would still love our little mid-day break. So, I made her Monday-Friday activity boxes. We went to the Dollar Tree and loaded up on little crafts, new coloring books, puzzles, etc. I imagine by week 4 or 5 I'll have to add some different things to keep her occupied, but so far, she's loving it!

The boxes are labeled Monday - Friday. The supply tub on top is for every day use. 

Here is a sampling of what is in a tub. This one has stickers, cheap legos, a craft to make a fairy house, black glow in the dark scratch art and wooden stars to color. Each day has a coloring book, number sheet (fill in the missing number) and an easy reader to practice and read to me when she is done. I overheard her reading one last week. She said, "What's this word? Oh, it's a bossy e word!"

Another idea to help keep her occupied is little activities for each day. I made a schedule for the whole summer but even in the first week a few things have changed! 

          Make it Monday 

                       Try it Tuesday 

                                     

                                      Water Wednesday

            

                                                        Thinking Thursday

                                                                            Field Trip Friday

Here was our first week! 

                                                  Make it Monday - Kool Aid Playdough

Ryan joined in on the fun. He HAD to have that gigi (pacifier) or else he kept trying to eat the playdough. He kept spitting it out, but also kept trying it!

                               
                                               Try It Tuesday - Berry Picking from a Patch 

So the patch was at my parents house. That counts because it was huge and the added bonus was that my parents get to see their cute grandkids picking berries. 

Ryan ate the entire berry - stem and all! 

                                Water Wednesday: Making water bombs and playing with them in the rain

I bought $3 worth of cheap sponges.  I cut them into strips, Courtney handed me 6 strips and I rubber banded them together. Since it was a rainy day, she wanted to go play with them in puddles. Sure. Why not? 

                                                                 Thinking Thursday: China

Courtney said her favorite thing she learned about China was that there was a whole bunch of people. This first leraning experience was lame because it was a busy day and I didn't plan. I did check out these books for her at the library and she read them with Dan!

Field Trip Friday: Chic Fil A with Emerson

Another reality of the week. Plans had to change and we couldn't go to the zoo as planned. I did get to move in to my new classroom though (and we got our garage back) so that was just fine. That's life. This should count as a field trip because it was Courtney's first time to Chic Fil A.  It's a HUGE step up from the grossness I feel is the McDonald's play place. Courtney never gets to go there either. Wah Wah.