Ideas for Your Kids’ Summer Camp Care Packages

I feel like everyone I know, including me, went to summer camp as a kid. One of the best and most unexpected things? Care Packages!!!  Inexpensive and sold in bulk, these drawstring backpacks can be a treat for your little one and his or her whole cabin. Include fabric markers for campers to autograph one another’s bags, and it’s a sweet and memorable item to keep for years to come.

Happy Camping!
 

 

 

Where to find the Items for your Care Package?

1. Design Your Own Drawstring Backpacks, $20.50 for 12, Oriental Trading
2. Crayola Fabric Markers, $5.79, Crayola

Other ideas?

Flashlight and Batteries
Perfect for ghost stories, shadow puppets, or finding their way in the dark during late-night pranks.

Favorite Blanket/Pillowcase from Home
If your child is feeling homesick, help her drift off to sleep with the familiar comfort of a blanket or pillow from home.

Bug Spray
You’d be amazed how quickly supplies of bug spray vanish. Send an unscented brand with aloe vera to soothe skin and keep the skeeters away.

Warm Clothes
Summer weather can be unpredictable. If the camp gets chilly in the evenings, send a sweatshirt, light jacket, or even a warm hat.

Mad Libs
These never get old! They’re fun for rainy days or while lounging around on a lazy afternoon. Check out the Mad Libs Website for a special “Letters from Camp” edition.

Sweet Treats
Send homemade treats or favorite candies, but stay away from chocolate — it’ll be a melted mess by the time it gets to camp.

Nondisposable Water Bottle
Keep kids hydrated while helping out the environment by sending a reusable water bottle to quench thirst and cut down on plastic waste.

CHECK OUT LE TOP CHILDREN’S CLOTHING AT
www.letop-usa.com  

Read Full Post »

Summer Fun on a Budget

If you’re like me and just don’t have the funds to go to Disneyland, Hawaii or even day camp, there is still many enjoyable activities you can do with your children all for FREE!

KIDS LOVE PARKS!

My children could spend hours at the park. They love to run around and get dirty. They never seem to get tired. Our park has a giant sand box. The kids love to bring their beach toys and build sand castles. Some parks have a water play area so when it’s sunny and hot, get the kids in their bathing suits and cool off. (TIP: Don’t go everyday, but maybe once or twice a week just to keep it exciting.)

CHECK OUR YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

Keep your child busy by visiting the library. You can even get your child his/her own library card and teach them how to be responsible and accountable for books they borrow from the library.  Does your local library have a summer reading program? If so, sign them up (it’s free) and they can even win prizes. Best of all, you can listen to them become fluent with each passing day. Also, you may want to find out if your library has any upcoming summer events. Each week our library has free performances all summer long. We’ve seen Python Ron who fascinated us with his reptiles, Magic Dan who inspired us with his tricks, and a shadow puppet show that opened our imagination!

BACKYARD BUBBLES

I know I’m guilty of being too lazy and too hot to go outside, but sometimes the smallest things give children the biggest smiles. I bet you have a bottle of bubbles somewhere in the house. (There’s always some bubbles inside every birthday goody bag we get!) Spend a few minutes outside just blowing bubbles and watching your kids try to catch and pop them. It’s good exercise for all!

ART GALLERIES

Visit a nearby art gallery. It’s usually free to go in and browse. You can teach your child art appreciation, and we can learn a lot about our children, too. Ask them open-ended questions like, “How does this picture make you feel?” or “What kind of materials do you think the artist used?” For younger children, you can ask, “Let’s count how many colors the artist used.”

There’s still a couple more weeks of summer left. Make the most of it without spending a dime!

Read Full Post »

Kids’ Activities: Summer Day Camps

School’s out and it’s almost summer. You imagine sleeping in, having a leisurely, stress-free breakfast with your loving children, then taking them to the park on a beautiful, sunny day. Or, perhaps a trip to the beach or the zoo or the local museum. But then, the first school-free Monday morning arrives. The kids wake up earlier than usual. They’re cranky. They’re fighting. They’re yelling. And the first words you hear are, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do.” Are your kids signed up for summer camp?

Last summer, I signed up my daughter for every camp possible (or as much as I could afford anyway) to give myself some relief from the “I’m bored” syndrome. Luckily for me, the community center where most of the preschool day camps were held was just around the corner from home! So I signed her up for Dinosaur camp, Cooking camp, Cheerleading camp, Circus camp, Space camp, etc. etc. etc. She had a blast, and I had me some “Me Time” – even if it was only in the morning.

In my town, the summer camp catalog is mailed out in the spring so that parents can sign up their children early for summertime activities. These day camps are usually half a day (either morning or afternoon) for a week or even for the whole summer. There are various activities and sports, such as soccer, cheerleading, theater, bowling, art, music, dance, basketball, gymnastics, science, math… the list goes on. Our church and our preschool also offer Vacation Bible School (VBS) which is a half day, week-long summer program where the kids participate in fun and educational activities while learning about Jesus.

If you don’t know where to go to find out about summer day camps, the first stop is your local library. They will usually have a catalog or a flyer that will give you information about what’s going on in your community. You can also try your child’s preschool or your local church.

So give yourself a little break and sign up your children for summer day camps. It’s a win-win situation.

Read Full Post »