Depending on where you live, you may already be in summer mode or just getting ready for it.  Here in the New York, elementary school doesn't end until June 26th. 

Either way, its a great time to prep for some summer fun!

Have you ever started the summer looking forward to all the fun activities you're gonna do and trips you are going to take only to realize its a week before school starts and like 2 things got done? 

We often think we have more time than we actually do or we just forget about things in the day to day. Below are some strategies you can use to make the most of your summer.

Brainstorm

The first step is to put together a list of all the things you want to do this summer. This can be everything from a family vacation to a picnic in the park. Be thorough and list everything you want to do over the next 10 weeks.

Don't put all the burden on yourself though. Ask the rest of the family too. Get input from your kids and your spouse until you have everything you want to do written down. 

If you end up with more things on your list than there are days of summer, you may have to whittle things down a bit or combine activities. For example, you can combine a trip to the zoo with a playdate with friends. Or, you can combine a picnic and an outdoor movie. 

Once you have a solid list for the summer, its time to move on to the next step. 

Schedule It

Next it's time to put everything on a calendar. You can print out separate calendar pages that you can play around with or what I like to do is use a white board and mini post it notes that I can move around. Then later, when things are set I transfer things to my planner. 

The first step is to mark down things that are set in stone. These can be things like weddings, vacations that you booked, or the events you want to attend. ark these on your calendaring a particular color. You can either write them on your paper calendar in a certain color or use a certain color highlighter or post it note.

Then we can put things down that you would like to attend, but aren't must dos. This can be all the outdoor summer movies, or the parties and festivals. These all have specific dates, but you don't necessarily have to attend all of them. These items should be in a different color. 

Finally, you have the activities you plan for yourself. This can be playdates, beach trips, trips to the amusement park, etc. These should be scheduled on your calendar as well. Of course, some of these activities may be weather dependent, so its good to have some free days mixed in there so you can rearrange if necessary as the day gets closer.

The point is that in most cases, if it doesn't get scheduled, it doesn't get done. So putting things on your calendar, even if they end up being moved due to weather, will help you make sure they actually get done. You will see it in your calendar and either make it happen or reschedule it and then get it done. 

Lastly, you don't only have to include activities into your schedule, you can also mark down projects you want to get done. So if you want to clean out the garage, put it on the calendar. The same goes for any other major project. 

Keep Your Bag Packed

Even with all of your scheduled activities on the calendar, there will be some days with nothing planned. These can be spent relaxing at home, but some days with the sun shining, the kids get antsy to go out and do something.

My favorite trick is to have a beach or park bag packed at all times. When you don't have an outing planned, it can take a while to get things together to go to the park or beach. This is especially true with young kids. 

So, the solution is to always be packed. Each time you come back from a beach trip, immediately repack the bag with clean towels, swimsuits, swim diapers, and whatever else you need.

While you may need to pack drinks and snacks, everything else should be ready to go. This makes spur of the moment trips so much easier. 

Pre-Plan Rainy Day Activities

On the other hand, you might wake up to a rainy day and be stuck inside the house. Coming up with things to do in the moment can be hard. It's difficult to be creative when the pressure is on. 

So, be creative now. Put together craft projects of at home games and activities now, when you don't need them.  Go out an purchase any supplies you may need and keep everything in one location in the house. 

When the rainy days come, you will have an assortment of activities to choose from to keep away the boredom. If you need ideas, you can check out the crafts section of this blog, or check out my Kids Crafts board on Pinterest. 

Do you have big plans for the summer? Let me know in the comments!

Cheers, 

Emily