We’ve had a few shifts in our home lately: my oldest daughter graduated from our family’s homeschool, my oldest son is beginning high school, one daughter starts kindergarten, and my littlest one just turned two! All eight of my children are thriving and growing and learning and stretching. We can feel the dynamics changing bit by bit as each one gets a little older and can take on a bit more.
With a busy summer this year and all the changes on the horizon, we’ve opted for just a little more summer fun.
All the commercials and school districts are shouting: school time!! Many homeschoolers are there, too, some having started at the end of July. Well, for the first time in our homeschooling history, we are starting our school in September! Normally, we’re August starters, but rather than trying to keep up with everyone else, we are exercising our homeschooling flexibility! If you’re not feeling the schooling routine just yet, no worries! Summer doesn’t technically end until mid-September!
Here are a few ways we’ve come up with to extend summer fun.
Game Days
We’ve enjoyed our fair share of video games–but family style! We have an old Wii system that allows 4-6 players at a time to play together on most games. With a family of 10, we still have to rotate turns, but the general point is we can all play together.
We also enjoyed classic board games and card games. Our favorites this summer have been Uno, Chess, Sorry, Life, and Trouble.
Movie Night
Of course we’ve gotten together to watch a good family movie, which is actually hard to do these days. We’ve even opted for a few “old” shows, like The Cosby Show, which my children just get a kick out of.
But the best movie nights we’ve had have been the movies and skits my children have created themselves and performed for the family. All of their talent has been at work with computer programs and voice overs, directing and prompts, even invitations created for family members to attend the events. Lots and lots of fun and laughter!
Taste Testing
Ever wanted to see which food chain has the best fries or pizza or donuts? We’ve tried our hand at comparing a few places to see which restaurant comes out on top in terms of taste and quantity. In addition to fries, pizza, and donuts, we’ve tried out different subs, sandwiches, and tacos, too!
What would make this even more fun would be to do a blind taste test to see if we can identify which restaurant the food comes from. Or, pick one establishment and try something new each time you go.
These things aren’t novel ideas, but it doesn’t really take much to have some simple fun. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your summer days!
What fun things have you enjoyed doing as a family this summer? Have you begun homeschooling already, or are you beginning later?
