How many camps/activities do you have your child in for the summer?

[Zach'smom]

Just wondering how many camps/activities you have your child enrolled in this summer. Ds 6 is signed up for a 2 week science camp (2 1/2 hrs. each morning) and will be continuing with hockey once a week and trampoline once a week. I am also planning lots of trips to our pool, zoo, waterpark, library, museums, free movies and other events. We have lots of playgroups set up with my Mom's group and other friends. I really also want to have some time just for him and I to spend together. He starts first grade in the fall and will be gone all day.

Some friends of mine think I am nuts, since I don't have him signed up for more camps and sports, etc. Am I really being selfish by planning lots of things that I can be involved in too???

[Potty Diva]

Kailey will be involved in three activities this summer, but not at the same time.

She is finishing up T-Ball and then will start swim lessons on June 11 for two weeks (1 hour each day) and then in August will start soccer.

[Alyantavid]

2 as of now.

He starts junior golf June 11 and that goes once a week for 4 weeks. He also starts t-ball sometime in June (don't have the schedule yet) and that'll last 4 weeks as well.

I'm trying to get him in swimming lessons for later in the summer.

[hubris]

Zero so far. We've not done any summer camps yet but I *might* sign DS1 and DS2 (5 and 3) up for 1 or 2 weeks of our preschool's summer camp program.

We'll have a weekly standing playdate at local playgrounds with friends from the preschool and will also have other spur of the moment get-togethers (lots of nature hikes, probably) with that group.

I don't think it's selfish at all not to have umpteen million organized activities for your child to do. Actually, to me, it seems more unusual to have kids signed up for stuff all summer long, since it's not something I did as a kid.

[StephandOwen]

2 He's taking swimming lessons every saturday in June and July and an art class every Sunday in June and July. That's it. This last weekend was his last weekend of soccer until fall.

[Potty Diva]

T-Ball in June? Soccer in the Spring So different from here.

I think it's important to have Kailey in activities during this summer (this is the first summer we could afford it) because she gets bored easily.

I wish we had an affordable art class around here. Currently the Arts Counsil does an occasional art class that is 2 hours for $50! No freakin way!

[psyche]

Mine starts first grade in the fall as well.

I enrolled him into two non-consecutive full-day weeks of camp (one in late June, one in late July) and will probably enroll him in a short two sessions/week for two weeks sports class. For the rest of the time I just want to take him swimming and do fun things as a family. We need a break after the school year!

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by Potty Diva

I wish we had an affordable art class around here. Currently the Arts Counsil does an occasional art class that is 2 hours for $50! No freakin way!

The one ds is taking is through the YMCA. It costs $45 for 8 classes. I suck it up and pay because it will help encourage ds to do some of the things he's doing in therapy. I justify it by saying it's fun therapy for him

[nichole]

maybe church bible school...that's it. we will play outside with neighbor kids, meet friends at the park, beach, zoo, etc.

[GuildJenn]

I think it depends so much on your child. Some kids love to be on the go, others not so much. I also think it's good for him to see what he likes and go from there.

My son is in 'camp' all summer but it's really his daycare. In the summer they do different weeks.

[Potty Diva]

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

The one ds is taking is through the YMCA. It costs $45 for 8 classes. I suck it up and pay because it will help encourage ds to do some of the things he's doing in therapy. I justify it by saying it's fun therapy for him

You are so lucky to have a Y!!

$45 for 8 classes is a bit more justifiable than $50 for ONE- 2 hour class

I agree it does depend on your child. Kailey is really not a "on the go" kind of kid and prefers doing arts and crafts instead of sporty things. She is loving T-Ball though and says she wants to do soccer in the fall, so we'll see .

Oh and the part about sucking it up- I'd love to be able to have some cash to suck up for an extra class, but what we are doing now is about it.

[Zach'smom]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

I think it depends so much on your child. Some kids love to be on the go, others not so much. I also think it's good for him to see what he likes and go from there.

Ds is an "on the go" child. He loves being out and about. Which is why I do have lots planned for his summer. It just doesn't involve a lot of camps. He hasn't asked to do anything specific other then the science camp, trampoline and ice hockey. I haven't really offered up any more either though. I just don't want to short change him.

[MtBikeLover]

Other than gymnastics, which they do all year round, there is nothing extra planned. We get annual passes to the Botanical gardens, Six Flags, and the children's museum so they are always on the go plus we have a pool in our community.

Now I am wondering if we should sign them up for something.......

[onlyzombiecat]

I have planned 1 day at the library and 1 other outing per week as a family.
The rest of the time I expect dd will be going for walks, playing in our yard on her new swingset, going to the pool, camping, etc as we feel like it.

We had an opportunity to sign dd up for a summer youth activity group for free but it was not super close and they were really vague on what they would be doing and when.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

Well, for my two camp is also summer child care, so they will do daycamp for almost all of the weeks of the summer, except one week of "full time down time" with our nanny and a week with my parents. A couple of the camps are 1/2 day but most are 8:30 - 4, nanny will cover 4 - 6. Because some of the camp weeks cover their usual sports activities we will dial back dance and gymnastics and decided not to do swim lessons at all this summer.

The day camps mostly do specfiic activities during the morning and beach / pool / park for the afternoon, so they will get lots of excercise and play time, just in a more supervised environment.

The hours are a pretty close match to their school schedule during the year, just with lots more outside activities.

[nancy926]

I think boredom can be good....it can inspire great creativity.

DD1 will continue her once-a-week karate classes. Both DDs will go to a weekly playgroup that does field trips during the summer - strawberry picking one week, a hike another week, the beach, etc.

That's it. DD1 has no interest in being dropped off at a camp for any period of time without DH or me, so that's not happening this summer. If she were interested, there are a couple of nature-focused camps she would probably like a lot, but she doesn't want to and is only 5, so I'm not pushing it.

[Potty Diva]

Yes, boredom is a great thing that is why Kailey is so darn creative

We also don't do electronic games and very little internet. 30 minutes of TV.

During the school year this is perfect, but she will now have a full school day, every without those activities. We are filling some of that time with the activities mentioned above.

Aside from structured, paid activities we are going to Virginia, the beach, camping (until it gets too hot) and various other cool places.

Dh is a teacher and is not going to work this summer and I am a student and don't take classes in the summer.

This will be our very first summer together as a family

[MommytoTwo]

Both of my older kids (DS 5.5, DD 3.5) are going to art camp for two weeks in June.It is from 9-12.
That is the only planned thing. We also are planning a family trip to the beach for 3 days. I also might take the kids down to the grandparents for a few days during the week while DH is working. We will keep busy.

[becoming]

DS1 is doing tee-ball. Our last game is June 6. He's going to take swimming lessons in July/early August, and then he'll start soccer in mid-August. So just one activity at a time.

I'm about to enroll DD in gymnastics. I think she'll just have one class each week.

We're also going to go see the free kids' movie at the theater every Tuesday morning and storytime/reading program at the library every Thursday afternoon.

And little DS's main activity this summer will be marathon nursing.

[Potty Diva]

Lindsay- do you live in my town?

Our kids are doing the same things and we have a community theatre that does free kids movies on Saturdays!