How much do you schedule for your kids in the summer?

[MSWR0319]

We have a short summer this year due to school ending late and starting early. Last year we had an extra long summer (WAY TOO long!) and I didn't feel like we had enough structure. DS1 HAS to be active and needs structured activity. It got a little ugly towards the end. He's doing swim team like usual, which leaves us 4 1/2 weeks before school starts. He's signed up for a 1/2 day art camp one week, and wants to do a soccer camp another week (that can be 1/2 day or all day), and then I just found out about an all day basketball camp about 30 minutes away for a week. That leaves him with a week of nothing. Is that too much to do? I want him to be able to just be a kid, but at the same time he wants to do everything and doesn't do well with free time. He's 9 if that matters. Just wondered how many camps people do during the summer.

ETA: I was just thinking about this a little more. The first 6 weeks (during swim season) he only has practice for an hour and a half in the morning, and two nights a week for an hour and a half. So he'll have almost all day those first 6 weeks to "be a kid" and play in the yard, etc. So maybe it's not that much and just seems like it is because it's all in a 4 week span? We have a lake house so we go there every weekend and just chill as well.

[georgiegirl]

My son is the same age (turns 9 this summer), and he does best with structure. He’s also on swim team but they practice at night. First week of summer we have nothing. Then two weeks with 1/2 day camps. Then 1/2 week off, travel for a week, then 1/2 week off (we travel we’d-wed). Then two weeks of 1/2 day camp. Then whole week off. Then we travel for 2 weeks. Then whole week off, then school starts on wed of the next week. We have lots of weekend meets on June and July. His camps are soccer, Minecraft, robotics, and rocketry.

So he has a combo of structure and free weeks.

[magnoliaparadise]

Argh, following this. I am way behind on making summer plans. Out of 9 weeks, I have only got 3 weeks of structure for one kid (overnight camp) plus 2 weeks of hanging out with a cousin at a beach place where some family and I will be.
The younger kid has only those 2 unstructured weeks planned. It's hard for me to figure things for my younger kid to do because she often balks after the first day of camp - I have no idea why she doesn't like camp, but she never has, no matter where!! I'm hoping this will change very soon because it's crazy to push a kid to go to camp every day like I sometimes have to do. But I have to find something for them to do!

[TwinFoxes]

All of July is taken up with swim and dive team. We'll go on a family vacay in August. I'll also schedule some sports camps in the afternoon. Other than that, not much structure, although we do a lot of activities together.

[BDKmom]

That would be a lot for my kids, but if it's how your kid likes to spend his summer, go for it.

We are out of school May 24-Aug 5. My kids will be 6 and 8. The am only scheduling a week of VBS at our church (9-12) in June and a week of Playball camp (9:30-1:30) in July. We will also do a week(ish) of family vacation in there and a week traveling to see my family. My sister and her family will come to visit us for a week, so all of that will take up most of the summer.

My kids are pretty good at filling up their down time with playing, either with each other or in the neighborhood. I do hope to build some structured reading time into our days. In the end, we are all ready for school to start back and get into a routine when August rolls around.

[Dayzy]

I barely plan. DS goes to 2 weeks of Scout camp. DD does one of those weeks at skating camp. The rest of the summer we spend at a summer community in the mountains. We have a trailer there and the kids spend the days at the playground, swimming, playing ball, running around. The biggest schedule we have there is making it to arts and crafts at 11 am and movie night on Tuesdays.

[JBaxter]

LOL not much We do a week at Grandmas ( PA from FL) a week in Aruba and probably a week in Ca this year. I work 3 days a week so we do local stuff the other days.

[hillview]

We used to have full time camps and have slowly moved away. Right now it looks like this
School out 3rd week of June
Babysitter for DS2 month of July (9-5) she is amazing and loves to do active things and he loves her, DS1 will do maybe a few things, prefers to do nothing
2 weeks of August family trip to Cape Cod
Nothing else planned

[kep]

We have swim team, which I have a love/hate relationship with. The kids adore it, but it means up at our usual school time almost every day of the week. We are not morning people, any of us. It’s painful. �� Afternoons and evenings are generally free. Most of normal activities are on hold for the summer, but we do still have voice. August we typically travel.

I schedule as little as possible.

[Philly Mom]

My kids have a week I need to fill but I am waiting to see my work schedule. Perhaps it will be just a babysitter. Then they have 8 week of all day camp and then we go on a two week family vacation before they start school. When they get older, they will go to sleep away camp for 7 weeks and we will have an extra week to fill.


Sent from my iPad using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[mmsmom]

If I do not have activities planned for my kids then they will spend too much time on electronics. We do not live in a neighborhood so I really have to plan all activities. They do swim team which is great so we spend a lot of time at the pool. After swim team is over at end of July they are going away to camp (one for 2 weeks and one for one week). We will do a family vacation in August as well. Their downtime is the few hours after swim team practice in the morning until we go back to the pool. They have summer school work which they do then. I give them a week after school is out before they start their summer work. I like to have their work done before August so they just have reading in August. We have a few play dates and day trips as well. They are 9 and 11 and I know the days of them wanting to do activities with me are numbered. As it is they only come to me at the pool for snack bar money... they have to have a parent there until 13.

[Mikey0709]

Wow - looks like i'm one of the odd ones. My oldest has a week of overnight Scout camp, and my other 2 have one week of scout day camp. THAT'S IT, besides a 1 week family trip and a few weekend day trips as a family.

They will spend most summer days at their grandparents - unstructured - to play, explore and do nothing if they please.

We're stressed and structured enough during the school year, I honestly believe in a break. This is the same way i had it during my childhood.

[carolinacool]

We both work full time, so DS is very scheduled (8 years old, finishing up second grade). First week school is out he's at YMCA camp, then a week of basketball camp at a local university, then a week at the beach (July 4 week). Then it's back to Y camp for three weeks, a week at my parents, then back to Y camp for the last three weeks of the summer.

I'm glad he's still young enough that he's OK with Y camp. I know it will be a more difficult sell as he gets older.

[marinkitty]

Up until my oldest was 12, my kids were very scheduled in the summer - but typically just half day camps and swim team a few afternoons a week with a couple of weeks for vacation. Then, we built a summer house and the past two summers we had almost nothing scheduled at all - we spent the summers hanging out at the new house and the boys did a week of hockey camp and last summer DD did two weeks of an expedition camp. We are staying home this summer because DD is doing summer school and I still haven't planned anything for the boys - other than the usual week at hockey camp. They are 10 and 13 now, so that's part of it, but part of it is also how much I realized we loved not having to be a slave to a schedule in the summers. I think for this year, not being away at the other house, we need a happy medium, so I will likely sign them up for swim team (about half the summer a few afternoons a week) and maybe get them passes for the local par-3 and drop them off a couple of mornings a week. But other than that, my plan is lots of day trips, bike rides, beach and pool days and not much of a schedule to adhere to. Poor DD will be the exception with four hours a day of chemistry plus the homework!

[ourbabygirl]

Mine are 9, 7, & 3, and I try to have enough activities planned (camps & lessons) to keep the older two more separate so they're not fighting constantly. :). We don't live in a neighborhood, and don't belong to the country club with a pool (people are kind of snobby/ exclusive, and membership is $$- we belonged the first year we lived here, though). So everything has to be me driving the kids to activities (museums, parks, beach, etc.). I'm a SAHM and it gets to be a looooong summer without much structure, but we're hopefully moving to a community with a ton of kids, two playgrounds, a pool, tennis & basketball courts, etc., and I couldn't be more excited to spend the summer there!
This year the kids are doing tennis lessons for a month (4 mornings a week), and a few STEM-type camps. One week we'll be on a family vacation. August is pretty slow, so I'm hoping to do a lot more outings then.

[jgenie]

We’re out for 12 weeks. I’ve signed my kids up for a two week outdoor camp and am toying with the idea of adding in our town camp for three weeks so they can meet local kids. We have family visiting us for 3 weeks. We usually go away for two weeks as well. We alternate free weeks with booked weeks and the summer flies by!


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[trcy]

I haven’t read the other replies yet.
I have to keep DD busy or we will both go nuts. I have a lot planned but nothing scheduled, if that makes sense. We don’t have a ton of extra money, so I have to look for free/low cost things to do.
She will continue with swim team, but that’s only an hour 3 days a week. She will do a week of summer day camp. DH is taking a week off, so we will go out of town for a few days that week. I signed her up for kids bowl free. We have zoo passes. I am going to get water park passes. Our local movie theater offers free movies over the summer. And play dates with friends. I am also going to see what our library has, they usually do a lot over the summer.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[elephantmeg]

we have 10 weeks of vacation. DS (12) is helping with kids VBS at church for a week, doing overnight full week youth camp for a week, we have 2 weeks of vacation scheduled and then we have 6 weeks of free time. DD is doing overnight camp for a week, the week of kids vbs, a week of girl scout day camp and then will have the 2 weeks of summer vacation and 5 weeks of home time. Usually I do another week of half day camp but work is going to be super short staffed all summer so I think I'm just going to leave it be! DD will continue to ride every week or so as well.

[candaceb]

Last year we had too many weeks unstructured and there were too many fights over screen time.

This summer, we have
week 1 1/2 day clay camp
weeks 2-4 vacation
week 5 full day, go on a bus to a lake camp
week 6 open
week 7 full day history museum camp
week 8 full day nature camp
week 9 1/2 day mythbusters
week 10 full day nature camp
week 11 open

the weeks he doesn't have camp he'll have swim lessons

[IansMom]

I think it depends on your child my ODS is also 9 and every summer, I ask him what he wants to do/learn and then I may make some suggestions this summer, he has:

Week 1: open
Week 2: preseason Lego League (1/2 day--this is the only camp I suggested he chose the rest))
Week 3: Math Camp (1/2 day)
Week 4: open--probably visit cousins or go to beach with grandparents
Week 5: The Science of Harry Potter camp (1/2 day)
Week 6: open
Week 7: open ( will be traveling for family reunion over the weekend)
Week 8: Science Camp (full day)
Week 9: open

[mom2binsd]

I have never done camps for my kids, they aren't interested, I don't have the extra money and no need for daycare (grandparents babysat when they were younger, they can stay on their own now).

June 1- July 23rd
We do morning swim team 4 x week (they ride their bikes on their own to the pool 2 miles away), and meets about 1 x a week or less from 4-7.

All summer 1 night a week on the ice for hockey for both kids.

DS plays rec baseball, usually 2 games a week, never on weekends.

We drive to Canada to visit my family for 2 weeks and come home just a few days before school starts in mid August.

They mostly just hang out with friends, play outside, go to our private community pool, ride bikes.

We totally relax in the summer, and have a lot of evenings where we cook out with friends, and take it day by day, with little structure which we LOVE!!!!!

[DualvansMommy]

We have 10 weeks for DS1 and 12 weeks for DS2.

For 4-6 weeks between both boys; they’ll attend half day town rec and preschool camps. That’ll start immediately for DS1 Monday after his last day school for summer Friday before.

DS2 will be in his preschool half day camp for whole month of July.

I’ll add one week of full day science camp for DS1 after his town rec and will figure something out for DS2. Maybe cooking half day camp.

After their mornings at their respective camps; rest of days will be spend at my cc pool for leisure and their 3x a week swim lessons, play dates, free movies at small theatre, library and venturing out further locally. This will be our first summer where we don’t have to adhere to nap schedules!

By then it’ll be August 10th and free for 3 weeks before their 1st day of school after labor weekend. We will have few weekend away trips to Philly, RI, and different shore towns in Jersey. That’ll be in addition to our annual week long vacation down in our favorite shore beach house end of August. I feel that’ll be a good balance of structured and unstructured time.

Last 2 summers with DS1 in private school; his summer breaks was 13 weeks which I felt too long for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Simon]

Varies by age, interest, and Dh/my work schedules. Ds2 and Ds3 need to be in the 3 weeks of day camp in lieu of day care.
Everyone: 8 weeks swim team (short am practice)
Ds1: 2 weeks overnight camp; at home he is completely independent for summer day schedules. He rides his bike, wears a watch, and we don't see him much between breakfast and late afternoon/dinner.
Ds2: 3 weeks part-day camp; 1x 3 day overnight camp; soccer team 3 nights week, music lessons
Ds3: 3 weeks part-day camp; soccer team 2 nights week

ETA: Plus 3-4 weeks of family vacation together. Summer break is never long enough for me, I love all the family time and never want it to end!

[baymom]

Mine are 12 & 13 and DH and I both work full time, so they are scheduled the entire summer. Before I went back to work 6 years ago, they never did any camps and we just all hung out and relaxed/did day trips/etc.

We are on a modified year round schedule, so their summer isn’t as long as many others. It’s just over 6 weeks total. This year, the 4 of us leave for 6 days in NYC right after school gets out. They’ll have Thursday and Friday at home after that. I may WFH or take them to the office with me. Then, DD has 2 weeks of full day Girl Scout camp and then 2 weeks of a sleep away camp with her brother. The day after they get home, we leave for an family Alaska cruise with my parents and brother’s family. Two days after we get home from Alaska, school starts. The first week DD is at GS camp, DS will have soccer camp. The second week, he may fly down to spend time with my parents. We usually prioritize going to visit family in Southern California for 4-5 days every summer, but couldn’t fit it in this summer.

It’s a lot and by nature, both kids are homebodies. But, I just can’t have them hanging out alone at home for weeks on end. Plus, they LOVE their camps and end up being active outdoors with their friends, which is what I want for them anyway.

[KpbS]

We are doing 2-3 weeks of camp (1 week sleepaway) for my DC, 1 week family vacation, and swim team as we are able (~7 weeks). Total summer break 11 weeks. I think it will be plenty of activity. I like minimal activity in the summers, enough to break up the day a little bit, but a lot of unstructured play/free time.

[gatorsmom]

My kids are all different. My oldest gets bored easily so he needs stuff to keep him busy. This summer he’ll be taking summer classes and working. My middle kid loves free time so he can create his sculptures. He’s busy working on one for Comicon this summer. When he’s not doing chores or schoolwork or extracurriculars, he’s in the garage working on his projects. Dd is the same way. She likes to have time to be creative. So I don’t schedule her up too much. Ds3 gets bored really easily and loves structure so I keep him in camps and activities all summer long. Different kids, different needs.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

in the past my kids have always done full-time daycare during the summer as we both work outside the home.

this year though DH has the summer off (he teaches at a university) which is kind of nice as the kids will be able to get tons of downtime at home.

so they will be doing 4 weeks of our school district summer camp (half day) right after school ends , and maybe a couple other short, half-day 1week camps. my DS does best with structure but at the same time he is extremely creative, loves to build things and loves art, and he can spend a lot of time at home doing crafts or building things. I want them to get a break and have lots of downtime at home. I think the struggle will be restricting screen time so that kids don't end up on iPads for a lot of the time.

[AnnieW625]

Both DH and I work full time so we have full time camps. It would be a huge stretch for us to hire a nanny for the summer, which my kids would love. Dd1 spends 6 weeks at dance camp (including a 2 week performance intensive), and then two weeks of YMCA camp. Dd2 is signed up for 8 weeks of YMCA camp, one of which is sleepaway camp (her first time), but a friend told me about the Young Americans performing arts camp so we might do that as well instead of a week of YMCA camp.

We are going on a one week vacation in mid August and I am not sure where yet, but am thinking of Colorado or New Mexico.

The kids are out on 6/15 and go back on 8/22.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lizzywednesday]

The last two summers, DD has had a 4-days-a-week summer school program which she's attended through the week we take an extended family vacation with the ILs, BIL & his wife & DC, aunt-in-law & her husband (and adult kids ... and their kids.)

We have also added swim lessons, but we're not 100% sure about what we'll be doing this year.

This year, she'll have a couple of weeks between the end of the school year and her first week of Girl Scout day-camp, during which she'll have an activity focus as well as time in the pool and other fun things to do. Then there are a couple of weeks between that and our family vacation, followed by another week of day-camp.

We have season passes for the local Six Flags park and a lot of cool-and-free things to look into doing over the next several months, as well as things we'd like to do together as day-trips.

Honestly, I think this is the first summer in about 3 years that she'll have a lot of unstructured time, and I'm looking forward to trying to get together more often with my brother's and sister's kids! (Of course, they probably have day-camp because they're two-income families in need of childcare, but a girl can dream, can't she?)

ETA: DD gets out of school on 6/19 and heads back after Labor Day.