Written by: Whitney Casser and Kat Harrison
1. The Family
Dinner
The dinner table can be a constantly revolving door during
the school year—thanks to everyone’s mish mosh schedules. Here’s a goal for
you: Declare summer the season of reclaiming the family dinner! (Or breakfast,
if you’re feeling asymmetrical one day.) From grocery shopping together (write
the item list or peruse the aisles) to setting the table like a picnic
(checkered napkins, anyone?), involve the whole brood in preparing the family
feast. Looking for a good read to support your cause? Ever since Laurie
David’s The Family Dinner came out, we’ve been stocking up on
great tips. The book is peppered with conversation starters and wholesome ways
to bring the home to a balanced epicenter…thanks to a fork and knife. —
2. Down By The River
Call it the Midwesterner in me, but how does a day of family
fishing sound? After all—we are
surrounded by water. Whether you want to do a little catch-and-release in your
own borough, or borough-hop for a little aventura—there
are plenty of options, from Harlem Meer in Central
Park to the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park. This is a great teaching
experience, especially between older and younger siblings, so allow little ones
to learn by trial and error (unless of course, they start playing with the
hooks too much!) Cap off the day with a fishy bedtime reading. We can’t get
enough of Chris Gall’s lively (and gilled) illustrations in Dear Fish.
3. Get Building!
With the extra free time you and your kids have, why not
start a small craft building project? You can design
and build a birdhouse with children as young as five. Smaller children can
paint and decorate the finished product. Or, start putting together a model
airplane or boat
that you can fly or sail come August. It will be challenging work for little
hands, but a learning and bonding experience well worth the effort! If your
carpentry and handy skills are not what they should be (for shame!), then
gather the fam together and find some decent space to work on a gigantic
jigsaw puzzle—no rush on the finished product. Our favorites? Summer’s End
has us all nostalgic, and kids will love piecing together Surf Dawgs.
4. Summer Book Club
Storytime before bed is a classic year-round family
activity. So why not make things a little more fun this time of year with a
summer book club just with the family? Each parent, brother and sister can pick
two books that everyone has to read (on their own time) and discuss (together!)
at weekly meetings. Challenge your little ones with chapter books like Mr.
Popper’s Penguins, featured in one of our Summer
Brain Drain stories. And to help your fam reach official “club status,” join
the Washington Post’s KidsPost 10th Annual
Summer Book Club, which starts today! This year’s theme is “What’s
better—the book or the movie?” All the book selections have been made into
major motion pictures, so your clan can read and view stories on the silver
screen all summer long. Picks include The
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, Because
of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Beezus
and Ramona by Beverly Cleary, and Ella
Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. And to up the fun factor even more, pull
together an %uFFFDber cool fresh air
reading fort where kiddies can read late into the night. All you need is a
bed sheet, blankets, and some chairs or cardboard boxes. Flashlights are a
must!
5. Family’s Got
Talent
There’s nothing quite as entertaining as a family talent
show to kick the summer off with a bang. Parents can demonstrate hidden talents
(who knew Mom could tap dance? or that Dad can pop and lock?) while little ones
can show off their budding skills as dancers, stand-up comedians, magicians,
artists, actors, gymnasts, jugglers…the list goes on! If you’re brood is in the
mood for some serious singing and toe tapping, then family karaoke night is
just the ticket to fun. All you need is a karaoke machine and a little pizzazz
to perform. And for families that are highly musically-inclined, a family band
can teach little ones teamwork and, as the old adage goes, practice makes
perfect!
6. Not-So-Candid
Camera
Scrapbooking is a tried and true way to capture family
vacations, big events and all kinds of memories you don’t want to forget. To
take things one step further, consider making a multimedia family documentary that
captures the most special part of summer: a day at the beach, a trip to visit
grandparents, a child’s first dip in the pool, or a sandcastle-building
contest that your clan rocked. First, assign everyone a different task.
Little ones can collect memorabilia (think: seashells, ticket stubs, menus, and
pamphlets) while older kids can help take photographs
(of objects and people), write down funny quotes and sayings, and even help
videotape happy moments. The whole family can compile their findings into a
PowerPoint presentation to view together at the end of the summer. Don’t forget
to choose music to make the presentation truly multimedia. And if you’re
planning a big summer trip worth documenting, check out our Summer
Brain Drain story for ideas on how to create a great travelogue.
7. Winner Takes All
A little friendly competition can bring siblings closer and
teach them the value of teamwork. To encourage this mentality and promote
bonding, consider organizing a Family Summer Olympics 2011. Grab some paper and a clipboard and map out an events
schedule including tug-of-war (let little ones help in the front), bike races
(tricycles, scooters, unicycles—whatever you have), kid-carrying contests
(adults and big kids do the heavy lifting!), basketball free throw shoot outs, wind
sprints, swim relay races if you have a pool (can we come?), and handstand
contests. Also, throw in some goofy stuff for good measure: a water balloon
toss, egg-on-spoon relay races, and wheelbarrow and potato sack races on the
lawn. When all is said and done, enjoy a celebratory sports drink and toast your
close competitors!
8. Film Fest
Some days you just want to kick back and watch a flick! Hey,
us too. So why not spend a little bit more time together by curating at an
in-home film festival. You and your kids can decide on a theme (go broad,
like Pixar films, or more specific like Steve Martin family favorites). Then
carefully select the movies that will be shown over the span of a weekend
or a few days. Make a group trip to Blockbuster (or do it the 2011 way and
queue from Netflix) and decide which friends you’ll want to invite to which
screenings. Go all out by decorating the house (fill the living room with
balloons for UP) and whipping up the
appropriate grub, like pink lemonade for the Pink Panther films. Make the last day a “viewer’s choice” selection
and have the guests vote on what to show!
9. Nature Hunt
With all the gorgeousness outside (sun! cool evening breeze!
no jacket!), it’s hard to stay inside sometimes. So rally up the troops and
head to your nearest park (preferably one with a variety of trees, like Prospect
Park)—it’s time for a nature hunt! Before heading out, make a list of items
to find—like seed pods, fallen petals and five different types of leaves. Let
older and younger siblings work in pairs during this fresh air venture, taking
turns searching and “rescuing” the items. When home, turn the found pieces into
a nature collage! Use dirt as paint and let the creativity flow. Looking to up
the ante? Make it a competition by having parents duke it out against the kids.
We wonder who will win….let us know!
10. Letting Go
So what if bonding could actually mean “letting go” a
little bit? (We know, we’re like a walking contradiction, but hear us out.)
Summertime could be the best time to experiment with freedom, since you’re
not bound under the rigidity of scheduling. Try loosening the reigns, no matter
the age group. If your kid is older, this is “easy”—we say this hypothetically,
of course. Summer could be the best time to start talking about a curfew, or
letting your tween make plans without your involvement. By allowing your child
some independence, it shows trust on your end and nudges them to take on bigger
responsibilities—especially around the house. If your child is younger, take
their wants (not just their needs) into consideration. Let them choose the
activity of the day, rather than scheduling something in—they might just
surprise you with a Lego masterpiece!
