Summer Kickoffs
Written By Jennifer King Lindley
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Click here for a Summer Fun List printable and a Summer Fun Chart printable to track your summer fun.
PJ's all day, the first splash in the pond, an after-dinner stroll with the cat . . . all sure signs the season has arrived.
Every summer, my husband, two kids, and I pack up our station wagon in Indiana, readying for a two-day journey to my sister's house on Cape Cod. We're veterans by now: We know just how many M&M's are needed to keep up morale, and how to cram the car so full it won't hold even one more towel; we know which hotels near the midpoint (and sometimes the breaking point) have indoor pools and waffles at the free breakfast buffet, and where to cadge a latte on an otherwise desolate stretch of interstate.
A thousand or so miles later, we get our first whiff of salt in the air, and soon our car crunches onto the gravel driveway. We lurch out, stiff-limbed. Hannah, Ethan, and their cousin Charlotte hop with excitement; Scout and Wednesday, two ancient yellow Labs, greet us with full-body wags, investigating the french fry wrappers that billow in our wake.
But I don't really feel like we've fully arrived until we've dumped our stuff in the little guest room and taken a walk down to the pond. It's a ritual we'll repeat almost every afternoon of our stay, rain or shine. My sister and I, designated pack animals, tag along after our kids, toting rafts, sand shovels, and drinks. We cut through the sand pits, past low bushes of tiny wild blueberries, until we get to a trail opening so unremarkable you could easily miss it.
In the shade of the woods the kids pause, remembering to look for toads as small as their own thumbs. We walk singlefile down the pine- needle-covered path, stubbing our toes on tree roots. All of a sudden the trail's incline drops away and we see the water below. The kids shriek and race off, abandoning their towels. I hear their splash, splash, splash, thwapp — the sound of summer beginning.
Next: Reader's Summer Traditions
We live in central Texas, so summer weather usually begins well before school lets out. My kids know it's officially summer the Sunday my husband and I have them get ready for bed and then throw them in the car, pajamas and all, for ice cream.
As a way to welcome the warm weather, we get out all of the summer toys and have a "toy wash."Everyone pitches in, cleaning the toys with sponges and lots of soapy bubbles. (Usually we all just end up slipping and sliding around the yard.)
The first day after school is out is a pajamas-only day.
Once the nights turn warm, we invite our friends over, sit on the hill in our backyard, and project a movie onto a white sheet hung from our deck.
Whether we're at the park or at home, the first time we hear the tinny music of the ice-cream truck we all stop and scream, "Summer is here!"And then no matter what time it is — even if it's right before dinner — we all get an ice cream.
We know summer's here when it's warm enough and light enough to enjoy a family walk around the park after dinner. Our cat Gus usually joins us (he thinks he's a dog).
In the spring I start seeding all sorts of vegetables. We live at a really high altitude, so progress is slow. I anticipate the start of summer, when I can place the plants in the ground and teach my daughter about nurturing something from seed to food.
The second Saturday in June we host Toddlerfest, an all-day event for our friends, featuring crafts, food, games, swimming, and the ever-impossible group photo (with 17-plus attendees under 6).When it's finally warm enough, we love to dine on our back porch. We turn on reggae and have tropical beverages (for the adults) and extra-drippy ice pops (for the kids). The time we save not having to clean up the kitchen table and floor allows us to take a walk around the neighborhood before bed; we bring lanterns, look at the stars, and listen to the "bug music."
Chicago has a free "Movies in the Parks"program; my toddler knows it's summer when we put him in the bike trailer and pedal to the lakefront for our first movie picnic of the year.
For four generations my family has welcomed summer by making vanilla custard ice cream. I remember watching my dad and my grandpa take turns cranking it. (Grandpa always left a lick or two in his bowl and put it down low so the cats could enjoy it too.)
We look at how many days there are from the first day off from school until the last day before school starts, and make a big chart numbering each day. Then we make a list of all the things we want to do that summer, big or small. Each day we pick at least one thing off our list, and keep track on our chart of all the things we've done. Download a summer chart template here.
For my husband'sfirst Father's Day I bought him a beautiful set of wind chimes. Each year, as summer arrives, we take them out and hang them on our porch.
For the past three years we've welcomed the warm rays of summer with an impromptu picnic. We drag out an old red blanket, pick the sunniest spot in the front yard, and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips.
