As the school year comes to a close and teachers are eager to begin their summer vacations, many parents begin to panic. Especially those that have their kids all day, every day. If you didn’t already plan to fill your summer with camps or vacations, it can definitely be overwhelming. As the summer quickly approaches, you’re probably thinking about how to fill those long, hot summer days. And if you aren’t, you should be!

These tips and tricks will hopefully help you make sense of summer. As a mom of three young girls, I really wanted to share my ideas on what has worked for me in the past, and maybe, just maybe, these simple hacks could work for you, too!

Create a Summer Bucket List

Each year before summer gets underway, my family and I sit down and brainstorm all the things we want to do during the summer. This can be anything big or small, and my kids really love creating this list, so we have fun with it. No idea is off limits — we just put all the ideas out there, even if we are unsure we can accomplish it. After everything is on the table, we spend our summer trying to mark things off as we go! Examples from years past: 

• visit an amusement park
• make an ice cream bar and invite everyone we know
• go camping
• make a large sculpture
• run a lemonade stand
• take a day trip
• read 100 books

Make a Daily Activity Plan

Even if it isn’t a big plan, it’s nice to have one. As a former educator and current mother of three, plans are important for everyone. Kids know what to expect, and so do you! Write it down, post it up and follow it. 

Not every second needs to be scheduled! I would hate that. Summer means freedom for me and my children,  but if the general ideas are put into action, I promise your summer will run more smoothly and be more enjoyable. In the past I’ve assigned general activities for each day of the week. This has worked really well for us; feel free to copy and paste this schedule or adjust for what works for you! 

• Monday: Library. Go to the same or pick one based on what activities they are offering that day.
• Tuesday: New Park. Last summer, we picked a new park every week and gave them ratings. This was a fun and easy way to spice up an otherwise average park day.) 
• Wednesday: Museums. We love checking in to a museum. They are filled with some unique and fun activities, plus, we can escape the heat, and learn something new every time we go!
• Thursdays: Meet a Friend. Maybe go to the pool or do another activity together. This breaks up the family dynamic a bit. If kids are looking forward to hanging with a friend this day, it can be a great break from family togetherness. We are lucky to have our neighborhood pool that we visit nightly and on weekends during the summer, but it’s nice to designate weekly time for water play. wWe also do splash pads, creeks and check out other public pools in the area.
• Friday: Free Day. Have a fun ice-cream outing, visit a farm, or let each child choose an activity for the day on rotation. Sometimes things need to be planned out Thursday night to make sure the activity is available that day.

This is where it gets exciting! Luckily we live in an incredible city where there is so much to do and explore. Pick the weekly activities that bring you and your family joy. No need to follow this exact formula, this is merely a starting point if you need ideas. 

Schedule Your Time

My friend actually gave me this idea a few summers back, and man was it life changing. Some days it is followed closer than others, but it’s there. When I feel frazzled or things aren’t going well, I look at the schedule and get back on track. Before this simple trick of having a timing set to everything the summer days began to run together. Some days I felt like I was in the kitchen all day. 

• 8 a.m. Wake/breakfast
• 9 a.m. Get dressed and prepare for the day’s activity
• 12 p.m. Lunch 
• 1 p.m. Rest
• 3 p.m. Pool
• 6 p.m. Dinner 

By simply putting a timing on everything, just like the kids do during the school year, the day was a whole lot better!

Pick One Activity

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with so many fun things to choose from! However, my advice will always be less is more. Pick one activity a day and roll with it! If you have little ones of various ages, it’s nice to pick something they will all enjoy. 

Here are a few ideas for both in town and surrounding areas that my family will be doing this summer.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis: It is, by far, one of the best children’s museums in the nation, and there are exhibits for all. 

Newfields: Walk the gardens, check out the indoor exhibits, pack a lunch for a nice picnic. 

Conner Prairie: We have yet to explore every corner of this place! We find something new every summer. Check out the splash area past the covered bridge, and make sure to climb the tree house. 

Local library: Most libraries post detailed calendars on their website and include story times and fun activities throughout the summer. You can stick with your local branch or check out surrounding areas throughout the summer.

Parks, parks and more parks: Each week last summer, we picked a new park to explore. That was a hit!

Movies in Midtown Carmel: The summer schedule should be posted soon! We love to grab lunch and beverages from Sun King while watching a movie or playing table tennis. 

WonderLab Science Museum: Bloomington’s WonderLab just went through a major renovation and let me tell you it did not disappoint! I couldn’t get my kids to leave. You can make a day trip out of this. Your ticket allows you to come and go as you please, so spend a few hours exploring, grab lunch and then get back to it! 

Potter’s Bridge in Noblesville: Check out the river tubing trip through the White River Canoe Company. You can rent a canoe or raft for the white river that is super fun!

Nickel Plate Express: Rail bike rides are a unique experience and surprisingly good daily activity for kids of all ages!

REST

Seriously, don’t skip this step. Even if your kids are not taking naps, it is essential to have some downtime during the day and have time to rest before evening activities. There were so many times I would run all day, and these days were the hardest. While some days will inevitably be this way, I found skipping rest time only leads to meltdowns. Plus, as soon as my husband would get home, he would want to have fun, too, and no one was up for it. Rest is so important in order to make the most out of your summer. 

Summer is quickly approaching and if you are anything like me, some plans need to be made to occupy my children during those long summer days. Last but not least, enjoy all the memories you are making! Seriously, try to enjoy, and relax on these dog days of summer. As we know, these days go by way too quickly!