What do summer activities typically look like for a rising sixth grader?
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Anonymous
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I’m a single mom of a rising sixth grader, and I’m trying to get a sense of what’s typical for summer activities at this age outside of day camps. We usually keep things pretty low-key, but after chatting with a few other parents, I realized that some kids are doing a lot, such as Girl Scout sleepaway camps, swim lessons, sports clinics, music lessons, martial arts, etc.
My daughter just wrapped up her spring rec sport, and so far she’s only doing swim team at our neighborhood pool along with some day camps this summer. What kinds of activities is your child doing this summer (besides day camp)? |
Anonymous
| Our rising 6th grader will do camp most of the summer, because we need childcare. She'll do summer swim, with the afternoon practices and keep up her cello lessons. She'll also go to the beach with one side of the family, and grandma on the other side will come here and do a week of "camp Grandma" with her and her sister. |
Anonymous
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This will depend on who you hang out with and your social circles in general.
My rising 6th grader had a math packet and reading packet she had to complete ( for the school) and I made her read an hour a day. No instrument or other lessons. 6 weeks of day camp ( 3 different ones based on interests) Pool time and time with friends. |
Anonymous
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Rising 6th grader
- 5 weeks of camp - 1 week at grandma's - 3 mini vacations with family -2 weeks of vegging -sport practice 3 hours a week -45 minutes of tutoring daily (learning disability) Otherwise pool time, hanging with friends, etc. |
Anonymous
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I also have a rising 6th grader (& an older kid). Her summer will involve:
-summer swim team -playing at pool for fun -traveling as a family to visit relatives -local hikes, playing in the creek, etc. -library summer reading program -some days trips with her sibling & me -school-provided summer math packet -plenty of time to just play, read, do crafts, hang out, etc. I SAH, so no camps. |
Anonymous
Oh, and learning to type. |
Anonymous
| I stayed home, and most years my kids were not in any camps or swim teams. We went to the pool in the late afternoon because it was the only time there was shade. And in the morning we would have a little math, reading comprehension and writing lesson. I made reading lists every summer for them, because they were in public and literature did not seem to be on the menu. One of them had her instrumental music lesson year round. Other than that, it was just relaxing time at home and a few outings to museums, the aquarium and the zoo. |
Anonymous
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I have a rising 6th grader. I work FT so need to do camps (we are not walkable to pools or friends' houses). She is doing 2 weeks of sleepaway with cousins, 1 week of camp grandma, 3 weeks of art camp, 2 weeks of family trips, 4 weeks of summer school (it is free for everyone in our state, includes bussing, and they make it pretty fun - it is for enrichment not remediation). My current 7th grader spent a few weeks at home at that age - she has a great imagination, is introverted, loves to read, sleep in- but my younger one would be bored and would just want to use screens to pass the time.
DH works weird hours (about 5a-3p) so he is around in the afternoon to take the kids swimming, fishing, biking. (We also having a rising second grader) |
Anonymous
| At that age I just went to sleepaway camp for the entire summer. It started 5 days after school ended and I returned about two weeks before school started again. I loved camp. |
Anonymous
| Learning to type. I made this my hill to die on this summer. |
Anonymous
Consider sleepover camps at this age. Mine started 5/6th grades. Get them used to independence, time with friends, joy in developing interest in camps whether general or specialty. Gives you a break too 
When they get older in 7/8th also nicer as they won't freak when you look at 2 wk camps if it makes sense. |
Anonymous
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Last summer, my rising 6th grader did swim team, one week of sports related sleep away camp, and several weeks of day camp.
She was adamant that this summer (as a rising 7th grader) she is too old for day camp. So she’s doing 2 + 1 weeks of sleep away, a lot of family vacation, and a lot of just hanging out at the pool with friends. If your rising 6th grader will do day camp - DO IT. |
Anonymous
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My rising 6 grader:
- 3 weeks drama (day) camp - 3 weeks sleepaway outdoors-focused camp - 1 week writing (day) camp - 1 week vacation - 1 week vegging Violin lessons (slightly less frequently than during the school year) & once/week math when she's in town. |
Anonymous
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Last year, my rising 6th grader would still do some day camps. We did summer swim team, one week of sleepaway camp, a couple of weeks of specialty sports camps, and then regular day camps for 3 weeks.
This year, she is not into day camps at all. So we're doing 1 week of sleepaway camp, summer swim team, and a lot of half day specialty camps (like sports). |
Anonymous
What does your social circles have to do with camp? I suppose if your child is going to general day camp you would want to get into a carpool. But they don’t need to be in the same social circle. We started specialty camps at this age. Two in performing arts and one in a basketball program. We don’t do sleepover programs until after 8th grade because we have excellent programs close by. |