They don’t need structure. They just need significant time forced off of screens. Just do it - it’s not that hard.

Anonymous wrote:I have 13 and 15 year old boys. They were 12 and 14 last summer. They both play sports so they did 5-6 weeks of sports, 1 academic camp, traveled 3 weeks and I let them bum around for the remainder. I didn’t really plan their days.

You don't say

I have a tween & a young teen. I make a loose schedule each week in the summer.
Basically:
-swim practice each morning
-pool for fun most afternoons (often with friends)
-some days, we do partial day outings such as hikes, museums in DC, library, etc.
-at home, we do things like reading, art projects, board games, chores, just relaxing. My kids like to have baking competitions with each other. They also do some math & writing.
-some days (about once a week), we do day trips to places like Baltimore (aquarium, science center, Fort McHenry, etc.), Cunningham Falls, Calvert Cliffs, Harper’s Ferry, etc.
-sign up for Kids Bowl Free
-we don’t camps, but we do travel one-two weeks
-we make a summer fun list at the beginning of the summer for ideas & inspiration

We’ve never gotten bored yet— usually many more places we’d like to visit/things we’d like to do than time allows.

I don’t think you can underestimate the heat. If you want them to have unstructured time outside it really needs to be in the morning. If you can join a pool for the afternoons/evenings, I would.

My kid is in summer school to get ahead and for free/study periods next year. Football practice in the morning then summer school then weightlifting after class. They come home exhausted. This lasts through the end of June. We'll go on a few vacations after that.

The older teens are working at a coffee shop and country club.

I feed them breakfast, make sure they get their chores done, then I tell them to go outside and find something to do while I lay on the couch eating chocolate and pounding back a few martinis. If they get hungry for lunch they make a sandwich. They usually wake me around 4 and I tell them what to cook for dinner. After they wash the dishes they go back outside to play until dark. I do things around the house for 30 minutes, take a shower, and go to bed after they get done outside. If the hubs gets home early he might take them out for a couple hours while I nap or watch a movie.

I have 13 and 15 year old boys. They were 12 and 14 last summer. They both play sports so they did 5-6 weeks of sports, 1 academic camp, traveled 3 weeks and I let them bum around for the remainder. I didn’t really plan their days.

Let go of the idea that you have to schedule all your time. You have all summer, and down time is precious. Boredom is a gift.

I would give them chores every day. Nothing big, but something 15-20 min every day

Practice instrument 20 min a day if they play one

Plan 1 big family outing a week (like sharks tooth hunting)

Plan 1 small family outing a week (like ice cream/boba)

Go to the library a lot

Volunteer somewhere

Encourage them to see friends as much as possible

Bike rides

New hike once a week (try geocaching)

I’ll do anything to keep my teens of screens and if I have to structure it, I will.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a pool?
I work but do 12s including weekends so have 2-3 days off mid week. Also have a tween.
My plan is to do 1-2 day trips per week, Calvert Cliffs looking for shark teeth, Greenbrier lake, science center, Baltimore zoo, etc….. the weeks she is not in camp. Filled in with pool time and seeing friends.
I have mom friends with kids same age or close so will do things with them
Sometimes too.
I’m going to make mine do 30 mins reading a day and some reading comprehension work2-3x a week.
I’m going to try not to restrict screens but if it’s excessive will have to put time/controls on that.

Thank you!

I also plan to do some enrichment as well. Can I pick your brain? Do you force outdoor time? Like, off your butts and go outside and explore? Like take a walk or ride your bike and get lost for an hour?

No never force outdoor time. No you don't say "get lost for an hour"

If you want them outdoors and they don't do that on their own then get off your butt an plan something outdoors.

Or pay for camp for the whole summer if you are that lazy.

And nothing wrong with a little bit of just hanging in the house.

You don’t need a schedule. Remember in the beginning of the pandemic when people were posting their color-coded schedules? It’s unnecessary and unrealistic. Think about what you do on the weekends. You have some things built in and you fill in the free time with things enjoyable to your family.

So much of this will depend on your kids’ interests and whether they have friends who will be around. It will also depend on how much money you do or don’t want to spend.

You can be totally random. Go karts one day. Bookstore. IKEA. If you are local, you’ll probably want pool time since it gets so hot. Movies, minor league game, library, coffee shop. It’s also really ok to just hang at home, catch up on laundry and binge watch a show. Maybe just make a list of things that sound fun and are within budget.

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a pool?
I work but do 12s including weekends so have 2-3 days off mid week. Also have a tween.
My plan is to do 1-2 day trips per week, Calvert Cliffs looking for shark teeth, Greenbrier lake, science center, Baltimore zoo, etc….. the weeks she is not in camp. Filled in with pool time and seeing friends.
I have mom friends with kids same age or close so will do things with them
Sometimes too.
I’m going to make mine do 30 mins reading a day and some reading comprehension work2-3x a week.
I’m going to try not to restrict screens but if it’s excessive will have to put time/controls on that.

Thank you!

I also plan to do some enrichment as well. Can I pick your brain? Do you force outdoor time? Like, off your butts and go outside and explore? Like take a walk or ride your bike and get lost for an hour?

Do you have a pool?
I work but do 12s including weekends so have 2-3 days off mid week. Also have a tween.
My plan is to do 1-2 day trips per week, Calvert Cliffs looking for shark teeth, Greenbrier lake, science center, Baltimore zoo, etc….. the weeks she is not in camp. Filled in with pool time and seeing friends.
I have mom friends with kids same age or close so will do things with them
Sometimes too.
I’m going to make mine do 30 mins reading a day and some reading comprehension work2-3x a week.
I’m going to try not to restrict screens but if it’s excessive will have to put time/controls on that.

We sometimes went to the pool after camp. On weeks where there was no camp we went on day trips occasionally. They also did summer reading and math.

I will be home with my kids this summer and I have no idea how to schedule our long days.

I have a two tweens. They have a couple week-long sports or otherwise themed camps planned, but those are early and they will be home by noon. I have no clue how to fill 12-??? when they go to bed. I feel like we need some sort of schedule but I don’t know where to begin. Part of me wants to let them have a free for all, like I had growing up. But the rational part of me knows they need structure.

I’d love to hear your plan, or other anecdotes.