When we found out that the last day of Sara’s 2 day / week preschool was coming up, I started to scrambling to find fun summer stuff that Sara could do. Being work-at-home-parents to a high-energy toddler, we wanted to make sure that she was occupied. Hanging out with a bored 2 year (almost 3 year) old is not our idea of fun. Most camps are only for 5 year olds and up, so we had to be somewhat creative for our little one and with the economy the way it is, money is always an issue, so we had to find things that our little girl would enjoy that was also cheap!
Check out some of the stuff we found.
1. Join a local playgroup. I wish I had found MOMS Club International sooner. I saw a post by a member in MomsLikeMe.com and decided to inquire about it. They’re an international group with local chapters all over the world. The playgroup meets weekly for play dates at nearby parks or doing inexpensive events with kids Sara’s age group. It was terrific to meet a group of intelligent, like-minded women with children Sara’s age.
2. Local Library. Our local library has book groups for toddlers that meet once / week. It’s a great way for your toddler to learn how to be in a quiet and listening environment. They also have cool video games there. A great rainy day activity!
3. Swim Classes. Sara has been taking water survival courses since she was 9 months old. They teach babies as soon as they are able to crawl how to survive by floating on their backs and finding a way out of the water should they fall into water. The class is not your normal floaties and blow bubbles swim class, it’s a drowning prevention class. You can read more about their program here. Sara didn’t like it at first, but her level of confidence in the pool is amazing. Before she turned 2 last year, she was racing us in swimming to the stairs from the middle of the pool. Really amazing stuff. Ok, it’s not cheap, but it’s definitely worth it.
4. Gymnastics Camp. A nearby gymnastics facility has summer classes 1 day / week for 2 1/2 year olds and up. A great way for my little monkey to get her groove on, they’ll actually teach her how to do handstands and rolls, while letting her explore the rock wall, bungee jump, balance beam, and more. At less than $10 / class, she’s going to love it!
5. Ballet Summer Camps. The local ballet school has some great options for the summer for 3 year olds. Themed weeks of princesses and Swan Lake for Sara’s first taste of ballet classes at $10 / class should be a blast.
6. Church Summer Programs. We’re not religious at all, but the local churches not only have great summer programs, but they also help you introduce the concept of religion to your little one. Sara’s preschool is holding a Bug Camp for 3 days this summer for only $15 for the 3 days. What toddler doesn’t love bugs?
7. Plant a Garden. I read somewhere that planting a garden with your child teaches them so many things:
- Introduces new foods and vegetables.
- Shows them responsibility in caring for living things.
- Shows them the value of hard work.
I call our garden The Garden of the Black Thumbs because up until last 2 years, I have managed to kill off almost every plant I’ve come in contact with. Gardening is not our thing, but so is changing diapers, but we did it anyway.
We got Sara a great shovel, hoe, and rake set from Kmart for $9.00 and she’s been a huge help in planting and caring for our garden. Her gardening tools are real tools made of metal so she can actually dig with them. She loves to dig and play in the dirt — what kid doesn’t? — and she’s very interested in how she’s helping the plants to “grow big and strong up to the sky”. She works with us in the garden to water and weed in the mornings, and checks on our plants’ progress. Surprisingly enough, the garden is actually growing!
8. Parks & Beaches. We’re lucky enough to live near 2 national forest parks. One of them is literally 2 miles away where we can take Sara fishing and another one that’s 20 minutes away has a beach and lake area with paddle boats and swimming area. For a $5 parking fee, you can have a picnic, play in the sand, and spend quality fun time. Another great family activity! Even if you don’t live near some national parks, there are free community parks everywhere. Picnics and a romp on the playground is always a welcome diversion from the every day.
What other fun summer things do you have planned for your little ones? I’d love to get some advice for other age groups also!
