Today, I am sharing our Summer Idea List for a surreal summer 2020. This Summer Idea List differs from the more traditional Summer Bucket Lists because the goal is not to check off every box. The goal behind the Summer Idea List is to spark ideas, fuel curiosity, and help to ease boredom. It’s a non-traditional summer list for an atypical summer!
Because let’s face it- summer 2020 is shaping up to be a weird one!
I present to you example A:
Yes, that is a photo of three big kids playing waterproof Uno in a very small baby pool on an 86-degree day. They found the pool in our shed, long forgotten. And they found the Uno cards in the bag that we use for visits to our community pool. That bag is currently sitting, all slumped and sad, in our attic.
The photo quality is terrible, but I love it. It captures the feeling of right now, living through this surreal spring and summer. It is a photo that shows how to turn lemons into lemonade. It’s a photo of acceptance and making the best of a situation you don’t love.
I have a feeling that, when I look back on this pandemic summer, I’ll think of this photo.
This photo was taken the other day. We had already created the Summer Idea List that I am sharing here today, but I felt the photo should be included in this post. It captures what we’re feeling right now, and the reason why we made this Summer Idea List, in a way that is hard to communicate with words.
Now, back to the Summer Idea List…
A Summer Idea List for A Surreal Summer 2020
A few weeks ago, my kids were lamenting summer 2020. It’s not going to be what they were expecting. Plans have been canceled. Favorite places are closed.
I’m sure you’re having the same conversations in your home.
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Anyhoo, we had a great conversation about mindset shifts and acceptance. We talked about how it’s important to acknowledge that this is hard and it’s okay to feel sad, but that it’s also important to accept what is.
We decided to make the best of it. The kiddos shared that their biggest concern heading into summer 2020 was boredom. We chatted about how boredom is important because it often leads to fun ideas, but that the boredom part can be downright painful sometimes. And how there has been ​a lot​ of boredom lately!
Then one of my kiddos suggested we create a “Summer Idea List” filled with boredom busters instead of our typical “Summer Bucket List” and I thought it was a fantastic idea. We needed something non-traditional for this atypical summer!
So we brainstormed together and filled an entire cardstock square with oodles of ideas, from old favorites to throwbacks from ​my​ childhood and so much more.
We made our Summer Idea List in rainbow colors because we are determined to find the rainbows in the clouds! I absolutely love this “rainbow in the clouds” quote by Maya Angelou and think of it often:
Take a minute to watch Maya talk about rainbows in clouds. You’ll be thankful that you did!
When we had completed our Summer Idea List, I posted the image to my Instagram stories and I received a flood of direct messages from parents asking if I could turn it into a printable.
​If you’ve been here for a while, you know that tech isn’t my jam. I reached out to someone for help and I’m over-the-moon happy with the result:
This Summer Idea List is not your typical summer bucket list
Unlike a traditional bucket list, the goal is not to cross off every item (because oh my gosh there are so many!), but rather to help kids who are “stuck” when experiencing boredom. It’s also fun for parents because I included some throwbacks from the ’80s and ’90s like friendship pins and gimp! (Because I want to have fun, too!)
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You can check out our Summer Idea List here. If your kiddos end up using this Summer Idea List this summer, please tag me in your photos. It will be a rainbow in my clouds for sure!
Here’s a super simple example from our Summer Idea List- finger painting! This calming sensory activity is fun for all ages, not just little ones!
What people are saying
Hi Cait,
I want to send you a huge thank you for your Summer Idea List. On the first day of our summer break, I surprised my kids with a copy of the list and a big basket with a supplies for a bunch of the activities. With their sleepaway camp canceled, we were all feeling pretty down on summer. This surprise was just the kick in the pants we all needed to realize that summer can be celebrated even if some of our normal activities are canceled. My daughters (12yo and 10yo) have made it their mission to check off as many things as they can. My 14 yo son is joining in on the fun too, and even my 16 yo son has had some fun (don’t tell him that I saw it though!). The summer fun basket is visited DAILY.
Thank you thank you thank you! ~ Erin
Need a little extra help this summer? Check out the Summer Idea List and Book BINGO bundle!
And if you’re looking for more summer ideas, I created a super simple summer-themed Book BINGO set. This is an easy way to encourage your children to explore different genres and read outside their comfort zone. And it’s way better than those painful book logs of our past! When your kiddos complete a row, enjoy a rootbeer float or go out for ice cream!
You can grab both the Summer Idea List and the Book BINGO set in this bundle:
We’ll make this summer a memorable one… and not just because of this pesky pandemic!
Looking for more summer-themed homeschool ideas?
I’ve got you covered!
- How to Take a Structured Summer Break this Year
- Stuck at Home? A Throwback Summer Can Help!
- 3 Stupid-Simple Summer Sanity Savers
- CuriosityStream will Boost Summer Learning
- Simple Summer Learning Ideas: A Series
- 10 Waterproof Games for the Beach or Pool
- The Best 4th of July Games {Holiday Gameschooling}
- GIANT Bubbles for GIANT Smiles
- 5 Simple Homeschool Projects
