It’s been a long, fun summer break, but the real summer heat has finally kicked in, camp is over, and boredom is rearing its loathsome head! We did a lot of fun stuff this year. Event after event was planned for the first few giddy school free months, but once August arrives you are just marking time.
With the majority of the summer gone, you don’t want to fall prey to anxiety about the new school year or fall into lazy habits that will be hard to break! The best way to avoid the end of summer blues is to make sure the last few school free weeks are something to remember!
First, make sure that you have all your supplies in order for the first day of school. If you are smart and hit the sales early, you can get this chore out of the way in record time. I make a gala day out of the collection process, letting my kids pick out different colored supplies and their own backpacks, then letting them label everything with a permanent marker.
Then we plan one last great adventure before school starts. Usually we drive into town and pick out a special outfit for the first day in a new grade, and laugh ourselves silly, then stop for a bite at our favorite eatery before heading home.
Sometimes we manage a trip to the zoo a week or to before then end of summer, hitting it early in the morning and taking plenty of pictures so we can scrapbook them with all the other activities we documented. Don’t let your last days of summer fall flat - make them days to remember!!
…How about you?…You can come too….We’re going to the zoo!
A trip to the zoo can be the highlight of your summer! Your kids will start singing that old children’s song before you even get out the door, so put on your walking shoes and get ready for a great family adventure!
A short list of thing to pack might include:
Baby stuff if you have an infant (stroller or baby sling, diaper bag, bottles)
A wagon if you have toddlers who might get tired
A soft mini cooler full of ice, water and snacks
Sunscreen, hats, first aid kit (for scrapes or bumps) and a camera!
Now you are ready for the zoo! You might want to let everyone use the bathroom before you start exploring so that you won’t have to leave the fun to find one later. Get a map of the zoo, and let each child pick an animal they especially want to see. Plan which path to take to be sure you get to see everything!
You will want to capture all of your children’s reactions to the animals they see! The first time my baby brother saw a giraffe, he was so amazed! He had a toy one at home, but his eyes got very big when the 16 foot tall animal looked over the wall. He couldn’t take his eyes off of it, and talked about the “Jaffe” for weeks!
Listen for announcements of feeding times. Your kids will love getting to see the animals being fed! When you and your kids get tired, take a break and have a snack of your own. This will give you all time to cool off and talk about the animals you have seen. Write down the funny things they say so you can remember them later!
My little girl loved the birds at the zoo. She pointed to a bunch lined up on a branch that were watching us, and said, “Look, Mommy! We are the birds’ show. They watch us like we watch a movie!” We got a picture of the row of birds, and wrote her idea under it in our scrapbook when we got home.
Once you are all rested, finish seeing the rest of the sights and check out the petting zoo. Hit the gift shop before you leave; I make sure each of my children has an opportunity to earn a little money each week, and they love being able to pick out a souvenir!
Once you get home, file your pictures and notes to scrapbook later. Trips to the zoo should be unforgettable, and you want to be sure your kids remember them all year long!
