Letting go

I would imagine that most moms have the same gut reaction to school being out as I do, "What do I do with these crazy kids all summer?" As a high school chemistry teacher, my go to activities involve blowing things up or setting them on fire. But, my little bits tend to scared when they see flaming things flying through the air, so on to plan B.
We have found a list of 101 free/very cheap things to do this summer. I customized the list a bit from the original one I found on Pinterest and printed it out. We cut the list into individual activity slips and put them in a jar. Each morning after breakfast, Brooklyn, Isaac and I each draw an activity to do that day. There are a couple that we have to put back depending on if Nick is off work or not so one of us can stay home with the baby, but other than that, whatever we draw, we do!
I'll admit that this makes planning a day darn near impossible because we never know what we are going to be doing. This is very much playing with my need to be in control and have a plan and it does take a little bit of "letting go" to make it work. But, when your child is walking back into the house soaking wet from an impromptu water balloon fight and proclaims, "I love my life" it's easy to justify letting go.

Here is our list: (highlighted the ones we've already done)

1.       Go for a hike

2.       Scrapbook

3.       Catch fireflies

4.       Go to the zoo

5.       Tell ghost stories

6.       Go to the playground

7.       Pick flowers

8.       Take a bike ride

9.       Water gun fight

10.   Make S’mores

11.   Fly a kite

12.   Have a slumber party

13.   Build a blanket fort

14.   Make cookies

15.   Play in the sprinkler

16.   Make paper airplanes

17.   Go on a scavenger hunt

18.   Start a lemonade stand

19.   Plant a garden

20.   Swim in a lake

21.   Tell jokes

22.   Watch a movie

23.   Go on a picnic

24.   Play cards

25.   have a pillow fight

26.   Make ice cream

27.   Play in the mud

28.   Thumb wrestle

29.   Go to a museum

30.   Play hide and seek

31.   Blow bubbles

32.   Visit the library

33.   Fold origami

34.   Build a sand castle

35.   Take pictures

36.   Sing a song

37.   Make shadow puppets

38.   Build a campfire

39.   Slip n slide

40.   Play “Simon says”

41.   Sidewalk chalk

42.   Mommy-daughter make overs

43.   Daddy-daughter make overs

44.   Start a nature journal

45.   Play a board game

46.   Speak pig Latin

47.   Make homemade Popsicles

48.   Play charades

49.   Write a pen pal

50.   Michael’s kids crafts

51.   Play rock paper scissors

52.   Put on a magic show

53.   Start a garden

54.   Water balloon fight

55.   Play leap frog

56.   Magnify an ant

57.   Tell secrets

58.   Throw a ball

59.   Go cloud watching

60.   Have a “no talking” contest

61.   Story time at a library

62.   Visit a farm

63.   Play hopscotch

64.   Go fishing

65.   Have a staring contest

66.   Do a puzzle

67.   Play dress up

68.   Get a pet rock

69.   Tour a fire station

70.   Play with a cardboard box

71.   Climb a tree

72.   Throw a Frisbee

73.   Wash the car

74.   Go geocaching

75.   Decorate cupcakes

76.   Volunteer at the humane society

77.   Have a tea party

78.   Double dutch jump rope

79.   Go bird watching

80.   Find a 4-leaf clover

81.   Home Depot kids workshop

82.   Visit a national park

83.   Feed the ducks

84.   Learn to juggle

85.   Teach grandpa to text

86.   Have a yard sale

87.   Play I-spy

88.   Camp in the backyard

89.   Write poems

90.   Go star gazing

91.   Walk a dog

92.   Tour a factory

93.   Play with clay

94.   Make homemade cards to send

95.   Take a bus ride

96.   Paint with watercolors

97.   Tie dye

98.   Learn the Macarena

99.   Build with Lego's

100.                        Play tag

101.                        Go berry picking

We've only just begun our summer vacation and for the first time in years, I'm actually looking forward to the rest of it. Just looking at the list of things to do, how can you not get excited?