5 Things to Do Before Summer Time Fun Begins
Does it seem like there is a lot to do to be prepared for summer and wrap up the school year? Here are some simple ideas to do before summer fun begins.
By Contributing Writer, Victoria
Can you feel it?
The long, lazy, fun days of Summer are within sight!
The school year is wrapping up making way for the days spent together in a pace that is a little less rushed and unhurried (like we talk about in episode 10: What to Do When it All Seems Overwhelming or this episode 13: The Art of Seasonal Living of the podcast).
Summer activities, vacations and pool time are calling your name. There is so much to get excited about as summer is drawing near!
But before summer begins, it is a good idea to take some time to end the school year well. It might be tempting to throw these last few weeks of Spring out the window while your focus is on summer fun, but don’t quite get into Summer mode just yet.
Use these last few weeks to reflect on the memories created from the first part of the year, plan ahead for a new season and organize all those precious keepsakes and photos that are piling up!
5 Things to Do Before Summer Time Fun Begins
1. Archive Your Keepsakes
If your children are like mine, then you probably have a whole stack (or box) of art projects, school papers and other mementos you want to keep.
My kids aren’t in elementary school yet but they go to preschool a few mornings a week. Each of those mornings they bring at least one art project home. If you’re doing the math, that’s a lot of art projects stacking up!
I can only imagine what the papers coming home from elementary school (and beyond) look like! Even if you homeschool, there are probably several projects you want to keep, and some you just need to get rid of.
Use these weeks before summer gets into full swing to wrap up the school year by archiving those special mementos and keepsakes you want to keep.
The truth is you can’t keep everything so you do need to spend some time sorting through them.
I went through and kept a very small stack of each of their art projects. I keep them in this portfolio. The rest I photographed to keep in their memory boxes.
Psst! We talk about making memories with your children in our interview with Jessica Smartt in episode 16 of the podcast!
2. Get Your Photos in Order
Your camera or phone is probably filled with memories from the previous few months and you know you are going to be adding even more photos to capture summer memories.
Take an afternoon now to save and backup all your photos from the first part of the year.
To organize all the photos on my phone, I have a photo storage app where I just drag and drop all the photos I want to keep into.
Then once I double check to make sure they are backed up and saved, I delete the photos from my phone to save the memory space.
I also have a fancy camera so I upload those photos directly to my photo storage site and delete them from camera as well.
While you are at it, spend a little extra time putting some of those photos into a photo album.
You can print off some photos or, my own preferred method, put them into an online photo album creator to make a photo book (like Shutterfly).
Before summer even begins you can feel good knowing all of your winter and spring photos are backed up and archived in a photo album!
3. Write in Your Children’s Memory Journals
I’ve shared about the memory journal I keep for each of my children before. The end of the school year is a perfect time to write them a letter.
Even if they aren’t school age yet you can still write a letter reflecting on how much they have grown, special memories, funny sayings, important milestones and prayers.
If your child is in school, have them write in their memory journals too of special memories they want to remember from the school year.
4. Do a Little Back to School Prep Now
I know it’s not necessarily fun to think about August or September, but doing a little bit of prep now can help alleviate any stress or anxiety right before a new school year begins.
Are there forms you have to fill out and turn into the school? Gather them now and keep them in a folder.
If you homeschool, are there forms you need to turn into the state before the school year begins? Research those today so you are ready.
Does your child need a wellness checkup before enrolling? Schedule the appointment today.
Are there enrollment dates, meetings, sports practices or first day of school dates you need to remember? Take a few minutes and write those important dates down in your calendar now so they are already on your radar.
Will your child need to buy new clothes, school supplies or other items before the school year begins? If you haven’t already, create a budget now and start setting aside a little bit of money each month so you don’t have a huge expense in August.
Set aside time now, before the fun in the sun begins, to make a little plan of how you will get yourself and your children ready for back to school time
5. Make a Bucket List
Finally before the summer even begins, sit down with your family and make a bucket list of all the things you would like to do during the summer months ahead.
This could include special trips, local field trips, activities you want to do, projects you want to tackle, books you want to read or special treats you want to make.
It is so easy to get excited about the summer months ahead but unless you are intentional about using them well, before you know it you will be back into a school routine with the summer days long behind you.
Creating a simple bucket list together as a family helps you to evaluate the activities and events that are important to your family.
Taking some time in May to end your school year well and prep for the coming months ahead can help you better enjoy your summer months ahead. Knowing you don’t have piles of papers or photos to sort through or school information to hunt down is freeing.
What are some tasks you do before the summer fun begins?
Want to focus on what matters most this summer?
We’ve got a FREE tool to help you do just that. Check out the FREE Summer Planner Guide to help you plan and prepare for an intentional summer.