Choose a goal for the summer. Each family member can choose a personal goal, you can decide on a family goal, or do both. Here are some suggestions:

Try a new food each week.
Each person in the family learn to cook something new. (Get a child's cookbook for the little ones.)
Invite a new family to your home for dinner or a game night each month.
Learn to swim or learn a new stroke, dive, etc..
Have a picnic or eat outside at least once a week.
Learn to play chess, croquet, or bocce ball.
Read 25 books. (Or listen to 25 books.)
Organize your closet or all your drawers.
Walk down 25 different streets or blocks in your neighborhood.
Earn & save money for a special outing at the end of the summer.

Your Day

Give your child a certificate good for setting aside one “Your Day” this summer.
Have sections on the certificate allowing them to chose their meals and activities. Promise that you will play the games or join in the activities of their choice or help them with work or projects they want to do. Make sure it is a chore-free day. You may want to offer a little shopping spree with a set spending limit, perhaps for new summer clothes.

Something New

Do an outing you’ve never done before or go to a familiar place, but do something different there: Example: Go to the beach to build a giant sand castle together. Bring pails, shovels, forms for shapes, decorations—and your camera!

Outreach

Do a family outreach project. It can be simple-- Go to grandma's and spend the afternoon helping her with tasks like window washing, cleaning, or gardening. Volunteer to do the snacks one night for your church's VBS program. Go around your block with a garbage bag and pick up litter.

Silly Shopping

Take a group of children to a dollar store, second hand store, or Salvation Army / Goodwill store. Give them $5. each and encourage them to find the most fun and unique gifts they can .When you get home, wrap and deliver or mail the items to recipients of their choice

Journaling

Provide your child with a spiral notebook. (Get one with a fun cover or have them decorate the cover.) Write a question at the top of each page and have them answer it before they go to bed each night. Ask them to write at least three sentences describing, explaining, or giving examples of their answer. (This could also be done by e-mail.) For pre-schoolers, questions like these could be discussed at dinner or bedtime. Suggested questions are listed below. You could also use the Kid Chat book (See Spring Resources) for more questions:

What was the best idea you had today?
What would be your dream vacatiion?
What is your favorite kind of music? How would you describe it to someone who had never heard it?
On July 4th: What are you most thankful for or proud of when you think about our country?
What is the most fun thing you've ever done in your back yard?
What do you most like about your best friend?
What was the best thing that happened to you today?
What was the funniest thing you heard today?
What was the yummiest thing you ate?— Try to describe it so that someone who has never tasted it might be able to imagine it.
Who was the most interesting person you talked to today?
What was the most beautiful thing you saw today?
What did you thank God for today?

Write a few encouraging comments on the bottom of the page. “I’m glad I was there to share that with you.” “That sounds so interesting, I’d like to hear more about it!” “Your description of that S’more was so vivid that I can feel the marshmallow melting in my mouth!” “I am glad you enjoyed meeting Mrs. Smith. She is one of my favorite people.”

This kind of journaling will accomplish many goals.
1. It will keep your children writing. One of the hardest parts of writing for kids is getting started. You will get them past the barrier of “I can’t think of anything to write about.” Answering questions is easy and can become a habit.
2. It will help your children learn to reflect on their lives, behavior, God’s working and creation. Your questions should help them grow in the ability to express their feelings.
3. It will help you to know more about what your children are thinking and give you the opportunity respond in a thoughtful, nurturing, constructive way.

Letters

Another good writing option is to write letters (and/or postcards) to grandparents, cousins, friends, missionaries, authors and illustrators of books you read, or soldiers overseas. Children who are too young to write can dictate letters and then illustrate or decorate them.

Theme

Choose something that interests your child(ren). Ex. Cicadas, cooking, gems, rockets, dolls, kites, fish, bikes, Hawaii, Make it a theme for a day, a week, a month, or the summer. If appropriate, actually contruct the object of the theme. Read books about it, both factual and fiction. Do art projects (including making jewelry, mobiles, books, post cards to send, sculptures, t-shirts). Take field trips. Below are some ideas of how to do this with the topic of frogs & toads.

Frog & Toads Theme

Read stories from the Frog & Toad series of books by Arnold Lobel – Great for ALL ages!

Read about the role of frogs in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. (See Exodus 8:1-15)

Make origami or clay frogs, Paint pictures of frogs.

Collect inanimate frogs— plastic, china, stuffed, etc. You can find them at garage sales, flee markets, dollar stores, etc. Once people know you are collecting them, you might also receive more than you know what to do with!

If you live in the county or near a river or woods, take a walk and look for toads – Consider adopting a frog or toad as a pet. (See http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/species/index.html for information about frog care.)

Learn the traditional song Froggy Went a Courtin’ (Words & a Bob Dylan arrangement of music available on the website: www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/frog.htm

Do a virtual frog dissection on the website http://www.theteachersguide.com/-- also a great place to find many more ideas and frog-related computer resources—screen savers, games, etc.

Watch a Kermit video, then write and perform your own short play using homemade frog puppets (out of dyed green socks with big buttons for eyes?)

Each person write and/or learn a frog or toad poem.

Have a Green Day in honor of frogs & toads—Wear green clothing & accessorites, eat green foods & drink green drinks, fingerpaint with green paint or play with green play dough, play in the green grass.

Do an internet search for more ideas—there are MANY!!!