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We just got the news my husband has been laid off. We had checks in the envelopes for our two 2nd graders for fun camps this summer. Not away camps but day camps. Now I ran to the mail box to rip them up.
We have a neighborhood pool which will be alot of fun for them but I need info about other things very reasonable for them to do. We already go to the library every Sunday as it is.
DH and I were talking about constructing some kind of "science week" , "art Week" "zoo week" for them ourselves but we need some guide lines. How can we get that without paying for home school material?
We have some cushion but still it came as a complete shock and it won't be easy. It makes us realize if it can happen to us , it can happen to anybody. Boy were we naive!
I would look into an annual membership to the Museum of Life Science in Durham. It's $115 for four people for a year. Once you are a member, you can go to all the labs for free. They have classes that cost extra, but a general membership gets you into alot of stuff.
I am not sure where you are, but the Museum of Life and Science has (in the past) had free Fridays for Durham County residents.
Ohhhh something I just remembered.... many movie theaters have "kids days". When I worked at a summer camp, we went every week... it costs like 2.00 a movie or something like that.... you have to buy a "summer pass" to get the deal.... and the movies are not new releases.
No kudzu, I've got a 9 yr old and a 6 yr old. I'm not a huge fan of summer camps anyway! We've done a few, but it's fun to just have lazy unstructured days—go to the pool, make homemade ice cream, do science experiments with household substances (ever heard of "elephant toothpaste"?), play outside, stargaze at Jordan Lake, make your own bubble solution and bubble wands, go to the Saxapahaw Farmer's Mkt (a free music festival every Saturday with great kids activities), go swimming in the Eno, play with friends. We have a great time and don't do much camp at all.
Sorry about the job situation and hope it turns around soon. Hope you can make the best of the summer!
lovebrentwood-have to wait to rep you but thanks to you and others for encouraging suggestions. We will make it but it will be tight. But it could be so much worse I realize.
Another idea that I wish I had when my kids were younger, when it was sometimes a challenge to keep them busy...
I was a Girl Scout, and I always thought the "badges" were a great idea. It was always fun to learn new things.
My kids were busy with other things, and so I never had them join scouts.
However -- one thing you could do is to go to Amazon.com or Half.com and buy a Brownie (or Cub Scout) handbook that lists the badge requirements in each. (You can get used books pretty inexpensively.)
You can pick out the badges that seem to be most fun and have your kids complete them.
Maybe you can then make up a "certificate" for them on your computer (Google "certificate" and "template") for each badge they complete, and they can post them in their bedroom.
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