Give Your Summer a Theme!

So often at Busy Bee I find myself advocating themes - themes for parties, gift giving and more!  And now, I’m going to recommend that your family choose a theme for their summer months!  As easily as a theme makes each aspect of a party fall into place, a summer theme can bring excitement, fun and a kind of framework to lazy summer days!

Here are a few examples of themes that your family might like to call their own!

Start a Quest!  

A quest requires an area of exploration - and depending on your family’s interests and where you live, a quest could be:

• to find your county’s best pizza or most delicious ice cream
• to explore as many State Parks as possible
• to visit as many historical locations as possible (homes of famous individuals, lighthouses, battle grounds and so on!)

Whatever quest you choose, take photos, take notes, bring home menus and post cards!  Document your quest and amaze yourselves at the end of the summer with all you’ve done!  And if you haven’t finished this summer, keep the quest going for next summer!

Learn Something New! 

Is there something your family has always wanted to know more about?  Brainstorm as a group and then make it happen!  Add some books from the library, a fun outing or movie rentals and round out the learing process!  Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Star Gazing/Constellations - head to the planetarium!
• Egyptology - find an Archaeology/Anthropology museum!
• Marine Life - dive into an aquarium and head to the beach!
• Dinosaurs - you’ll need a museum of Natural History for this one!
• Trains, Planes, Automobiles - train rides required!
• Family Heritage - geneaology and family recipes are in order!

By the Letter!

I recently read about this terrific idea and it’s the theme that my family will take on this summer!  Fill a glass jar or vase with 26 small slips of paper, each with a letter of the alphabet printed on it.  Depending on your family’s flexibility and summer commitments, decide to choose anywhere from 1 to 4 letters each week.  Once the letter is chosen, it will let your family know where their next adventure lies!

• A - amusement park
• B - ball game/biking
• M- mini-golf/museum
• F - state or county fair
• I -  ice cream parlor
• P - pick-your-own/pool party
• Z - zoo

I’m sure that you get the idea!  And don’t feel pressured to complete all 26 activities this summer - give your children something to look forward to next summer!

By the Book!

This might be the easiest way to add adventure to your summer!  Pick up 101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12!  by Joanne O’Sullivan.  This totally fun and colorful book encourages families to check out the amazing world around them by sending them to find a famous ball field, the house where their parents grew up, an engineering marvel, an archeology site and so many more great places.  Including over 250 color photos, fun facts, fold out map, journal pages, stickers and souvenire pocket, this book is a must have!(Amazon.com, 101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12!)

When the weeks of summer stretch out before us, they definitely promise a bit of relaxation, but also a bit of “what are we going to do today?!”  I hope that you can find a bit of unique inspiration in my thematic summer ideas and know that you’ll send your children back to school with some fantastic summer memories!  You may also enjoy: