Summer Schedule 2020 (with three boys ages 6, 5, & 1)
Watch our Summer Schedule in my highlights @newswithnaylors
Free Download: Summer Schedule PDF
As much fun as it has been to go with the flow this summer, it is time to us to be back in a good routine. We are trying out a few new things right now, and they seem to be working really well. I love feeling more productive and adding more purpose into our day. We try to include something spiritual, intellectual, active, individual and a connection time before bed every day, regardless of whether we follow the schedule or do a day trip to the coast.
➤ 7:15 A.M. "Green Light!"
One of the best things we have is this Stop Light Alarm Clock. We haven't needed this at all this summer with our late nights and waking up later than usual, but normally we use this stop light alarm clock. Why? Because, mom thrives on some alone time in the morning. Basically, you turn the alarm on at night at the clock turns red. Kids stay in their room when the light is red. It stays red through the night, and in the morning it turns green (depending on the time you set). We have ours set to 7:15 AM.
➤ 8:00 Breakfast and Morning Meeting.
During breakfast we say a prayer, talk about something spiritual, and discuss our day. We often choose one of these options below for our morning meeting:
The Friend Subscription ($8 per year)
Primary Scriptures (volume 3 comes out in August!)
Meck Mom Book of Mormon Course (I love this course. Maria shares a recap of the chapters from Come Follow Me and then shares three object lessons. They are always mind blowing).
Latter Day Kids (Free Animated Videos and Lessons that goes along with Come Follow Me. These are so well done, and teach principles in such an easy way.)
➤ Morning High Five
This is a list of things to do in the morning. Eat breakfast, clear plate, get dressed, brush teeth, and tidy room. The quicker you do the five things, the more free play time you get.
Free Download: Daily High Fives PDF
➤ 9:30/10:00 Educational Activity or Goal (Baby Naps)
We are currently doing Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with my five. He wasn't quite ready for this book last year, but now he is! I would recommend it to everyone. The book tells the parent exactly what to do and say, and it teaches letter sounds, rhyming, sounding out, reading comprehension and handwriting. The lessons take only 10-15 minutes to finish.
Have you ever asked your kids what their goals are or what they'd like to be better at? I recently asked my boys what they would like to be better at, and they both replied: Drawing. For my six, we just started Art for Kids Hub. My six and I do it together and we both love it. It's a step by step tutorial and I let him choose which thing to draw.
I'm still working on what my five would like to do. It's fun to do open ended art projects, but it's also nice to do directed art projects (step-by-step). I have a lot of art related ideas coming soon, but I found these ideas to help us along:
➤ Lunch
➤ 12:00 Outdoor Activity & Snack
We love to play in our backyard. We often add in an outdoor activity (like chalk paint or a sensory table). Below is a link the sensory table we use and the fun motorized sink I posted. The sink fits IN one of the medium sized bins. Other days we go on a family bike ride, walk around our neighborhood, or hike. We are hoping swimming pools open soon. We like to switch up the activities.
Medium Bins (2 of these fit inside the table)
Small Bins (4 of these fit inside the table)
➤ 3:00 The Mom Store (Reading Incentive Program)
I found this idea from Simply of Purpose and we have really loved it so far! You put together a "mom store" with a few snacks to "buy" and stuffed animals for kids to rent ONLY during reading time. For each book the kids read, they get a certain number of tickets, which they use to get things from the mom store. We put a cap on what you can get per reading time to two items. My five is earning 1 ticket per book, my six is earning 2 tickets per book. We only read for 20 minutes. The mom store opens just before reading.
Free Download: Store Sign & Tickets
➤ 3:30 Quiet Time (Baby Naps)
We have always done a quiet time, but if you're just getting started our favorite tool to help is this Visual Timer Clock. You can move the red piece to one hour, and as time passes the red goes away. It has an optional timer, can hook to the wall or stand straight up. It helps children have a visual of "time" and will help them stop asking how much longer :) My boys grab a bin, fill it with their favorite toys and play in separate rooms for quiet time.
➤ 4:30 Table Activity/Cook/Outdoor Play
Sometimes after quiet time, my boys need to get outside to play. While they play, I use this time to make dinner. My kids are always welcome to help me in the kitchen (my five loves this) or I'll put together a Table Activity for my kids to play with while I prep dinner. These are some examples of a Table Activity:
➤ 5:30/6:00 Dinner
➤ 7:00 Bed Time High Five
Sometimes the bedtime routine can drag on, so I recently bought these sand timers to help things move along. This set comes with six different timers. We use the 3 minute timer for taking turns. We use the 30 minute timer for bedtime routine. When the 30 minutes is over, we read books together. Right now, we are reading from the Magic Tree House adventure books. I really enjoy this time with my kids.
