Summer Bucket List

My special treasures. Pictured on the left is Laney and Rylee. On the right is Wyatt. One day a week I babysit my two youngest grandchildren: Rylee 7 and Wyatt will be 6 in August. Rylee and Wyatt are crazy about their cousin Laney who will be 15 in November and always want to include her in our plans.  (by the way Rylee has unexplained alopecia. She's not ill, she just lost her hair.)

Together we created a bucket list of things we want to do this summer. We are so excited and eager to be together for the whole day ...now that school is out ...we just had to have a plan.

I'm called Nana and I have rules, but I'm still a kid at heart. The plan is that before I go home they get to pick something from the bucket list. They can choose it or pick again. When we decide on what we are doing next week we make a list of things I need to bring. Here's what we came up with. (so far)  

Summer Fun Bucket List

This weeks plan is:

Paper Crafts for Father’s day

     Things we need; interview sheet {-name -years old-height- weight- pounds-favorite food- good at-loves to -favorite things to do with Dad -why I like him- why I love him -what I do that makes him happy-draw his picture}colored pencils, scissors card stock paper punches glue and tape.

Play date with Laney any time

    Things we need - Laney

Build a bird feeder from recycled materials - add bird seed

     Things we need - plastic tray – carton – wire to hang – bird seeds – milk jug

Build a hide out with cardboard

     Things we need – large pieces of cardboard – duct tape – paint – craft blade for Nana to cut windows

Write thank you notes

    Things we need – paper –scissors - paper punches – colored pencils – markers – tape or glue   

Watch clouds - make up and tell stories – pick another item on the list
    Things we need – imagination

Play dress up – read or tell a story in your dressed up character

     Things we need – costumes - imagination

Clean up and organize toys so we can find little toys for Play Dough scenes
     Things we need – boxes – bins – bags - patience

Birthday party for favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal

       Things we need - Cupcake wrappers for play dough cupcakes – candles – wrapping paper for         presents (one of your toys) Balloons- streamers -

Follow a recipe for no-cook play dough

    Things we need - Flour-2 cups – salt-1 cup – cream of tartar- 2 tablespoons –cooking oil-
    2 tablespoons – boiling water-1-2 cups  Food coloring- a few drops – scented oil

PJ Day wear PJ’s all day – pick another item on the list

     Things we need – PJ’s

Make shadow puppets – start by drawing characters on recycled cereal box – cut out and paint

     Things we need – empty box – cereal box or cracker box – pencil or markers – scissors – paint – sticks – glue

Play outside all day - ball toss – roll down the hill – have a picnic – blow bubbles –
    Things we need – score pad – picnic lunch – bubbles 

Make a sprinkler by poking holes in a recycled one-liter soda bottle – attached to a hose with coupler

      Things we need  - one-liter soda bottle – male coupler – sunny day

Go to McDonalds for lunch and play on play ground
    Things we need – money $10.00 should do it.

Go to Jungle Wonder and jump and climb and bounce for hours
    Things we need – Money $25.00 should do it.

Play dough day

    Things we need – we have everything we need – just add some imagination.

I'm wildly excited about our bucket list. It's great to have a plan that keeps the kids busy and engaged in playful learning. It's and opportunity to give them my full attention and create lasting memories.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."  — W.B. Yeats

 We're going to have a great summer. Hope you have one too!

Be well Carole