What do you have planned this summer?

[shaynaatl]

Our last day of school is a week from today, so we are trying to finalize things we want to do this summer.

We have a couple of vacations- Wash DC, Cancun, Smoky Mountains. Other than that, the kids will be in our local camp full-time. We plan to do some playdates, and go to the movies a couple of times.

What's on your summer bucket list? 

[starburst604]

Ugh there's nothing planned other than camps and it's bothering me. I know some friends will invite us for weekends to vacation homes at the Cape etc but I'd like to plan something for me and DD on one of the weeks we didn't book camp and are taking PTO. Would love ideas for somewhere in July or August that would be no more than a 2-3 hr drive or flight from Boston. It's tough because we normally vacation with other families so DD has kids to hang with, but now with the divorce I have to come up with other ideas.

I was thinking maybe sightseeing in DC but maybe she's too young (9) to find that interesting? I'd love to do Hershey Park, but she sucks at card rides longer than 2-3 hours and the flights are $$.

[waverly]

The kids start out with a free week then they see my mom for 4 days. Then another free week I think. DS goes to sleepaway camp and DD has Girl Scout camp (her last one ever). Then we do family vacation.

They both have an "Amazing Race camp". Then they have a soccer camp. They both have a sleepaway camp and then DD has her sleepaway camp (the same one that DS had in June but there were waitlists so I couldn't get them on the same session.

Then they have a week or two off and head back to school.

DS (13) is outgrowing the second sleepaway camp because in high school they work at the camp rather than be campers. And the Amazing Race thing is a one time thing. So I think in the future he will just have the 2 camps all summer, so we are packing this one a little bit more because it is kind of the end of the road.

Our family trip is South Dakota, I'm hoping to do some weekend day trips maybe just to the beach and get back to see my family one weekend.

I don't know on getting together with friends.  I am hoping that DS is more proactive about it.  DD hung out with the neighbor a ton last summer, and that friendship has changed a LOT, so I don't know if they will hang out or not anymore.  

[abs]

I was going to ask a question like this. I’m particularly interested in what other junior high kids are doing. Summer is so hard for this age.

DD (13) has plans for 2 out of the 11 weeks. One week of band camp (we literally just booked this last night) and Disney. These both happen in June. I need to fill July and then school starts back August 14th.

Other things we will probably do: NASA, a weekend in Galveston/Schlitterbahn, and she needs volunteer hours for NJHS. She will also keep up with weekly trombone lessons.

[ssmjlm]

E is 11 and will be going into MS in the fall.

Right now we have 2 weeks of art camp and 2 weeks of horseback riding camp. I'm about to sign her up for another week of art camp if she wants to.

She also is doing a dance intensive and is trying out for the company, which could add onto her schedule in the evenings.

Gymnastics camp is TBD. I would like for her to go for 2 weeks, but she's afraid they just clump them all together, which I don't think is accurate, but I need to call and figure out what's up.

Vacation wise, we're doing Universal Orlando from June 9-13, our beach house in the OBX the week of July 4th, and weekends of course.

[meowmaps]

We have a weeklong vacation right after school ends and then it’ll be a lot of library events, the splash park, play dates, and time with the grandparents. Camp was an expensive fail last summer so I’ve made no such investment this summer.

[ssmjlm]

starburst604, DC would be fun, but the heat would be terrible. And the better Air and Space museum is out in Northern Virginia, but I wouldn't recommend renting a car in DC just to go out there.

[starburst604]

May 16, 2024 10:29:30 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

starburst604 , DC would be fun, but the heat would be terrible. And the better Air and Space museum is out in Northern Virginia, but I wouldn't recommend renting a car in DC just to go out there.

Yeah I don't do well running around all over in summer heat! I just don't know wtf to do with her one on one that would keep her entertained and not wishing there was another kid around

[waverly]

May 16, 2024 9:51:51 GMT -5 abs said:

I was going to ask a question like this. I’m particularly interested in what other junior high kids are doing. Summer is so hard for this age.

DD (13) has plans for 2 out of the 11 weeks. One week of band camp (we literally just booked this last night) and Disney. These both happen in June. I need to fill July and then school starts back August 14th.

Other things we will probably do: NASA, a weekend in Galveston/Schlitterbahn, and she needs volunteer hours for NJHS. She will also keep up with weekly trombone lessons.

I still do a lot of camps for DS (13) because otherwise he just sits on screens.  His friends were traveling all last summer, and he isn't great with initiating plans.  I think he saw friends maybe 3-4 times the whole summer.  We had a party, attended a block party, and then saw his friends another couple of times.  So I can't rely on that to entertain him.  It sounds like his friend will be traveling less this summer, but I don't know if that means more friend time or not. 

His camps are 2 sleepaway, 1 soccer, and 1 fun camp.  So about 4 weeks, 1 week family vacation, 1 week with Grandma.  

Since, he is done with sports, he does horseback riding lessons in the summer.  6 weeks planned and 4 weeks of downtime.  

[UMaineTeach]

I want to plan a cheap vacation.

Kid is signed up for a 4 day (2 hours per day) soccer clinic thing. And a one day half day STEM activity. Plus, we will do the library summer reading program.

We will go to camp and various playgrounds.

There are zero other kids in our family and we haven’t really made friends from childcare. So, I worry that she spends too much time with people over 40 in the summer.

I was going to do rec track and field, but this year they raised the starting age from 5 to 7.

[waverly]

May 16, 2024 8:59:39 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

Ugh there's nothing planned other than camps and it's bothering me. I know some friends will invite us for weekends to vacation homes at the Cape etc but I'd like to plan something for me and DD on one of the weeks we didn't book camp and are taking PTO. Would love ideas for somewhere in July or August that would be no more than a 2-3 hr drive or flight from Boston. It's tough because we normally vacation with other families so DD has kids to hang with, but now with the divorce I have to come up with other ideas.

I was thinking maybe sightseeing in DC but maybe she's too young (9) to find that interesting? I'd love to do Hershey Park, but she sucks at card rides longer than 2-3 hours and the flights are $$.

Doesn't everyone go to the beaches from Boston?  They looked very busy when we drove through the area, we did Arcadia park.

DC can be very hot and humid in the summer.  Are there cheaper flights to something like Quebec or NYC?  Not that NYC isn't hot but a little less hot than DC.  

As far as the friend issue, maybe just lots of playdates and grab a friend and go to the beach or grab a friend and go to the zoo type stuff.  Maybe for your trip you can bill at as a "girls weekend" and make it a little shorter than a week.  

[starburst604]

May 16, 2024 11:38:14 GMT -5 waverly said:

May 16, 2024 8:59:39 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

Ugh there's nothing planned other than camps and it's bothering me. I know some friends will invite us for weekends to vacation homes at the Cape etc but I'd like to plan something for me and DD on one of the weeks we didn't book camp and are taking PTO. Would love ideas for somewhere in July or August that would be no more than a 2-3 hr drive or flight from Boston. It's tough because we normally vacation with other families so DD has kids to hang with, but now with the divorce I have to come up with other ideas.

I was thinking maybe sightseeing in DC but maybe she's too young (9) to find that interesting? I'd love to do Hershey Park, but she sucks at card rides longer than 2-3 hours and the flights are $$.

Doesn't everyone go to the beaches from Boston?  They looked very busy when we drove through the area, we did Arcadia park.

DC can be very hot and humid in the summer.  Are there cheaper flights to something like Quebec or NYC?  Not that NYC isn't hot but a little less hot than DC.  

As far as the friend issue, maybe just lots of playdates and grab a friend and go to the beach or grab a friend and go to the zoo type stuff.  Maybe for your trip you can bill at as a "girls weekend" and make it a little shorter than a week.  

Yes, the beaches are plentiful but that is the #1 place she complains of being bored if she doesn't have someone to play with. That's why I was trying to think of somewhere we would be out doing different things. I may reach out to a friend in Maine for some recommendations of somewhere we could spend a few days with fun things to do that wouldn't have us always at the beach. What kind of things did you do in Acadia? I've heard good things but don't know a lot about it. 

[hermione]

C is 11 and starts MS in the fall. We need 10 weeks of care and have 4 figured out. She'll do a week of Ceramics Camp, two weeks of Basketball Camp, a Week of Volleyball Camp. We are on waitlists for Drawing Camp and several weeks of the neighboring city's parks and Rec Camp. If she doesn't make it off any wait lists...well, I don't really know.

We belong to a swim club so we'll do that a bunch. Probably a long weekend somewhere. No big vacay plans this year.

[konapoppy]

We have nonstop camps. They only have like 4 days without camp. I was just telling my husband that we need to do some fun things, or it just feels like a depressing summer for them (the camps are fun, but still very structured).

I am taking a bunch of time off that they aren’t, and my H doesn’t have much time off, so it is a bit tricky.

[waverly]

May 16, 2024 11:43:24 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

May 16, 2024 11:38:14 GMT -5 waverly said:

Doesn't everyone go to the beaches from Boston?  They looked very busy when we drove through the area, we did Arcadia park.

DC can be very hot and humid in the summer.  Are there cheaper flights to something like Quebec or NYC?  Not that NYC isn't hot but a little less hot than DC.  

As far as the friend issue, maybe just lots of playdates and grab a friend and go to the beach or grab a friend and go to the zoo type stuff.  Maybe for your trip you can bill at as a "girls weekend" and make it a little shorter than a week.  

Yes, the beaches are plentiful but that is the #1 place she complains of being bored if she doesn't have someone to play with. That's why I was trying to think of somewhere we would be out doing different things. I may reach out to a friend in Maine for some recommendations of somewhere we could spend a few days with fun things to do that wouldn't have us always at the beach. What kind of things did you do in Acadia? I've heard good things but don't know a lot about it. 

That makes sense since they run around with friends at the beach.  We flew into a nice town in New Hampshire and drove to the coast since we are from the Midwest.  We stayed in Portland, ME which is super cute and walked around did some breweries etc.  We weren't with the kids.  We went to LL Bean and hit up some lobster shacks.  In Acadia we mostly went hiking and there are some scenic drives.  There is a cute town just outside with shopping and coffee shops.  It was a little rainy when we went (June), so the weather wasn't the best and there wasn't a lot of people, but I hear the road going in can get crowded later on in the season.  But it wasn't hot which was a plus.  I think there are boat tours you can do also, but we didn't get to it.  

[circa1978]

waverly, same. DS just turned 13 and has camps (tennis, golf, STEM) for about half the weeks. We're taking a family vacation to Toronto/Niagra Falls (his request) and he'll spend a week on Lake Michigan with his grandparents at their cottage. My MIL wants him to learn to sail but that is TBD. I keep saying that someone should lean into the young teen camp markets.

[waverly]

I guess we have a sailing camp in Chicago.  And of course the hours are 8:30-3, so I would have to leave work early go pick them up and fight traffic all the way home.  It probably makes more sense for kids who live nearby.  And fight traffic to drop them off and then drive to work.  

[abs]

Camps with teens are just hard. I did forget that DD wants to get back to tennis so that is another option! Downtime is important but too much is a bad thing for her. It’s a big depression trigger. She is good about making plans with friends but she thrives on structure.

[circa1978]

waverly , oh for sure. I would not consider it if they didn't live right near a marina. AndI don't know that I super trust my derpy, still getting used to his newly adult-sized body teen on a smallcraft in one of the largest water sources in North America. DH sailed every summer but he's a gen x'er. His parents probably didn't even know where he was lol.

[plutosmoon]

DD is 11, she will be attending our public school summer program. It's free, it runs for the month July. She is doing girl scout overnight camp the week after that ends.

I have 2 weeks off in August, DD, my sister, and I booked an Alaskan cruise which is bookended by time on the Cape with my parents and sister. I have about 3 weeks where DD will just be home, I haven't found any full day camps for those gap weeks. DD takes summer dance classes and the week we return from vacation she has dance team intensive.

My office closes for a bunch of Fridays, so we may plan some weekend trips.

[AdaraMarie]

My kids have so many activities going on that I don't know if we will be able to even make time to do a family trip of any kind! They also have only 1 week of school left so I have things pretty well pinned down and they go back to school August 12. I didn't really plan any of these activities though - a lot of time will be spent on continuation of current activities for DD2 and summer prep for fall activities for DD1.

DD1 is 13, turning 14 in July and entering 9th grade/high school. DD2 is 11, entering 6th grade/middle school.

They will both have rec swim team practice M/W/F mornings. This will lead to swim meets 3 of the Saturdays in July.
They will both go to church/confirmation overnight camp for a week. I am taking a solo trip while they are gone - the first adult only trip I have taken since I got divorced many years ago!

DD1 will have practice for the high school field hockey team every Saturday, a week-long evening field hockey camp in June, and a 3-night evening field hockey camp in August (both for the school team).
DD1 applied for (and got) a volunteer gig at the library and plans to do shifts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday every week.

DD2 is in Scouting America/Scouts BSA/whatever they want to call it today. They have meetings every Monday for an hour and a half, and she is going to go to several extra meetings to work on her camping merit badge over the summer. She is also going to Scout camp for just over a week in July.
DD2 is planning to join the middle school band and they are maybe? having a free band camp for 3 days in July.

We are going to see Wicked in August with family for my sister's birthday.

Add in all the doctor, allergist, dentist, and orthodontist appointments we try to get done during the summer and I hardly know when I will have time to work and do (stupid) yard work, let alone do any fun things as a family.

[waverly]

circa1978, it would be good for DS, but he is also very derpy and uncoordinated. He and I are alike in that with mechanical hands on type stuff we just kind of stand there and look at it because we don't know what to do, so we just freeze. Of coursse this gets better with training, but we aren't naturally inclined to those skills.

[niq]

We have one week of camping vacation. We're probably going to Cannon Beach in Oregon at the end of the summer for a week. Other than that the kids are in camp the whole summer still. V has a few half-day camps.

There are lots of weekend activities here -- Ballard Seafood Festival, the Greenwood Car Show, I'm sure we'll find others.

[browneyedgirl9]

We are in New England, so we are still one month away from school getting out in mid June.

We have a few vacations (Bahamas Cruise and New Hampshire White mountains) planned. And a few days trips to local amusement and water parks.

The kids are doing a mix of summer camp and spending time with retired grandparents during the off weeks.

We join a pool club in the summer, so we will do that a lot too.

[browneyedgirl9]

May 16, 2024 8:59:39 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

Ugh there's nothing planned other than camps and it's bothering me. I know some friends will invite us for weekends to vacation homes at the Cape etc but I'd like to plan something for me and DD on one of the weeks we didn't book camp and are taking PTO. Would love ideas for somewhere in July or August that would be no more than a 2-3 hr drive or flight from Boston. It's tough because we normally vacation with other families so DD has kids to hang with, but now with the divorce I have to come up with other ideas.

I was thinking maybe sightseeing in DC but maybe she's too young (9) to find that interesting? I'd love to do Hershey Park, but she sucks at card rides longer than 2-3 hours and the flights are $$.

We love summertime in White Mountains in NH. That's a 3ish hour drive from Boston. There is hiking, swinging in lake, Tubing, small amusement parks.

[starburst604]

May 16, 2024 14:51:47 GMT -5 browneyedgirl9 said:

May 16, 2024 8:59:39 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

Ugh there's nothing planned other than camps and it's bothering me. I know some friends will invite us for weekends to vacation homes at the Cape etc but I'd like to plan something for me and DD on one of the weeks we didn't book camp and are taking PTO. Would love ideas for somewhere in July or August that would be no more than a 2-3 hr drive or flight from Boston. It's tough because we normally vacation with other families so DD has kids to hang with, but now with the divorce I have to come up with other ideas.

I was thinking maybe sightseeing in DC but maybe she's too young (9) to find that interesting? I'd love to do Hershey Park, but she sucks at card rides longer than 2-3 hours and the flights are $$.

We love summertime in White Mountains in NH. That's a 3ish hour drive from Boston. There is hiking, swinging in lake, Tubing, small amusement parks.

Yes we love it there too - for the past several summers we've rented a place in Lincoln with another family. I think it would feel sad and lonely for both of us there, but maybe I can find another spot that would be a new adventure for us. I need to meet some other single moms to plan stuff like this with! 

[aspentosh]

St John for my 40th, upstate NY for disconnecting and spending time with family, then she has a few camps with one being sleepaway. We're doing a few MLB games, seeing the USWNT play Costa Rica, a couple concerts. Otherwise lots of pool time.

It's easier now that she's older (12) so I don't feel the need to pack our summers super full, and she's pretty good at entertaining herself.

[aspentosh]

May 16, 2024 8:59:39 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

I was thinking maybe sightseeing in DC but maybe she's too young (9) to find that interesting? I'd love to do Hershey Park, but she sucks at card rides longer than 2-3 hours and the flights are $$.

Definitely not too young especially if you do some more of the fun stuff (Natural History, Spy Museum, monuments, etc). But it'll be hot as f*ck. 

What about Acadia or one of the lakes in NY (Lake George maybe?) if you want to be outside. We loved both.

[expectantsteelerfan]

My kids do swim team, which sort of schedules our summer. It's M-F from 9:30-11:30, and then we often stay at the pool after, and they have 1-2 meets per week in the evening. Ds would like to be done with it I think, but I told him he needs to do it until he gets a summer job (he turns 15 at the end of July this year, so he already said next summer he'd like to get his lifeguard certification and work at the pool instead).
We are going to Pigeon Forge for a week in June with my bff's family, and ds has 2 weeks of band camp in August. We'd like to try to go to NYC to visit my brother and his family for a long weekend at some point, but we haven't figured out when yet. School starts back for us Aug. 20th this year, which seems REALLY early to me, so I feel like the summer is going to fly by even more than usual.

[devonpow]

I feel like our summer is crazy. Kids are in school until mid June. Then immediately we have friends staying with us through early July (2 separate families one right after the other). DS2 goes to a few weeks of overnight camp (first time for him! I’m so worried!) and then has a few week long camps scattered about amongst trips. DS1 is 17 and working as a life guard again this summer but also going to a college program in North Carolina for a week, plus a week of overnight running camp, then pre season for cross country starts in mid august.

We have a few low key trips planned. A long trip to North Carolina with family (and to abut DS’s college thing), a week on the Cape, and some time in Maine.

Every day I’m getting emails about paperwork I’m missing for various camps/programs. Everything starts in about a month and I’m still drowning in end of school year stuff. It’s a bit chaotic.