Too Many Summer Activity Choices
Our girls have a dozen interests we like to nurture. From golf to music to animals, they want to spend time doing all of it. They are six, so everything is interesting to them. As typically overindulgent parents, we try to let them. We spend a lot of time doing activities through our local park district (close and cost-effective) and library (free!). If there is something they really like, we often find private programs to explore.
Now, though, we are faced with information about all the summer camps and programs. It's nearly overwhelming because we live in an area where choices abound. There are so many options that we have to decide which ones not to do, rather than which ones to do.
Part of the problem (if you can call it that), is we live close to really good community college that has a wonderful summer children's program. The Valley Learning program has good, low-cost classes from art to foreign languages to computers. There's a nice walking track around the school, so I can get some exercise while the girls are learning Spanish.
We also have lots of free options for summer fun. The local library has many different programs during the summer. These are "one-off" programs we always add to the schedule. The area park districts offer weekly outdoor music concerts where we gather to listen to music. Sometimes the music choices aren't exactly my taste, but it doesn't really matter. We just want to hang out with our friends and theirs.
There are two programs I know the girls will participate in this summer. One is at the Children's Farm at the Center. The girls went to preschool here and it was an amazing experience for them. To explain how much I wanted them to go to preschool here, I didn't even have a back-up plan for preschool. This was my first and only choice. The children spend time every day out on the farm, learning about the animals, going on a creek walk or exploring the forest. I like to keep that connection, so the Junior Farmer's program here is a summer must for the girls.
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