By Tamara Fyke

This is it! The last weeks of school.  You’re counting down the days until you hear the final bell ring sounding your freedom.  Summer is almost here.  After about a week of lounging on the couch, you will realize how much time you have on your hands.  You can only watch so many episodes of your favorite show before you start getting stir crazy.  What are you and your families going to do with your extra 35 hours per week?

Have you been outside lately?  I don’t mean just for a walk to the mailbox.  Do you spend time outside drinking in the sunshine and admiring the flowers?  That question reminds me of a great story, a family favorite.  The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson tells the tale of a young bull who’d rather sit under a tree and smell the flowers than bullfight.  Ferdinand was grateful for the simple pleasures of nature.

What about you?

Years ago, when I started working in my garden, my kids joined me.  As we dug in the dirt removing the weeds, we discovered snails and worms. These findings sparked the interest of my then five-year old daughter.  It wasn’t long until she and her friends were digging in the dirt with me.  They found an old box and transformed it into the little creatures’ habitat. Soon they had a collection of live snails, earthworms and other insects.  My daughter delighted in her new pets. They slept in her room and joined us at the breakfast table.  She couldn’t wait to spend more time looking for additional members of her dirt-loving family.  Like Ferdinand, my daughter knows how to enjoy nature.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you let your kids dig up your back yard, but I do challenge you to go outside.  You can do many of the things you’d usually do in the house outdoors – eat, read, nap, talk.  Or you could do something more adventurous – go for a bike ride, shoot some hoops, take a hike in the woods, skateboard in the park, play hide-n-seek.  Whatever you do, get outside!  Enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of Summer.

How about this? 

Take time together today to write a list of things you can do during the long summer days.  This is your Do Something list.  Here’s how it works.  For each of the topics below, write what you can do.  I’ve given you an example to get you thinking.

Do Something Adventurous: take a family hike at a State Park

Do Something Intelligent: visit your local library and read a novel by your favorite author

Do Something Kind: mow your elderly neighbor’s lawn

Do Something Silly: play dress up with your family and go out for ice cream

Do Something New: go birdwatching

Do Something Early:  watch a sunrise

Do Something Creative:  paint a mural of your neighborhood

Do Something Scientific:  perform an experiment on why helium balloons float

Do Something Green:  recycle old batteries lying in the kitchen drawer

Do Something Old-fashioned:  write a letter on paper to a friend or relative in another state

Once you have your ideas on paper, you are ready to get moving.  Live life to the fullest! Be active. Do something good for yourself, for others, and for your community.  This summer, Love in A Big World!

More tips for extra fun this summer:

• Be active!  Practice your favorite sport.  Or maybe you could find a new activity, like bike riding or trail running.  You can exercise with your family.  Have a good time and stay fit!
• Read for the fun of it!  Visit your local library or your favorite book store and discover what types of stories you like best.  Sci-fi?  Pioneer?  Mysteries? Journey to another planet.  Meet the Queen of England.  Answer questions about life as a Mayan warrior.  Get lost in a book!
• Volunteer!  Whether it’s helping at the local animal shelter, teaching younger kids at summer camp or traveling to another country on a mission trip, there’s a lot you can do to give to others.  For ideas, check out the bulletin board at your local community center or place of worship. Serve together as a family.
• Try something new!  Have you ever wanted to learn how to form a family band, speak Spanish or make a cheesecake?  Well, here’s your chance!  You’ve got plenty of time to try, so have fun and make some memories.

About the author

Tamara Fyke is an educator and social entrepreneur with a passion for kids, families, and urban communities. She is the creator and author of Love In A Big World, which provides mental health, SEL, and wellness curriculum and content. During quarantine, Tamara created MusiCity Kids, an online educational show for kids ages 6-12 that addresses health, movement, character development, STEAM, and more.

This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media hub focused on providing context for the shift in education to digital curriculum.