Is anyone else keeping their kids home for summer vacation?

happy12

Mon, Mar 24 2014, 5:27 pm

I did it for the past 8 summers -four years for the whole summer.
This is the first year I am sending them to Daycamp a whole summer as they are much older and need structured learning.

I live in Brooklyn. Twice a week we went to different park and libraries. Once a week was a large trip such as the bronx zoo or a museum. Once aweek we did something in Manhattan.

Do you drive and have a car available? ( it makes adifference)
Find another family with boys your age for friendship and do something together ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. (not more- you don't want to tie yourself down and want quality time with your children)

I also went for pizza once a week and ice cream once a week.

A great place to go -even once a week is Battery City Park- They have all different equipment to use, a great playground and a beautiful sprinkler park in secluded area. (And beautiful bathrooms.)

33055

Mon, Mar 24 2014, 9:13 pm

asmileaday wrote:

I'm intrigued. Heard of this concept but I don't know anyone that actually does this. Can you do mommy camp only if you have girls because boys need to learn too? If you live in a small apartment with no outdoor play area is it doable?

I hire a tutor for a hour a day for my son. I do the learning in the morning right after dovening. I also do secular enrichment before we go out.

I go to Michaels and buy crafts at their clearance table.

I join kidsbowlfree. I usually go about twice a month. Michaels has free craft classes. Lego has free kits monthly.

We go to Greensburgh Nature preserve once a season. They have nice trails. We go to Bear Mountain Zoo. We also take the commuter ferry across the river. There are free local museums and trips to the shore. The kids love pet shops. There are free air shows on Sunday in Dutchess County. We go hiking and bike along old rail trails and Rockland Lake State Park.

Activities that are more money include Go Carts and Rye Playland. Bounce is a favorite as well as the rope climb at Pallisades Center Mall. The kids love Nintendoland and American Girl Doll. I love going to Manhattan. I have a museum membership so we visit NYC museums. My membership includes the Aquarium. The free museums always seem to end up costing me a fortune though. We visit historic homes. Last summer we went on a historic train.

We took trips to Howe Caverns and Philadelphia. We went out to Long Island and Governors Island. South Street Seaport was another trip.

mommy3b2c

Mon, Mar 24 2014, 10:35 pm

happy12 wrote:

I have my own car, and im willing to drive up to 1.5 hours away. As to your idea of finding another family to do it with, thats the problem, no one wants to do it with me!

To everyone specifically mentioning places that are free, I appreciate it, but I am not only interested in places that are free. It is important that the places be fun and entertaining for my boys, whether free or not. So all ideas would be appreciated, not just free ones.

Jewishmofm

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 12:51 am

I've done this every year since I've had kids old enough to need it. 8-9 years. We've taken mommy camp on the road - I spent a summer mommy camping at my in laws and another mommy camping at my parents. Both sets of grandparents work throughout the summer, so we'd do our own thing and see them for meals basically. Can't repeat it enough: STRUCTURE. At this point, some of the kids are old enough to give ideas for the summer. Suprisingly, they choose to stay home a lot. We do lots of arts and crafts (many times I just supply paper and coloring things, and they make masterpieces). Tons of water play, from paddling in a smallish pool to sprinkling to water table "experiments" and jump rope with a hose. We go to a park 3 times a week, another more major trip (zoo, kid-friendly museum, etc) once a week (I usually have to convince my crew to come along with me, after which they have a great time). Once my DH and DSs are off (yes, we're on a kollel schedule) we do two even larger trips (think tenting/ backpacking,driving 2-3 hours to see another city) over the course of his time off. It depends on your kids, is what I'm saying. I post the daily and weekly schedules in the kitchen, so those who need to know what's coming are more at ease.

amother

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 1:57 pm

How do you have time to yourself during the school year? Unless you have all your kids in school, there's a baby or toddler at home. Mine only takes one short nap but when his siblings are home they entertain him so that's my "me time." Or dishes time. Or imamother time. Wink

Or after bed at night I get me time. My husband doesn't get me time at work either. Such is life.

cuties' mom

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 2:52 pm

I did it last year with ods who was six at the time. It was very tiring and I'm not doing it again. We went to the Brooklyn Children's Museum twice a week, on the days that the sensory room was open. We went to the library every Friday. We went to the Prospect Park zoo fairly often because they had baby sea lions last year. We were there the day they were brought to the zoo and ds wanted to check on them every week. We did Governor's Island on Sundays. We went to Queens zoo several times and the Central Park zoo twice. One day we took the Staten Island ferry and a bus to the Staten Island zoo. We also went to the transit museum, the intrepid, and the Manhattan children's museum. Ds also helped make Shabbos. He made the chicken every week and helped make the cholent.

saw50st8

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 2:57 pm

Find places to pick your own vegetables (there are lots of places in NJ, I'm sure there are in NY)

Go hiking! Pack a picnic lunch.

Take a boat ride around Manhattan.

Liberty Science Center (family membership would be worthwhile)

Jersey Shore/Long Island Beaches

There is a place up in Narrowsburg that I can't think of the name... its like a living history museum.

Tablepoetry

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 2:57 pm

amother wrote:

How do you moms have time for yourself?

You don't during the summer vacation. It's vacation for them, not you!

Anyway, I've 'kept' my kids home for years and years. I thought that was the default, not sending them somewhere!
There were a few yrs here and there that some of the kids went to camp for 3 out of the 8 wks, but most of the time, they were home.

Lots of tiyulim. I try to do one-two major trips a week (like amusement park/water park). The rest of the time...well, we live not far from a beach, so that comes in handy. And they hang out a lot, go to friends, etc.

PinkFridge

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 5:10 pm

amother wrote:

How do you moms have time for yourself?

If my kids didn't know my sn I'd be seriously outing myself. You know how whenever I recommend that people get a daily dose of humor I suggest comic book anthologies? My August reading would be devoted to that, and early Gordon Korman. If I can laugh, I can get through.

groisamomma

Tue, Mar 25 2014, 5:22 pm

amother wrote:

How do you moms have time for yourself?

In the summertime I actually enjoy my kids' company more than the adults embarrassed

. They are always game to do crazy things and go places on a moment's notice. They will also swim with me for hours and hours every day, so we have lots of time at the pool.

This year since I am working in the mornings they will be home with dh until 1:00 (I will stock up on activities) and spend the afternoons with me. My kids are late risers and lazy to get dressed so they won't have more than an hour to entertain themselves before I get home anyway. They'll probably just put their bathing suits on instead of clothes and we'll swim all afternoon. We go to the park for supper a ton of times during the summer. Bikeriding, rollerblading, fishing (with nets, of course), bowling (rainy days, and free), sprinkler park (free, too) and the beach when they are interested (they don't like the sand cleanup afterward).

I am really, really looking forward to the summer this year.

Ruchel

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 1:41 pm

I do when they refuse camp- but I am not camp mommy (an expression and frankly a concept I don't really encounter around me). Sure we do outings and stuff, but I'm not crafty, I don't enjoy playing long time most kids games, nor do I think I have to be like an unpaid entertainer/camp mora.

I tell my kids, if you're bored and say it find something to do or go to camp Wink