That first day of summer vacation is amazing, right? There is so much time ahead of you, so much excitement and anticipation about all the fun and adventure that will be had.

My mind always spins a bit with all the things I want to do with children during my few weeks off with them. So, a few years ago Ro and I decided to make ‘Summer Lists’ of our top 10 things we didn’t want to finish the summer without doing. I don’t like to pack our days with activities, but I do want to make sure that we feel as though we’ve had the chance to do our favourite things, and while summer is a time to relax, we still have a sense of accomplishment, even if our accomplishment is making a mud pie. The lists worked really well as a way to orient our summer, with just ten things each, it left time for serendipitous activities, and on days when there was nothing obvious to do we turned to our lists. With a sense of success that first year, we’ve continued making them each year since — however, without limiting ourselves to ten things.

Our five weeks together start next week, so with that in mind we worked on finalizing our lists last weekend.

This is Sen’s first year making a list. We talked, in the weeks leading up to summer vacation, about all the things he loves about summer and these activities turned into his list:

• build a sand castle
• make a mud pie
• ride a zoom boat
• visit a cottage
• go to Gramma and Grampa’s beach house
• collect shells
• make a toy boat out of supplies
• save animals
• eat pizza at the park
• go camping
• sleep in a tent
• eat s’mores
• dance a lot
• play hop scotch
• make brownies
• build a fort
• swim everyday

And he wanted to make sure we left some room on the page to add things as we go. No problem, Sen!

Ro really enjoys making her list each summer. It’s like a Christmas list, but way more exciting, because she is imagining memories instead of things. The first few years I had to talk her off of things like “take a trip to Paris” because this is too far outside our means, so I expected the same this year, but was happily surprised there was no trip to Bora Bora or a theme park on her list.

Ro’s list:

• make strawberry rhubarb turnovers
• dye hair with beets
• visit NYC
• write a book
• go to a water park
• wear a rainbow outfit
• read Nimona to mom and Sen for bedtime
• get a mani-pedi
• surprise a stranger with a bouquet of flowers
• leave cookies on neighbours porch
• go to Gramma’s cottage and get a pie from the pie shop
• cross the Rideau River
• get dad to make the treehouse
• make a stick fort
• do some sewing
• make a doll
• learn a new way to draw
• learn to write with right hand

Once Ro had finished her list she realized she had forgotten to include “make kale chips.” Noted!

And finally for my list. There is nothing extravagant on mine, it is mostly filled with simple activities, but things that will fill the summer with fun and my heart with memories.

My list:

• go strawberry picking
• try paddle boarding
• organize an IG meetup
• press flowers
• keep a nature journal
• wander
• get lost
• swim in an ocean, a lake and a river
• visit Nantucket
• watch the clouds
• take the kids stargazing
• find a new wildflower field
• visit a farm
• sail paper boats at the pond
• visit Philadelphia
• send snail mail
• explore a new part of the city
• spread love

For those of you who are paying keen attention, I included “organize an IG meet-up” on my list. Anyone living in the Ottawa area, or who will be in Ottawa on July 9th (2015), is welcome to meet up with us (me, Ro and Sen) for an informal picnic and play at Vincent Massey Park. I will be posting more details later this week, but wanted to make the date known so those who are interested can plan to be there. Please send me an email or leave a comment below if you are interested in meeting up, and especially if you have ideas for the meet-up, in terms of activities, food and so on. While my inclination is to keep things minimal, simple food and free play, it may also be nice to have something special to mark the event. Please be in touch!

What’s on your summer list? I would love to hear, leave a comment below or on Instagram.

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