If I am NOT the one deciding what my summer looks like then it gets decided FOR me. I get peace and clarity along with my planning.

By the time April & May show up on the calendar I am ready to start my summer planning.

As a kid, summer vacation was full of so much freedom. No school! Backyard slip ‘n slides and popsicles that stained my t-shirt. Reading all my favorite books from the library. Playing Mario Brothers on the Nintendo. It was effortless and free.

But now I am a mom, homeschool mom, homemaker, cook, and the “planner of all the things”. Summer does not feel the same. It is a lot of work.

But, for me, living a life with intention is at the top of my list. Even if it takes time and planning.

If I am NOT the one deciding what my summer looks like then it gets decided FOR me.

I get peace and clarity along with my planning.

By choosing to live deliberately, I make decisions about what my summer will look like and feel like for my family ahead of time. I want to step into our fall season rested and ready for the next school year.

So I spend a Saturday afternoon alone with my journal, my lists, our calendar, and a tall latte.

I ask myself all the questions. I make lists. I write out meal ideas and activities to try. I look up all the info on all the things.

I usually forget my planning routine and it takes me extra time to remember. So I have written it all out here for you (and for my future self).

Here are the steps that I go through to plan out the many details of our summer break. Some of these might seem simple or silly. But, hopefully, I am saving you time and mental effort. 😊

Planning Our Summer Break:

#1 – the family calendar and scheduled events

First, I place the big events and bookends of my schedule first.

When is the End of the School Year / Start of Next Year?

Next, I block out all scheduled events.

Holidays & birthdays
Long vacations planned
The homeschool convention (in AZ it is AFHE and it is awesome1)
Summer camps for the kids (church, science camps, learning camps)
Swim lessons
Sports – like dance classes or karate

Now I am ready to zoom out and ask some big picture questions…

#2 – big picture planning

What do I want this summer to be about?

If I could pick a one-word theme what would it be?

Adventure / Relaxation / Sunshine / Travel / Hobbies / Friendship / Nature

This becomes a filter for activities and ways to spend our time.

#3 – evaluating our time & our goals

Then, I see where we are needing some structure or what we have too much of.

Do we have space for free time?
Can any weekend trips or short vacations fit in?
Do I have a variety of activities planned?
When will I work on school planning and curriculum shopping?2
Will my kids have a chance to develop new hobbies and get bored?
- I fully believe that bringing up well-rounded kids involves boredom.

What kinds of meals do I want to make?
- Brainstorm my Summer Meals list for easy meal planning.(hot dogs, BBQ, pizza on the grill, pasta salad)

free meal planning PDF

Summer book lists!
- Booklist for me, for each kid, for us to read together3
- audiobooks to listen to on road trips

How can my kids keep learning fresh on their minds?
- Will I have them complete workbooks?
- Should they keep working on math lessons?
- Will I have them write about what they are reading?
How can I reward them for keeping their brains from turning to mush?
- Sticker charts, tickets, cash for a vacation, shopping trips at Target?

When can I take some time to myself this summer break?
- How can I schedule some time away to journal, think, and be alone? Moms are important too!

free daily planning PDF

I know. I hear you….

I can feel the eye-rolling and the questions.

Seriously? This is a long list of things to think about!

Why do these things matter? Who cares?

Do I really need to spend the time to think about this stuff?

The answer is NO.

Choose what is important to you.

I personally do not want to stumble into August completely exhausted and worn out. I’ve done that for years and it was not pretty.

So I walk through these steps, and then I know that whatever this summer holds I will be ready. I have adjusted my expectations, thought about all our events, placed the important things first, and created a theme.

This planning process helps me feel settled and ready for the season ahead.

Welcome Summer! Let’s do this!

The end of the school year has so much to think about. Let me help!

Free PDF downloads for your Summer Planning:

End of the Year Certificates (with ideas to fill them out)

Daily Planner and 2 different Weekly Planners – for organizing your schedule

Weekly Meal Plan

green coconut trees — Photo by Kenrick Mills on Unsplash

1 see this article: Practical Tips for Attending a Homeschool Convention

2 As a teacher, this takes a lot of my time in the summer. Homeschooling is a full-time job.

3 see these articles for more ideas for Summer Reading:

Photos by Dakota Lim, Phil Hearing, Point Blanq, and others on Unsplash