A month ago I got an email at work asking us to start thinking about summer vacation and coverage that we might need while on vacation. I was thoroughly impressed that people already knew what they were doing this summer! Our family doesn’t have any grand plans for this summer but I have started thinking of summer activities for the slow home that I desire.
Summer is always a welcome change of pace in our household. Relaxed mornings without alarm clocks and early morning commutes to school are little vacations every day. Yet I know that without some structure for our days, weeks, and months, we could get to Labor Day and wonder where the time has gone.
What is a Slow Home?
There’s a whole movement around building and creating slow homes. This usually refers to actual architectural design. A slow home, however, can be used in terms of crafting a home life that is unique, intentional, simple, and sustainable.
Many of us are in homes that weren’t constructed with the 12 step Slow Home design philosophy in mind. I’m actually living in what would probably be considered a “fast home”. Our exterior structure however, does not have to determine our mindset and how we live within that home.
RELATED: How to Set a Slow and Sane Summer Rhythm
Summer Activities for the Slow Home
In our slow home, we’re going to be establishing summer rhythms for our days and weeks. Each of my children will be attending a week or two of some kind of summer camp, but for most of the summer, they’ll be at home.
A helpful way to think through summer activities is to keep the term “Lagom” in mind. Lagom essentially means not too much, not too little, but just the right amount.
What have you had “too much” of during the school year? What have you had “too little” of during the school year? I know for us, we’ve had too much time on screens (for homework, for leisure). We’ve had too little time outdoors as a family. This summer we’ll focus on increasing time outdoors together.
RELATED: Lagom: What it is and How to Start Living It
A Daily Summer Rhythm
We normally decide as a family what things we’ll do on a daily basis (especially before screen time). In the past, we’ve agreed to:
- read
- write
- time outside
- create
- tidy
- work on a project or skill
There’s no time frame or order that these things have to be done, but they’re the priorities for the day.
A Weekly Summer Rhythm
We’re also planning on doing things on a weekly basis:
- trip to the library (to have plenty of things to read)
- water play (swimming/beach/spray garden/our backyard)
- local hike
In between more exciting vacations and day trips, there are ordinary summer days that our kids will be wondering, “what are we doing today?” Setting a daily and weekly rhythm helps everyone in our family know how that day can be spent – the specific what (to read, to write, to create) is up to them.
How will you plan a slow(er) summer this year?
FOR OTHER FUN SUMMER ACTIVITIES, CHECK OUT:
Morgan’s post on Summer Activities: 5 Pool Games Your Kids Will Love!
Tanya’s post on her Free Summer Activities Bucket List Printable
Crystal’s post on Summer Activities Bucket List with FREE Printable
Rachel’s post on 75 Free Summer Activities for Kids
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Great post and you really got me thinking about the too much and too little. I love this post and the purpose behind it. During summer break I have felt the need to always be doing something or going some place and this year I am really trying cut back on our daily routine and just be at home more. Thank you for this post, I loved reading it and it really resonated with me.
Nice! I just learned so many things. We’ve planned a great deal of this summer already, and it is going to be an exciting one. That’s b/c I’m afraid I will go nuts if we don’t. The only thing the boys don’t have enough of at our house is room to roam. Hopefully, the trips will make up for that. Thankfully, we had a fairly slow school year. I am very limiting with the after school activities b/c I do not like running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Ha! Great post.
I love the idea of a slow home and a slow Summer – we live in such a frantic world and everyone seems to need to do absolutely everything they can jam in. It defeats the purpose of having a vacation and a rest – there is no time to reset and relax. I think you have the balance just right.
Love the idea of a ‘slow home’ for the summer! My girls each have two weekly activities scheduled for the first half of summer, and two weeks of in-school camp, just to provide a little bit of structure. But other than that, it will be lots of outdoor play and family time. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
I just learned so much! Mostly like I want a slow home this summer. Obviously, changing architecture might be out of the question, but a slower pace full of more of what we missed during the school year is right down my alley!
It seems like everyone is coming up with 100-item bucket lists for the summer, so I like this idea much better! Thanks for sharing it with us at #FridayFrivolity this week!
A s a mom, with summer looming and only 2 weeks of camp for Big, THIS IS WONDERFUL!
I am bookmarking you and this post! Thank you! FridayFrivolity
I’ve never heard of the slow home movement, but it sounds exactly like what I want our summer to be. As usual, we’ve already scheduled several trips. I’m looking forward to plenty of slow days in between, though.