As a teacher, I try to cram as much as possible in the summer when it’s just the kids and I and no work. Here’s my list of some of the things we did this summer that In Sha Allah will inspire you too.
1. Read, read and read some more! I’ve signed my boys up for the summer reading program at our local library in California (where we are visiting my family for the summer). We log our books and they win fun prizes which encourages them to read even more. Kyle’s eyes got super big in excitement when they announced his name over the loudspeaker and gave him a metal.
2. Attend library story times. Most public libraries offer quality programs free of charge. We have attended quite a few at different libraries in our area and they’re a great way to meet new friends and encourage small kids to love reading. Most of the story sessions put out toys for kids to play with after the stories are read. Then, we usually head outside to play in the library playground so they can run around.
3. Explore nature. We have joined our local chapter of Free Forest School where kids get together for playdates and explore nature together. It’s awesome because then we can meet new families and I can chat with the other moms while the boys play. Check out their website to learn more about this wonderful international group and see if there is a chapter near you. https://www.freeforestschool.org
4. Swim! My kids love to swim and honestly it’s a safety issue knowing how to swim. I signed them both up for summer lessons. The cheapest way to do lessons is often through your city. They’re way cheaper than private companies. Another possibility is to use Living Social, Groupon, or other discounted websites to get cheaper rates on swim lessons. My kids actually earned a session of free swimming lessons through their summer reading challenge as well!
5. Become involved with local masjids and attend Islamic community events. Where we live in China there are mosques that host Jummah prayers but they don’t have lectures or community programs or anything of that sort. Therefore, in the summer when we visit California we really try to be involved with our local mosques. I used to attend Jummah at the same mosque every week in California and attend just their events. Now what I do is to try to subscribe to the newsletters of all the local mosques here as well as join their Facebook pages and What’s App groups. Thus far we have attended two Eid carnivals, a Sunnah Friday’s potluck, a Converts potluck, a Mini Muslims class for toddlers, and we went on a historic train ride that was organized by the mosque. Plus Jummah prayers alhamudillah. Starting next week my older son will be going to a summer day camp program hosted by the local mosque In Sha Allah. My eldest has been more engaged with our Islamic story books as of late and I really think it’s due to our different activities with the local Muslim community.
Hopefully our summer activities have inspired you In Sha Allah!