Home Summer Camp Ideas for the Texas Family
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Summer is here! And with the weather quickly hotting up, it’s time to start planning a fun-filled Texas summer for the kids. During this time of the year, many of us moms are blessed to have the kids home, meaning activities and outings need to be organized.
In Texas and throughout the US, summer camp is considered to be an integral part of growing up. But it can also get ridiculously expensive. Attending a summer camp tends to be a costly summer activity, especially if you have more than one child. So, this summer, why not forgo those pricey camps and plan your own version at home! Home summer camps provide your kids with plenty of fun – from physical and active activities to educational and creative projects – helping them have a productive and enjoyable summer. Plus, creating lasting memories with your kids is always a great bonus.
Benefits of a Home Summer Camp
A truly personalized experience
One of the main benefits of a home summer camp is that it can be customized according to your children’s needs and wishes. The activities can match your family’s interests, while still allowing the kids to grow and learn.
Tailored to suit your family’s budget
A home summer camp can cut the many costs associated with traditional camps – in other words, you can plan budget-friendly options right in your backyard!
Stimulates the brain
Well-planned summer activities are good for the body, stimulate the brain, and enhance memory and retention. In this sense, summer camps have the ability to build on what students learn during the year in ways that are engaging and exciting.
Helps kids discover new skills
Summer camp activities provide the opportunity for your children to create new memories by trying new things, sparking interests, and potentially finding new hobbies they would never have even thought they could enjoy.
Improves creativity
Personalized home activities help engage the creative side of your children. Arts and crafts allow kids' imaginations to go wild, increasing brain function and confidence.
Promotes physical activity
From camping and bird-watching to hiking and mountain biking, there are endless physical activities and sports you can take part in when living in Texas. Outside activities allow for both exercise and play. And there’s no better activity for little children than moving their bodies in a way they enjoy by playing outdoors.
Create a structure for your kids
Planning activities with a schedule helps create some structure – and with this, a sense of routine – for both you and the kids. This way, you can also plan some quiet time for yourself while your children are busy with various activities.
Fun for all the family!
Summer camps are meant to be fun, creative, and empowering. Once you’ve got your theme, decor, and activities planned, you can start to have some fun and enjoy the outdoors as a family. As a bonus, deeper family connections are forged and new traditions are potentially born.
DIY Home Summer Camp Ideas
Pick a Theme
Go wild choosing a different theme for each week. It’s a great idea to choose a theme that you’ll enjoy just as much as the kids will. Your little ones will look forward to activities built around their favorite shows, superheroes, sports, subjects, or books!
Create a Schedule
There are endless possibilities for your home summer camp. Write a rough schedule that includes everyday activities such as meals, quiet time, and of course, camp activities. Make sure to plan how many activities you’ll be doing per day.
As you know, the key to any good summer camp is to have the right activities in place. Save time on scouring the internet for things to do at home with our suggestions for home summer camp activities:
Building projects – Plan activities around building something for the house, e.g. a DIY bird feeder. This can be the perfect opportunity to teach kids about nature and animals, while also sparking plenty of creativity this summer.
Harvest fruit – Summer in Texas means that farm-fresh fruits are ripe for the picking. Blackberries are ready for harvest in May, while peaches and nectarines ripen in late May through August.
Camp – Sleep under the stars by setting up a tent in the backyard. No place to camp outside? Then why not build an indoor fort with blankets and pillows! Unstructured play in familiar environments can be great for developing your kids’ imagination.
Play – Build a backyard obstacle course and host your version of the Summer Olympics! The kids can be creative using hula hoops, jump ropes, balls, and other materials and objects found around the house. Sports and team-building activities help build character and promote positive relationships with their peers.
Cook and bake – Help your kids develop skills that encourage independence. Look for fun kid-friendly recipes that can easily turn into their favorite snacks. Try our healthy popsicle recipe that’s perfect for summer!
Discuss books – Read their favorite books or try out a new story or two. Reading together as a family keeps those all-important literacy skills fresh and fosters a continuing enthusiasm for learning.
Play board games – Games simulate many important real-life experiences, such as decision-making, winning, and (of course) losing. Playing also requires cognitive functions such as memory and problem solving. Improving cognitive skills can increase IQ and boost your childrens’ learning capacity.
Plan Field Trips
Create a unique home camp experience by including field trips to make the most of the summer weather! Exciting and purposeful field trips engage your children’s imagination and promote learning. Family trips are good for the mind, body and soul – no matter how old you are.
Take advantage of our fun Texas trip recommendations:
Go hiking – Texas isn’t as flat as some people think. We have many fabulous sites for hiking, like the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Go swimming – Can you truly experience summer in Texas without going swimming in the beautiful blue waters of a swimming hole? Explore popular attractions such as the San Solomon Springs in West Texas, Barton Springs in Austin, and Hancock Springs in Lampasas.
Visit the zoo – Houston Zoo has recently renovated its McNair Asian Elephant Habitat, adding a boardwalk with unobstructed views of the elephants bathing in the gallon pool.
Explore the aquarium – Discover a magnificent underwater world at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi. The expansive facility displays all manner of marine life, from sharks to flamingoes.
There is no standard for a do-it-yourself summer camp at home – it’s all up to you. You can have fun and go crazy with themes and activities. But at the end of the day, the home camp spirit is all about making the best of the summer weather with friends and family.
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