Ways to Get Organized for Summer Outdoor Fun

Comments May 24, 2011 | Get Organized for Summer Series, Kids, Organize by Season, School, Summer, Vacation

First shared in May of 2010, this series was sparked by an appearance on My Carolina Today where we had more content than time ~ sounds pretty typical for a busy Mom! Our lives are tied to the seasons and I hope this series gets your summer moving in the right direction now!

This week I want to talk with you about getting ready for summer before your kids come home from school. In North Carolina, we’ve got just a few weeks to go but for some parts of the country, you are either already out of school or staying in till the official first day of summer in late June. No matter where you live, its time to get organized and here are my tips for ways to get organized for summer and outdoor fun:

1. Welcome Home bucket: This bucket is full of all things fun and classic. Things like a hula hoop, a brand new frisbee, a bike tire pump. Go for classics like punch bag balls, fresh water bottle, new water guns, flashlights for tag, bug catcher and butterfly catcher for lightning bugs, and evening glow sticks. This just starts the summer off with so much fun and the big ticket item just might be a fresh stash of water ballons.

2. Kids Pool Bucket: I love this bucket because its wheeled and easily transported back and forth to the poll while being just the right size for my kids to pull it all on their own. Load it up with a new round of swimsuits, fresh towel, new water gun, a fresh inter tube, and goggles are the basics. Some cool ideas are waterproof card games and a towel that looks like a checkerboard. These are both great for kids in swim team who might need creative ways to keep busy while they wait. I believe in hanging at the pool for as long as you can so make it easy for your kids to stay content no matter what.

3. Moms Bag: Flip flops, fresh sunscreen, bug related anti-itch cream, hand sanitizer and more, all stored inside zip lock bags. Include change for the concession stand, to make a phone call, or to get fresh water. Include your own set of fresh towels and a portable first aid kit in your very own Mom bag.

All of these things will go a long way to make your summer be a wonderful time for your entire family. I really love my own personal bag that has all the really important things ~ you could even add emergency contact numbers and waterproof storage for your cell phone. It just clearly serves as a home base the kids can easily identify. I love having a pool bucket that my child can be responsible for her very own things, adding in pool toys and dive sticks. It lets her get her things in and out all on her own without an effort from me, leaving me to manage the other supplies and one of my older children to pull our cooler ~ easy peasy! And finally, the Welcome Home bucket is a refresh of what you might already have in your garage, making sure that what your kids want to play with outside is ready to grab on day 1.

I’m a retro girl so I love the classics ~ nothing like a hula hoop to get things started and a flashlight plus a yard full of kids to make those first summer nights just delightful. I hope these tips show you ways to get organized for summer before your kids get home. I also hope they are inspiration to help you focus on living every day of your summer with an eye on fun and enjoying your kids to the fullest. So tell me…

How do you get organized for summer before your kids get home?

Thanks for stopping by!