You can easily incorporate some Montessori principles into your summer routine that will make your life much easier, give your children independence, and have a fun and successful summer without overspending!

Embrace the wonders of nature: budget-friendly outdoor adventures. Plan for a mix of structure and free play each day. This balanced approach not only keeps your children engaged but also reassures you that you’re providing a well-rounded summer experience.

Montessori principles in your summer routine:

Morning predictable routine for kids:

Create a routine that starts the day with some structure—wake up, chores, breakfast, for example. This will create some predictability and keep the day stress-free.

Let them choose what they want to wear and get dressed on their own and look after their own needs as much as possible, this will foster their all-round development.

Mid-morning: free play!

Mid-morning, allow your kids to get outside for some free play. Morning is the best time for outdoor time, especially on those days when the afternoon sun can make it too hot. Gather some outdoor toys, or just allow them to play with what they find in the environment or dig in the garden etc. –  make them entertain themselves. It’s okay for kids to get bored!

Lunch: Let your kids help with food preparation

Foster some independence by allowing them to select from a few options for lunch and allow them to help in preparing it.

Encouraging children to participate in food preparation not only helps them develop practical skills, responsibility, and confidence but also allows them to contribute to the household.

Many parents also find that this helps picky eaters enjoy a meal more and become more adventurous with what they try if they’ve already touched the foods.  Empower your child by involving them in tasks that align with their abilities.

Afternoon: Structured activity for kids, like a playdate, craft or outing

Make a calendar with what activities you can do each week. Let your kids help make these decisions.

Encourage your kids to think about who they want to play with or where they want to go. Giving them options helps them learn to make decisions from a young age, so they can handle tough choices later on. Start with simple choices and then add more to help them get better at making decisions.

Structured summer activities for kids that are low-cost:

Something as simple as a play date can sometimes be the most memorable for kids. So, set up some time for kids to play with friends. Encourage them to pick the friends they’d like to play with or let them choose an activity to do; this can be a swim at the local pool, a trip out for ice cream, or a visit to the local library.

You don’t need to fill every afternoon with an activity, but let your kids pick a few things each week to look forward to. On the non-structured day you can go for a bike ride, play in the sprinkler or just allow them to have more unstructured time.

Instead of planning every activity, encourage kids to play and explore on their own. This approach helps them unleash their creativity, become more independent, and find what they’re into. When they really like something, think about ways to make it more challenging and fun for them.

Late Afternoon: quiet time!

After a full day of both free play and structured time, your kids have probably had adequate activity and fresh air. Now is often a good time to give them some quiet time; this can be a book, screens, coloring, or any other quiet activity they like to do that allows parents the chance to gather themselves, start dinner prep, and have some of your own quiet time, too.

It’s a time to sit without guilt – you deserve a break, too!

Montessori principles to think about this summer:

Build their self-belief and confidence by only stepping in to help when they really need it. Give them a chance to try, struggle, and figure it out on their own.

• Encouraging your kids to make choices and offering them options fosters a mindset focused on decision-making.
• Assigning them tasks and daily chores to help with household responsibilities and teach them valuable life skills and independence.
• Whenever possible, allow them to take the lead.

The post A Montessori Summer Break Schedule: Unleash Your Child’s Creativity at Home appeared first on The Mabelhood.

Boredom may seem like a negative experience, but it can actually encourage creativity, imagination, and self-reflection. Yes mama! It’s okay for them to be bored, so relax a little this summer! 

Some of the ways that boredom can benefit your kids. 

Bored kids use their imagination.  

When a child is bored, they are forced to rely on their own imagination to come up with things to do. This can lead to the development of new interests and hobbies, as well as the ability to entertain oneself without external stimuli. Provide them with music, or art supplies in the home, give them access to sports equipment or even just a ball in the garage, and they will find their way to them. Next, all the neighborhood kids are playing a game they’ve made up.  

Give them time to clear their head and think.

Boredom can encourage self-reflection and introspection. When a child is not constantly entertained, they are given the opportunity to think and reflect on their own thoughts and feelings. This can lead to a better understanding of oneself and the world around them. If they’re alone in their room for a bit (not too long; see the negatives of that below!), they will think, without external influence or stimuli, just think. 

Boredom can be a catalyst for creativity. 

When children are bored, they do not waste time; they are more likely to engage in creative activities such as drawing, writing, or building. This can lead to the development of important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and self-expression. So, ignore their whining that they’re bored and give them access to a box, some glue, and markers; eventually, they’ll be bored enough to pick them up and create!  

Can boredom be bad for kids? 

It’s important to note that there is a difference between healthy boredom and excessive boredom. Too much boredom can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can negatively affect a child’s mental health. So, make sure that you can strike a careful balance between providing stimulation and allowing for periods of healthy boredom.  

Look for signs of lethargy, or depression and make sure that they aren’t getting too bored. Always provide an outlet for them – but allow them to find there way there and figure it out. 

Allowing your child to experience boredom this summer can be a positive thing. It can encourage creativity, imagination, and self-reflection, all of which are important for a child’s development. So the next time your child complains of boredom, instead of immediately providing them with an activity, try encouraging them to use their imagination and see where it takes them.

The post The Ways Boredom Can Benefit Kids; Let them Get Bored This summer! appeared first on The Mabelhood.

Giving your kids chores teaches them responsibility, allows them to earn screentime (or whatever that may be in your house) and teaches them that chores are a necessary part of life and a part of working together as a family to keep a household running. Here is a list of chores by age that your kids can do summer, plus some added tasks that can help you out, and teach them about earning money, and prepare for their first job.

Firstly, every child should be responsible for their own stuff, and their own personal care chores (yes, brushing teeth seems like a chore for kids).
These are the non-negotiable chores each child should be responsible for each day:

-Making their bed (to the best of their ability)
-Getting dressed and putting dirty clothes/jammies in the dirty laundry bin
-Brushing teeth and hair
-Put their own toys away

Ages 2 – 4

This age group is probably the easiest to get doing chores! They’re at an age where they are eager to be independent and want to copy and follow grown-ups as much as possible. They’re so eager, and you’ll find this age group loves to help and enjoys the accomplishment so much! Here are some great chores for this age group:

-Set the table for meals
-Fold clothes and towels
-Bringing their own cups and dishes to the kitchen after a meal

Ages 5 – 8

Setting chores for this age group teaches them responsibility, helps them continue to develop motor skills, and provides them with the satisfaction of being helpful. This age group generally likes to perform the chores, but they may not always be up to standard, we let that go.

-All previous chores plus,
-Dust
-Put dirty clothes into the washing machine.
-Put clean clothes away into closet and drawers.
-Unload the dishwasher

Ages 8 – 11

This age group will likely give the most pushback about completing chores. They’re the hardest to get moving and motivated. The benefits of this age doing chores highly outweighs the struggles you put in. From getting their bodies moving to teaching organizational skills, it’s worth the effort you put in!

-All previous chores plus,
-Sweep and vacuum
-Wipe kitchen counters
-Wipe kitchen table after meals
-Prep for meals (perhaps cutting veggies)
-Water the plants / feed the pets

Ages 12+

By this age, your kids should be doing their chores completely independently and ideally without much need for you to nag.  They can start to assist with bigger tasks like making a meal. The importance of chores at this age is big; everything they learn they’ll take to college and into adulthood. They need to do these chores so they learn to live independently.

-All previous chores plus,
-Packing their own lunch
-Doing laundry from start to finish
-Loading and unloading the dishwasher
-Taking out the garbage and recycling
-Sweep, mop and vacuum floors
-Clean bathrooms
-Mow the lawn

It’s a great time to incorporate these into their daily life and teach them about scheduling and time management. Here is a great read on skills to teach your tweens and teens to prepare them for adulthood and set them up for success.

Of course, you can add or remove any of these from the lists, but using this as a guideline will help keep your kids learning about teamwork and independence. Select what works best for your kids and your house. Doing chores gives them an appreciation of the work that goes into running a household, and the summer is a great time to start because they have more free time.

Chores for money:

As your kids get older (but aren’t working yet), it’s a great time to give them some additional tasks they can complete to earn money. This teaches them more responsibility, financial independence and most of all, the notion that you need to work hard to earn money.  Here are some additional tasks you can offer them to make some money:

-Cooking a meal for the whole family.
-Babysitting siblings.
-Wash the car.
-Weed, trim, and water the garden beds
-Clean out the garage.
-Help prepare a garage sale.
-Clean and maintain the pool.
-Wash the windows.
-Sorting closets and taking old clothing or items to donate.

Tips to stay on track:

Ensure that all the chores you assign have the expectations clearly laid out. Make sure they can see and have access to the list where they can check off what they’re completed daily or weekly, depending on the schedule you set.

Don’t make your chores gender specific! (ie. don’t give your teen boys garbage duties and girls dishes – make them switch weekly)

For older kids, you can use an app to learn the basics of money through completing tasks. This app is a great one! 

Make sure the consequences for not completing chores are clear. Set timelines and expectations and make them known. Better yet, set the consequences with your child. Maybe this is no screentime until all daily chores are complete and no weekend screentime until weekly tasks are complete.

Give them 1 chance to “forget” and be reminded by you before you set that consequence in motion.

Cut them some slack based on their schedule. Sleep and school should always come first; never set expectations your child can’t manage.

The post Summer Chores for Kids by Age + Extra Jobs to Help Them Earn Money appeared first on The Mabelhood.

If you’re not headed off to camp and find yourself wracking your brain over how to make your child’s holiday fun with activities, take a look at these ideas that might work for your family! You can also plan one activity per day for an entire whole week, and have something to look forward to every day!

Movie Marathon On The Balcony/ Backyard

Children of all ages enjoy watching movies, especially when they are snuggled up with their parents. It will also give the parents a much needed down time. Bring out your mattresses, sheets, and pillows and set them up on your balcony or your backyard. You can make a fort out of sheets, or just watch your favorite movie under the stars. You, as a family, can make a day out of it by making a list of all the movies, and preparing easy snacks like popcorn, nachos, pizza, or cookies!

A Dance/Yoga Party

This can be fun for both the parents and the kids. All you have to do is, put on some flashy lights, wear your party hats, put on some dance music and let your hair down for a bit. Dancing is a great energy releasing activity for kids, and will also release some happy hormones for the parents too. You can have each family member show off their favorite move. Trust us, you will end up with endless giggles, and tummy aching laughter. It will leave the kids tired, which is a bonus! For those parents who enjoy yoga, there are many parent and toddler yoga videos on YouTube. You can put on the one you like on your laptop, and do it barefoot on the grass with your kids. It is fun, healthy, and a great bonding routine.

Good Old Board Games

As they say, the family that plays board games together, stays together. Pictionary is a very interesting game enjoyed by people of all ages. Write down names of different objects on different pieces of paper and put them all in a bowl. One person will pick out a piece of paper randomly, and try to make the people in their team guess it correctly. The team that makes the most correct guesses wins. Other games such as Jenga, Sequence, and monopoly are available at Dollarama, that will make budget friendly games to play at home with the whole family.

A Trip To Your Local Library

Now that the libraries have opened again at full capacity, you can walk to your nearest one, and have your children explore different genres of books. Read some, and borrow some, and read them together at home with your favorite cup of hot cocoa. You can have your child make a list of all the books they read in the summer and put them up in their room. Keep the list growing and the mind learning.

Picnic At The Park

The monotonous routine at home can get a little boring for the kids. You can make lunch time more fun by packing it up, along with your picnic essentials, and heading over to your local park. Children can enjoy playing on the swings, and then ending enjoying lunch outdoors.

Car Wash Day

What can be more fun than some water activities in the summer. Get your sponges out and have the kids help washing the car. The activity can be ended with filling up balloons with water and having a water fight in your backyard. This activity will have your kids busy for a good couple of hours. A clean car is a bonus for the parents! 

Plant a Garden! 
Kids love to play in dirt, what better way to encourage messy play! Gardening teaches kids how to grow and respect their food, the environment and sets them up with a great life skill! Check out these gardening pintables to help get the learning started. And don’t forget Mabel’s Labels has these cute garden markers! 

Revisiting Old Memories

Children love looking at videos of their parents before they had them. If you have your wedding video, or a video or picture of when you were simply enjoying life, you can have a night where you show your children the life you had before you had them. Having your children watch the person you were before you had them will make them look at you from a different perspective, which would be amusing to watch. Revisiting your children’s baby videos is also a great idea, where they can watch themselves doing silly things, and being loved.

Enjoy your summer!

The post Summer Activities for Kids That Will Not Budge Your Budget appeared first on The Mabelhood.