As a single mommi, I am always looking for ways to entertain my one-year-old daughter. Most days it’s usually just me and her around the house lounging but this summer I want to do things differently. Now that California is finally getting the weather we love, I wanted to create a bucket list of summer activities I can explore with her. I also included a few mommi friendly summer activities I can do without my daughter that y’all might like as well. So, here is my 2019 Summer Kid-Friendly Bucket List.
Kid-Friendly Summer Activities
Gardening
Gardening and caring for plants is something I’ve been interested in lately. Being able to nurture and grow plants intrigues me, and I think it would be a fun thing to do with my daughter. I want to flex my green thumb and learn the ends and outs of plants and the health and mental benefits of caring for them.
According to Michigan State University, gardening helps physical development and contributes to sensory stimulations in young children as well.
“Water is a critical part of gardening and, if your child enjoys nothing else, playing with the hose or the watering can be a highlight. Feeling the texture of the soil or the plant leaves is also interesting, as is the smell of the fresh garden and its plants.”
If nothing else, my daughter would love to get dirty and play in the soil, so it’s a win-win. I think gardening will be a great summer activity for us, and anyone with the patience to be a plant parent.
Swim Lessons
As a kid in California, I stayed at the beach, pool, waterpark or the lakes, so I think swimming lessons are crucial for kids living in any sunny state this summer. I’ve been a decent swimmer since childhood even though I didn’t take official lessons until high school when it was a mandatory class. But, I do think it’s an awesome skill to have as early as possible, for practical and safety reasons.
Did you know, children ages 1-4 have the highest drowning rates, and shockingly, young children who have died from an unintentional injury, one-third of those deaths were drowning. So, this summer I want to make sure my little girl is taught early, and correctly, not only for her safety but for future summer activities.
Mommi Hyacinth has a great blog on why its never too late for your kids to learn how to swim, for more information.
Arts and Crafts
I want my daughter to be able to explore her creativity as soon as possible. So, we’re going to be experimenting with a few simple, fun and edible crafts this summer. My daughter puts everything in her mouth, so I have to make sure all of our crafts are edible, non-toxic and all-natural. After doing a little Pinterest search I found a few cool projects I’d love for us to try as perfect simple summer activities.
Edible Fingerpainting
Fingerpainting is a simple and fun activity for babies 6 months, and older. All you need is corn starch, cold water, boiling water, and liquid food coloring. You can find the exact measurements here. You can explore finger painting in so many different ways, the crafts are endless with this one. We are going to attempt to craft some cool paintings for daddi, and hopefully learn how to paint different shapes and mix colors.
Edible Playdoh
A simple two-ingredient playdoh may also be a hit with your child. I know my daughter will love the taste of this simple playdoh, and will also enjoy the bright colors, and the feeling between her little fingers. For this, all you’ll need is store-bought frosting and powdered sugar. No real measurements needed, just add more powder to take away the stickiness of the frosting. Simple, sweet and a fun treat!
Calming Glitter Bottles
This is a cool craft that may be helpful for years to come. These glitter-filled bottles provide a healthy and effective way for little ones to help soothe themselves, calm down, take deep breaths, and work through their emotions. Sounds like a miracle worker for anyone with a cranky baby. Preschool Inspirations Blog has “6 Ways to Make a Calm Down Jar.” Find one you like and share your pretty jars with us on Instagram at @mommination and @brittanieseymone.
There are dozens more cool crafts and art projects you can do with your kids this summer, I’d suggest doing a quick Google or Pinterest search, and add a few to your summer activities bucklist.
Mommi Friendly Summer Activities
Now that we got some of the kid’s stuff on the list, let’s talk about some adult-friendly summer activities. Being a single mommi I don’t go out nearly as much as I should. So, this summer I want to make it a point to have some mommi time, without the babe #hotgirlsummer.
Here are a few mommi friendly summer activities I want to check off the bucket list.
Grown-Up Activities
A few grown-up things I have in mind are the new trendy sip and paint classes, escape rooms, and date nights.
I desperately need to go out more, meet new people and explore my city. There are a lot of cool new date night activities created for adults to have fun and mingle. I consider myself to be creative, so sip and paints are my things. You can do the typical “sip and paint” or the “twerk and paint” or even “strip and paint” for a little X-rated fun if that’s your thing.
Escape rooms, where you are locked in a room with a group and must solve challenging puzzles to “escape”, also seem like a cool way to mingle with people, and have a lot of fun. My plans are to get a group together and check out the local escape rooms in my area, there are tons of them opening up now.
I am also up for the idea of dating again this summer. I am still navigating through the single mother dating struggles, but I think I am finally up for the challenge. Nothing too serious just a little summer fun, flirt and mingle. Maybe a few outdoor concerts, lawn movie nights, and local dinner dates. A few casual date nights this summer are definitely on the bucklist.
Find a New Hobby
As an adult, I’ve realized more and more that I don’t really have hobbies. Sure, there are a few things I like to do, like nap, online shop and browse through Target, but I wouldn’t call those hobbies. So, this summer I am going to take some time to explore some potential hobbies and dive into a few. If you’re completely lost at where to start your new hobby search, fret not! I’ve got just the list for you here. Hobby Help has a list of over 100 hobbies to try this summer, you’re welcome.
Declutter
Lastly, I want to declutter, my life, like my entire life. I want to get rid of all the things that are just taking up space. My home, my wardrobe, relationships, social media, etc. We sometimes don’t realize we have people and things that are just occupying space in our lives for no reason. They don’t bring anything to your energy, and they even sometimes bring negative vibes into your space. So this summer, I am going to focus on decluttering, from the inside out and just be more conscious of the people and things I keep. No bad energy this summer, that’s not hot! #hotgirlsummer
I have a great feeling about summer 2019, and I want to make it enjoyable for my daughter and me, together. I am going to spend the next 2 months of the summer finding new hobbies, being creative and decluttering my space, living my best summer life!
Share with me what you have planned for this summer and any summer activities on Instagram @brittanieseymone and/or in the comments below. I am always looking to add to my bucklist so tell me what you got goin!
Have fun mommies and enjoy your summer 2019!
With LOVE,
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