The Summer Play Day: It's Not Just for Toddlers Anymore

Summer recreation is fun for parents and kids alike, so consider trying a regular weekly play day. Here are some great ideas… “What can I do that is fun?” This is a regular question from five-year old Jordan. When summer arrives and schools let out, moms all over Kansas City know that this question in its various forms will be posed much too often. As parents we are not responsible for keeping our kids constantly entertained; a little “creative boredom” is good for their imaginations. But, it is fun for parents and kids alike to have summer recreation ideas ready and waiting. That is why I propose the regular weekly play day. What you might have known years ago as the baby/toddler play group has grown up a little.

Last summer, our family established a regular play day for our friends and neighbors. Inspired by summer camps of the 50’s and the infamous Mount Wannahakkaluggie from Finding Nemo, we dubbed our play day “Camp Wannalaffalotta.” (Translation: Camp Want to Laugh a Lot)

It started with an open invitation to practically everyone we knew: Come play at our house every Tuesday morning in July from 9-12. Bring a water bottle with your name on it, a sack lunch, sunscreen, and a lawn chair for Mom. “Everyone we knew” included about twenty families with one to six children, from newborns to teens. I added a disclaimer that we couldn’t promise to be super-entertaining for the teens, but we would do our best by the preschoolers and school-aged kids. As it turned out, the older kids who came enjoyed visiting with others their age.

You, too, can create a weekly day of friends and fun. Here are some guidelines that worked well for us:

Pick a regular time each week. Remember that old Batman slogan, “Same Bat Time, same Bat Channel”? Viewers knew they could count on watching the caped crusader at the same time and station every week. Make your play day the same time and place each week so that moms can spontaneously load up the kids and come play.

Any family’s schedule will work. Whether you are home with the kids during the day or doing double duty as a working mom, a play date can still fit in your summer plans. We chose Tuesday mornings, but a late afternoon weekday with a picnic supper or even a block of time on the weekend will work just as well. While you can’t accommodate everyone’s schedule, consider the lifestyles of your invitees to pick the best time.

Ask friends to bring their own sunscreen, water bottles, and picnic lunch. Not only is this a practical thing to consider, it makes it easier for you as hostess and is a great reminder for the other moms that these needs will arise. You might even ask the moms to take turns bringing a mom snack. Often moms are able to get it together for the kids, but not themselves. Last summer we enjoyed a taco salad bar one day and a delicious berry coffeecake another.

Know that not everyone will come every week. Invite a huge crowd because not everyone’s schedule will fit yours every week. We had some families make it a regular part of their week while others were able to come just once over the summer.

Moms will enjoy the activity as much as the kids. Communicate to the moms that you expect them to join in the fun. While a situation may arise when a mom needs to drop off her kids for a morning, you don’t want this to become everyone’s habit. You’re not a daycare – you’re hosting a get-together for children and moms alike.

Feel free to plan an alternate location. We live on a cul-de-sac and have a fairly large yard so I felt confident that we could handle the traffic of a potentially large group. If this isn’t your situation don’t let it be a stumbling block. Plan your playtime at a local park. You can pay to reserve a picnic spot or take your chances. Be prepared to cancel on rain days or plan ahead to meet at a child friendly indoor location. Inquire about the use of your subdivision clubhouse, pool, or your church or synagogue. Perhaps you can use these facilities free of charge.

Plan activities in advance. While kids are often pleased just to have free play, it is always helpful to have some planned activities up your sleeve. Ask other moms for help in the planning. Some of our activities included:

Tie dying --we provided the dye, guests brought their own shirts.

BYOW (Bring your own wheels) -- Everyone brought their own bikes, scooter, or roller blades and we tore up the cul-de-sac.

Water fun -- round up all the sprinklers, wading pools and slip-n-slides you can find. Notify friends to bring swimsuits, towels and sunscreen.

Hopscotch tournament -- Believe it or not, the boys liked this just as much as the girls. We had a hopscotch book that showed a variety of courts. Using sidewalk chalk we marked those around our driveway and sidewalk. We also supplied little wood chips from Papa’s workshop for the markers.

You could meet at a new pool, restaurant, visit Science City, Worlds of Fun, Paradise Park, Power Play or a movie theater. Think about what your kids and their friends really like to do and work that into your play day.

Include those you don’t know well. Since we opened our invitation to the neighbors we had the opportunity to make new friends. If you have carloads of kids showing up each week, either at your home or the park, you’re sure to attract attention. What a great way to model friendship to your kids by including those you don’t know well or at all.

Plan for rain. Our first rain day took me by surprise. A few quick calls secured a truckload of Legos and other indoor activities supplied by friends. Consider an impromptu film festival, especially if you’ve got some snacks lined up.

It is easier than it sounds. While it may sound like a lot of work, it entails only a little pre-planning and fellow moms who are enthusiastic about getting together. I was amazed at how much fun we had. Everyone who came said they enjoyed it. I was so glad we did it. You’ll be glad you did it, too.

Jessica Fisher is a freelance writer who lives in Olathe. She and her husband with their four boys enjoy hosting many “Play Days” in their home.