The end of the school year is always a mad dash. Although, a more accurate statement is: the school year always feels like a mad dash… but the end of the school year feels like you are sprinting to escape a bear that is chasing you! Because the end of the year can be so hectic, it is natural to move into summer and want to do nothing for the foreseeable future to allow yourself a chance to recover and recuperate your energy. The challenge in doing this is that the days quickly slip by and before we know it, we’re back in our spaces preparing for the next school year wondering where our summer went!
When we intentionally maximize our summer, by creating a schedule that allows us to enjoy a variety of activities at a pace that also allows us to rest, our time away from school feels restorative. To create a schedule that maximizes your summer, consider thinking on a micro and macro level: micro level is setting a schedule each day that allows us to take care of ourselves at a pleasant pace and macro level is looking at the entirety of the summer and planning different activities that provide us with opportunities to connect with others, have fun, and do things we love.
You know what works best for your day-to-day schedule, so we won’t spend much time on this, however we will share a couple of reminders.
- Plan your sleep. This is a great time to provide your body and mind with rest, so seize the nights by planning your schedule to allow yourself the time you need to feel recharged.
- Build in buffers. During the summer, something that may typically take us 15 minutes to do during the school year suddenly can take us 25 or 30 minutes simply because we are not needing to move at the frantic pace of the school year. Plan for this and give yourself enough time. Plus, you never know when it is going to be hot, so you may need a quick bite of ice cream or an iced coffee before your next activity.
- Pick your top 3. Instead of feeling like you need to do everything on one day, pick 3 activities or chores that will help you feel accomplished at the end of the day – but not exhaust you. Spreading out activities and chores throughout the week and getting a few checked off will leave you feeling successful.
When it comes to macro level planning for the summer, our suggestion is to think of different categories that are important to you and then schedule them throughout the summer. Leaving space in between big events or activities is helpful as you then have time to fit in those that are altered because of weather or other extenuating circumstances. While there are no right or wrong categories, here are five of our favorites to help get you started.
- Social events
Whether it is spending time with friends, meeting up with new neighbors, or joining a group from a social site, interacting with others can rejuvenate us – especially when it is with relatable adults! Whether you plan or join an ice cream social, full-moon hike, dinner party, or salsa tasting, having an opportunity to engage in conversation with others in a fun social setting will help you connect with others in ways you probably haven’t been able to for a while!
- Travel
You can travel to another city, state, or country and visit all the main tourist attractions, or you can explore everything that is nearby to fulfill your wanderlust and see something new! Schedule a date during the summer to visit a state park, favorite nearby town, or main attraction and then grab your camera, walk slowly to take everything in, and take a moment to really enjoy all that surrounds you.
- Inner summer kid fun
Summer is a perfect time to allow your inner child to emerge, and what better way to feel young, invigorated, and energetic! Whether you have a water balloon fight, play with sparklers, or spend a rainy day splashing in puddles, scheduling child-like fun will help you reconnect with the students you work with in the fall and remind you of the freedom and fun summer can offer.
- Family fun time
When was the last time you had a family fun event scheduled? Whether it is a kickball/wiffle ball game or turning your backyard into a movie theater, doing something loved or trying something new as a family allows us to build our sense of belonging and fun with those that are most important to us. You can grow your family fun time from a simple game into a day or night of it by adding thematic food (popcorn, crackerjacks, peanuts, hotdogs) and snap some pictures to keep this summer memory in your minds for a long time to come!
- Doing what you love
The last category that should be scheduled throughout your summer is one that really focuses on what you love. Whether you love to learn, cook, garden, craft, or run, consider elevating your passion by trying something new! Consider taking a class, joining a group, or working with a professional to do what you love and continue that enjoyment through pushing yourself even more.
When we take time to plan out some different events throughout the summer, our summer feels interesting, full of variety, and packed with fun. In addition to lending itself to making new memories, we also refill our bucket and batteries by having a chance to spend time doing things we love, trying new things, and enjoying the people we are with! Hopefully, this list has given you a few ideas on how to maximize this summer with adventure. While it takes a bit of effort and creativity to schedule and plan activities throughout the summer, spending time to schedule them at the start of summer will allow you to make special memories that will be worth it and to return to the next school year feeling energized and refreshed.
We’d love to hear how you plan to maximize your summer break – head over to our social media channels and let us know!
Written by Sarah Fillion & Dana Januszka 2023
