Summer Activities for Moms of Littles- How to Savor and Survive with 3 Under 5

Sweet Summer Time- Tips for Savoring these fleeting little years and Saving Mama’s Sanity

It’s summer time! “What are you going to do with your kids?” I have gotten this question a lot lately, and although at first, I was like, what do you mean? How is the school year any different, they are all 3 mostly with me, but this year is a tad different as it’s the first year we’ve had our oldest in 2 day a week preschool/mother’s day out. Also, the boys are a little older and sometimes need a little more structure. So my last 4 years of “just winging it” feels like it may not work as well for my 17 month old, 3 and 4 year old. So as I’ve done many times in the past, I set out to do a little research and list making and want to share what I’ve come up with. Thank you to all of my friends who brainstormed with me and shared some great ideas!

**this post does contain some affiliate links at no additional cost to you. That simply means if you purchase an item through a link a small percentage goes towards the costs associated with running this blog**

Water Activities:

Is it even summer without water fun?! When you have 2 and under, anything water will be entertaining enough! Cheap baby pool from walmart, some bath toys or dollar store cups and funnels and you’re golden. Just always, always, always watch your babies around water. (I’m terrified of drowning!)

• Splash Pads- several neighborhoods near us have them, but some public ones in Houston: Jaycee Park, Nottingham Park, Zube Park (Cypress)

• Sprinklers/Slip and Slides/ Baby Pools/Water Tables/squirters/water guns/water slides, etc in back yard.

Water Tables are a huge win (Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship):

this was also a great activity when we started potty training a few weeks later.

This year Mimi surprised the boys with a slip and slide similar to this one: Wham-O Slip ‘N Slide Surf Rider Double

slip and slide fun

• Go to pool– this float, one of these, or this Water Mesh Ring Sling can make things a little easier if you have multiple small children. That being said, I am still terrified to take all 3 of ours to the pool by myself at 1, 3 and 4 since none of them swim yet. Maybe I’ll be more brave after they have swim lessons this summer.

Read about this water mesh ring sling Water Mesh Ring Sling and my other favorite carriers at this post here (and see video tutorials for how to use them!)

Don’t forget everyone’s float of choice: the puddle jumper time goes so fast- also we’ve used this Stearns 3000002180 Puddle Jumper Child Life Jacket, Blue Starfish since C was 21 months old, pictured above in the sunglasses. E is 17 months (holding the yellow squirter above) and the smallest of our three boys, so the puddle jumper is a bit big on him, but he’s not having the float. So we are going to try a few more things: this (Body Glove Dinosaur Swim Life Jacket) and this (Free Swimming Baby Inflatable Baby Swimming Float Ring ) (thanks Lindsey!) are on our list and I’ll get back to y’all! 1.5 ish is a hard age for the pool. Side note: we were gifted these nerf squirters maybe 3 years ago, and they are one of their most favorite water toys.

D was almost 4 months here, so not awesome with his head control yet, but this Swimways Baby Spring Float still worked okay for him. They have since created ones more catered to infants here: SwimWays Infant Baby Spring Float

• Beach or lake day trip (if feasible)- If you’re going to the beach with littles, don’t forget a good beach umbrella (Sport-Brella Vented SPF 50+ Sun and Rain Canopy Umbrella ) or a beach pop up tent (WolfWise UPF 50+ Easy Pop Up Beach Tent )  for some shade for the babies and toddlers. A collapsible wagon (
  Heavy Duty Beach Wagon ) with heavy duty wheels for the sand is also super helpful for carrying all.the.things.

Beach trip tips:

We got this handy picnic blanket (that folds up to be carried) at walmart. Don’t forget the sand toys: buckets for building and sea shell collecting, shovels, dump trucks, spray bottles (to wet sand to make it easier to make sand castles), kites, bubbles, balls to throw around, maybe a frisbee or a yard game for the grown ups, boogie boards, hats, sunglasses, a tent or umbrella for shade, a small inflatable baby pool is also great for really little ones, baby powder to help get the sand off, snacks and of course sunscreen. Our favorite is think baby. We also recommend these super cute Shark Ponchos towels for beach/pool. And their native like water shoes from Walmart for under 5 dollars have been one of our favorite purchase this summer, too.

• Ice on trampoline (thanks for the idea, Claire!)
• Smash ice with a hammer/meat mallet (thanks Busy Toddler)
• Do Swim Lessons. We signed up for a two-week clinic (10 sessions) for the first two weeks of summer, so that will take care of our daily outing for a while. I’m a little nervous about going every week day with all 3 kiddos for two weeks straight, but I’m hopeful it may be a game changer for us this summer.
• Paint Ice – another idea from Busy Toddler
• Water Parks (I’m still too scared to take all 3 of mine at their ages to something like this, but one day this will be so much fun!)
• Noah’s Ark at the Quillian Center– this is a really cute pool for little ones. It is hard to go solo if you have more than one non swimmer, but my husband and I have taken the boys the last couple of years and they’ve had a great time.

a picture of our boys there last year

• Spray bottles. A few summers ago our then 2 year old picked up a spray bottle and didn’t put it down for hours. Who knew it could provide so much entertainment? So grab yourself a bottle spray bottle (or 3), fill it up with water and let your little ones practice some fine motor skills. You can even play “Spray the Alphabet” if you have older kiddos- I’ve seen this idea a few places- days with grey being one of them.

At Home:

Because some days you just need to be at home.

• Fort building/stack up pillows or cushions for jumping
• Weekly Play Dates with Friends at homes or neighborhood splash pads, etc (Free and easy to keep an eye on kids, also an opportunity to practice sharing). Although it’s hard to ever finish a conversation and many times you’re interrupted by fighting children (nothing like having a lot of 3 and 4 year old boys under one roof), this one is one of my faves. There is just something about being in people’s homes. It’s also good for your kids to practice sharing their space and their toys with others. I will say that as the boys have gotten older they have seemed to get more and more shall I say, rowdy? When they were 2 and under it was a lot more calm to play at other’s homes. In this season with more friends having more kids and the boys being 3 and 4, they can sometimes get really full of energy at people’s homes. But we can just send them in the backyard, right?
• Giant Summer Bucket List as a Family- thanks Semperagblog for this suggestion. Her family brainstorms together and has such joy checking each item off. I like the idea of them being the ones to check the items off.
• Decorate cardboard boxes as cars and have a “drive- in movie” in the living room
• Make Homemade Ice cream, s’mores, popsicles, sno-cones or some other special treat.
• Play dough Kits– I splurged and bought one dinosaur themed kit for our 3 year old’s dinosaur birthday party, and my boys have played with that kit for hours! We also have the pirate one and the army kit. (edit: this has been our go to afternoon activity for the last few weeks- we love to listen to podcasts like Journey with story or Kids Bible Stories during that time.  Sandbox Academy also just started making some, as well. Maybe one day, I’ll head to ikea to get the cute containers, buy some fun things on amazon or the dollar store and make my own. I did make some really great smelling chocolate play dough and threw in some construction trucks to make a construction themed one for our littlest man when his big brothers got their two new kits. He has loved it!

You can check out Young Wild and Friedman here

Around Town (may cost money)

• Indoor Play Places (some ones we have tried: Giggles and Fun, We Rock the Spectrum, Hooray Indoor Playground, Play Oasis in College Station, I’ve heard good things about Kidtastic Park, Mokey Joes). I will say that these types of places often bring a lot of anxiety for me. Last summer when E wasn’t mobile yet, and the big boys were 2 and 3 and not quite as rowdy as they are now, it seemed a little more doable. Now that I have 3 mobile and often rowdy boys- trying to keep eyes in three places at once is a bit challenging. But for some families, these places are awesome- they just come with a price tag. Sometimes you can find groups ons or can get discounts certain days or times or for leaving social media reviews, so always check that first. Pro is these places are air conditioned, which for Houston is a biggie. You can also buy monthly memberships to many of these places if you plan on going a lot.
• Indoor Trampoline Places (Urban Air, Bounce Bounce, Altitude Katy). My boys love trampoline parks. They make me a tad bit nervous as well- again, it’s really hard to keep my eyes on all of them, and injuries can be a worry. Most of these places do offer toddler time (I know Altitude Katy has a toddler time on Friday from 10-12 and they even give free icees!)
• Free Play places inside churches- in Houston some good ones: Christ the King, Memorial Church of Christ on Echo, Second Baptist’s Second City is really nice- it is clean and they monitor traffic. I will say my very tall four year old was almost turned away (you have to be under 48 inches and he barely made the cut off). So take that into account if you have children of multiple ages, but for the most part I think it was a great fit for all of my boys: 17 months, 3 and 4. I think 2-2.5 is a perfect age for this place, and I wish it would have been around the last three summers. It’s awesome to be able to meet friends and actually get to chat with moms knowing your kids are running where you can see them (no where to hide or escape). I also just heard about the Woodland’s Church play area, but haven’t checked it out yet. The two great things about these: free and ac!

• Try a new park each week– Houston Parks or just local neighborhood parks. Pro is these are free. Con is it’s super hot. Don’t forget to pack a lunch with you in case play time lasts a little longer than expected. I recently grabbed some of these
  Containers that have been helpful for lunches on the go. A few our favorites have been John Paul Landing Park, Goforth Park, The Train Park in Old Katy, Exploration Park in Katy, the Playground at Grace Bible Church in town. 
• Find local VBS’s. Most Vacation Bible School don’t take kids younger than preK-4, so for us it isn’t that helpful to just drop him off when his 3 year old brother wants to attend as well. But, if you volunteer at one you can most likely bring your kiddos with you, and it can be a lot of fun for the whole family. (VBS always holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I first heard the Gospel)
• Find local day camps (art, sports, etc)
• Little Gym programs- many run weekly parent day’s out.
• Do a kid Swap with a friend– you watch her kids twice a month and she watches yours twice a month so you get some free time every other week.
• Sports: i9 has summer sports program and Coto Sports has summer classes. Check your local neighborhood Facebook page to get some ideas.

• Zoo- our zoo membership has been one of our favorite things during this season of littles. Also, get the souvenir icee cup. It’s totally worth it to end the trip with an icee.

• Toddler Skate– many skating rings do a fun toddler time for skating where you can bring push toys/balance bikes, etc. I’ve heard great things about Dairy Ashford’s here.
• Nature Reserves– do a nature scavenger hunt (just google images to see several)! I’ve heard good things about Kleb Woods Nature Center, Kickerillo, Edith Moore Nature Sanctuary.

• Free Bowling Passes– Kids can bowl all summer for free!
• Showboat Movie Drive-In
• Galveston Island Ferry
• Williams Sonoma Cooking Classes
• Dollar Movie Days– check local theaters for times.
• Houston Arboretum
• Berry Picking- We’ve gone to Blessington Farms the last couple of years, but I’ve heard great things about Frogberg’s Farm and Chmielewski’s as well. This year we timed it so we could pick both strawberries and blueberries. 

• Space Center
• Musuems: In Houston, the Children’s Museum is free Thursdays 5-8 (also try the one in Fort Bend or the Woodlands for a different experience if you’ve been to the one down town several times), and the Museum of Natural Science is free Thursdays from 6 onward.
• Find Churches who do summer bible studies with childcare. If you’re in the Cypress area, check out this one.
• Library Kits/Story Time. I haven’t done this, but had a few people recommend doing a library kit with Houston Library and exchanging it for a free pass to the children’s museum. So cool! We most often go to Harris County Libraries for story time, but in the summer time it always gets a tad crazy. Last summer I tried three weeks in a row before I got there before they ran out of tickets. I had just potty trained the oldest two, and ended up in the bathroom trying to hold a 5 month old in one hand and support a two year old on the potty with the other. #funtimes (But if any of you are thinking of tackling potty training this summer, check here: I’ve got you covered.)
• Little Beakers
• Mall Indoor Playgrounds like Frolic’s Castle
• Chickfila or McDonalds
• Join a local gym with great child care. So many in our area go to Villa Sport or Liftetime.

inside villa sport last summer

• Fishing in a nearby lake or neighborhood lake.
• Camping (you could even camp in the back yard)
• Participate in Cow Appreciation Day to Get Free Chickfila Day, July 9, 2019 this year.

• Go to a Baseball game.
• Go on a frozen yogurt or scocone date.

Take the Time to Focus on Some Area of Intentionality this Summer:

We only get 18 summers with our babies…. let’s make them count!

• Character Chest – I heard a wise women at church a few years ago share this incredible idea. I really hope to do it with our boys this summer, and if so, I’ll let you in on all the details. The general idea is you get a treasure chest and fill it with items, but each item is an object lesson associated with a character trait.This summer our church did a great training on Family Chalkboard values (we started in August). The simple, yet brilliant idea is each month choose a character value (honesty, kindness, friendship, words, perseverance, etc) that you want to focus on- write the word and a verse that goes along with it on the chalkboard. We have a chalkboard that has hung on our kitchen wall since my baby bump days with Caleb (I would do very detailed chalkboard updates weekly and sketch the fruit he was the size of…D and E got maybe a quarter of the chalkboards he did, lol). It is great that we see it while we are eating, so  we have three potential times a day to discuss the family value. I also decided to go to the library and get some books that talk about the virtue as well. The first month we’ve done is honesty and we found a precious book, Ruthie and the not so teeny tiny lie. The boys have asked me to read it again and again. 
• Time to do some intentional teaching, slow down, embrace being at home and the not going-going-going. If I’m not careful, I can suddenly go from no plans to a calendar full in a split second. You may take this time to work on a new skill like potty training or focus on scripture memory. One of the easiest things to work with for early readers is a pack of sight words books (Sight Word Readers Parent Pack: Learning the First 50 Sight Words s a Snap!) Check out my post on some simple preschool ideas at home here: 7 Tips for an Easy Prep, No Stress Preschool at Home (from a Mom of 3 under 4).
• Service Summer- practice serving those in need. Here are a few ideas. Our church is doing a “mission trip” of sorts to our city in mid July and we are excited to help this year.
• I LOVE LOVE Lisa’s post here about surviving summer. She gives some awesome practical tips! (marble jar, categories of time spent, bucket list ideas, chore sticks, etc). She has 4 kids a mix from preschool-elementary aged kiddos, and so much wisdom. I think her idea of having chunks of time devoted to different things each day: outside time, tv time, chore time, quiet time, etc and allowing kids to choose what they want when is brilliant. Any time I’ve tried to stick to a hard fast schedule I’ve failed because every day seems to look a little different with play dates scheduled and errands that need running. For us, we may try something like: outside time, tv time, reading time, building time, craft time (their choice of coloring/painting/play dough/kinetic sand), educational time, quiet/nap time. This way there is some structure and intentionality to each day, but each day doesn’t look exactly the same. It is a way to set limits on things like tv, without seeming so rigid and allowing kids to have some choice.

• You could also try one of the several summer schedules floating around on pinterest: Make it Monday, Try something new Tuesday, Water Wednesday, Thinking Thursday, Field Trip Friday, etc. Here are a few ideas: The Chirping Moms Printable Schedule or here: Inspiration for Moms.
• For older kids, a point system may work well to earn screen time/ tv time. Ex: 1 point for reading 20 minutes earns you 15 min of screen time or make sure they have completely a certain list of tasks or chores before they engage in screen time.

• If you can’t think of something and you have that feeling that your kids need a little extra something: three of my go-tos are days with grey, busy toddler, and sandbox academy.

A word of challenge and encouragement:

Some of you read this list and eat this sort of thing up- you love having a plan, and a list does not overwhelm you, but rather gives you a sense of peace. Others are wired differently and see a list and feel burdened, wondering how can I do all these things that “good” moms should do? (If that’s here, read this: it’s my whole heart summed up in a post: Gospel Hope for the Good Mom: Freedom from the Shoulds of Motherhood) Some of you are better moms when you have a many things on the agenda, some prefer to be at home and others need a little of both (me). First, you don’t have to do any of these things. The most important thing God continues to teach me is to be present with my kids- to truly be with them- teaching, enjoying, guiding, directing, pointing them up to the One who made them. On some days that looks like staying at home and on other days that looks like getting out and about before we all go crazy. We aren’t defined by our productivity. Relationships are more important than tasks. So, relax, pick a few fun things that will help you operate with a heart at peace and enjoy your children. They are truly such gifts and they grow so quickly- like many people say these days, we only get 18 summers with them. I recently heard one of my favorite podcasts, The Don’t Mom Alone Podcast chat about being intentional with our summers. It was a wonderful conversation and a treat to hear the discussion between three moms of kids much older than mine. It’s always good to gain a little perspective. They gave an acronym: ENJOY- Evaluate, Note, Jot, Order, You. See the show notes or listen for a longer description.

Remember it’s good to be bored- we shouldn’t plan every minute, and be so busy that our kids don’t have time to play with their own toys or outside in the front or backyard. We shouldn’t go into debt trying to entertain them all summer long. Let them have some built in blank space…it’s refining for them and you- I’ve learned for me taking breaks from social media is so very important for my mind. And breaks for our children are equally if not more so, important. Learning to play is a very important skill. But if you’re anything like me when I tell my boys it’s time to play and deny their requests for tv time it often turns into rowdy play or fighting with in a minute. I admit, sometimes I am tired and I give in. I turn on the tv for “just one show” so I can make lunch in silence, but as I’ve reflected some often if I push through- the fighting turns back to playing and they can come up with some amazing ideas. It’s so fun to watch them create. Right now there favorite thing to play with is sticks in the backyard. Yesterday they were pretending they were arrows for “fighting the bad guys”.  If I over schedule our summer and have something every single day (which I am tempted to do), I miss out on the daily routine of teaching and playing and having a simple life at home. (to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you. 1 Thess 4:11). Our culture constantly tells us more is better and get them involved in every activity under the sun before they are one just so they don’t miss out. Let’s give our kids a space to be kids. It saddens me that one day soon, that walking down to the neighborhood park won’t be an activity all of mine enjoy anymore.

On a note for more effective play- make sure you have a lot of open ended toys/building toys- (check this list with over 100 ideas for some suggestions). Organize your toys so kids can find things easily and put things away easily, and try rotating them. And look for opportunities to praise them when you see them doing well (Use Your Words, The Power of Praise)

When we’re stay at home moms and we want someone else to take care of our kids:

Let us not become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9)….there is a temptation to want to pass my kids off for a couple hours here and there, to just have a mental break…to feel not needed. While I think this in small doses can be very healthy (and I know some of you may work full time or work part time and childcare is a blessing and a true necessity to your family). But, as a stay at home Mom, I know I need to be careful to not delegate the “hardness” to others. We could potentially sign our kids up for a camp every week and hardly ever spend time with them. It’s all about balance. So before I sign them up for something, I try to ask why? What is my motive? It’s always a good place to start there: at the heart. Is this good for them, or for me? Is it necessary? Am I motivated by pride- trying to achieve a certain social status? Am I motivated by fear- afraid they are going to miss out or somehow be behind? Am I not trusting God to provide patience and endurance for me in the daily grind? Am I looking to time alone to be my functional Savior or am I trusting Jesus to be sufficient for all things? Or, am I motivated by faith, knowing this is what He’s calling us to do? Busyness is the enemy to hearing God’s voice. Always in a hurry, we can miss His presence. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. It can also create kids who have to be entertained every second of every day or constantly expect the next best thing.  I am very much aware of a spirit of entitlement in myself, and we have to be so careful to not worsen that already-there tendency in our children’s hearts. God has called each of us to mother our children. I have chosen to be at home with them, and I know that is not everyone’s calling or choice, but I want to be faithful with that task He has given me to do. The tricky part is this faithfulness cannot be a one sized fits all prescription. He’s given us all specific tasks and different sized “plates”. Our families are unique (gender, age gaps, only children vs. tons of siblings). This is where daily walking with Him comes in, seeking Him to see what He would have us to do and asking for wisdom. Jesus, oh how I desperately need you. Press on Mamas. Be faithful. Seek the Lord and see what He would have you to do. Enjoy each day because we never get to do it over again. This is the only summer your little ones will be the ages they are.

Other posts you may find helpful:

• Gospel Hope for the Good Mom: Freedom from the Shoulds of Motherhood

• 3 year Old’s Wish List- 100 Purposeful Ideas from a Mom of Three

• 7 Tips for an Easy Prep, No Stress Preschool at Home (from a Mom of 3 under 4)

• How We Organize Our Small Playroom

• Whole 30, the Easy Way for a Busy Mama

• Quick and Easy Paleo Chicken Salad

• IKEA Hack: Budget Friendly “Farmhouse” Kids Table

• The Ultimate Guide to Potty Training: A Failure turned Success and Persevering when things don’t go your way

• Father’s Day Super Simple Craft (with Free Printable)

• The Ultimate Tantrum Survival Guide and Other Bonus Parenting Tips

 

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