While summer vacation is longer than 10 weeks, I set a goal of heading to the library 10 times during the summer to leave time for this…
and this…
and this…
…time to totally let the kids’ brain cells relax.
Now that we have returned from vacation, here is another Summer Reading Challenge post.
It would have made sense to decide whether to establish a weekly library routine at the beginning of summer vacation. With summer well underway, I know that you have, consciously or unconsciously, already decided whether to adopt a weekly library routine. However, I stuck this challenge here — mid-summer — for a reason.
I personally find it easy to get carried away at the beginning of summer and set unrealistic expectations for my family about what we will do during summer vacation. I thought it would be nice to take a moment mid-summer to consider how frequently we are actually making it to the library and to set a realistic goal for ourselves for the remainder of the summer.
For our family, I have concluded that it is impossible to stick to a weekly library routine in the summer. Our summer schedule varies too much from week to week. That said, we are doing a good job of making it to the library sometime each week without a routine. Thus, our plan for the remainder of the summer is to keep doing what we have been doing. We may adopt a weekly library routine in the fall.
What about you?
- Has your family been making it to the library as much as you would like this summer?
- What are your goals for the rest of the summer?
- Does your family have a weekly library routine? If so, what does your family’s routine consist of?
Summer Reading Challenge:
- Introduction
- Week 1. Talk with your children about the kinds of books they would like to read this summer. Go to the library!
- Week 2. Get your children their own library cards.
- Week 3. Create a reading nook.
- Week 4. Check out a book for each child that you think they will really like.
- Week 5. Assess how frequently your family makes it to the library. Decide whether to establish a library routine or not.
- Week 6. Check out a children’s magazine at the library this week. Consider subscribing to a children’s magazine.
Here’s another weekly visitor. Well, I go every week; my kids are allowed to skip occasionally, since we usually check out more than we can read in a week. Every month or so I have a huge crisis over this, but they are more rational.
When they were young they had to accompany me, since they couldn’t stay home alone. And picture books need replenishing more often.
We love the library! We go to the library once a week year round. During the summer months, we’re more flexible as to which day we go, but if we miss the normal day by too much, my son will begin to ask when we’re picking up new books.