I love all of the activities that summer brings. All winter we talk about what we will do in the summer, but now that summer is here I keep forgetting what we want to do. I don’t want to forget to do things we have expressed interest in. I also don’t want to get in a rut.

We often get stuck in ruts. We go to the same park over and over for weeks. We go to the zoo every week for months and then stop going for a month. We go to the library regularly until we stop. There is so much to do it is impossible to work it all in.

This summer I want to try to do more activities. I created a summer passport for Audrey with all of the things we have talked about doing this summer. It’s a simple notebook with a space for stickers when we complete the activity. She can earn a book for every 10 stickers she earns.

Elliot will be doing the activities with us, but he is a little young to really understand. He’ll get a book reward when Audrey does, and he’ll get a sticker to put on his shirt when Audrey gets a sticker in the passport (and one for her shirt too, because my kids LOVE stickers).

I’m starting summer passports this year even though Audrey is a little young to understand completely. I think it is a good habit to get into now. She can’t read yet, so I’ll be able to add activities to the passport when I think of them. I hope having a summer passport will get her excited to try new things. I also hope it will get her to agree to do things that I want to do that she isn’t always gung-ho about (like hiking).

Audrey’s passport list:

• Go to music class
• Walk to farmers market
• Play at a new park
• Make Pudding pops
• Have a breakfast picnic
• Go berry picking
• Paint outside
• Eat on Patio at Saints (a kid friendly sports bar in our neighborhood)
• Visit the Clive Library
• Visit the Science Center
• Walk around Gray’s Lake
• Decorate 4th of July cookies
• Go out for ice cream
• Go to the beach at Big Creek
• Play at Riley Park
• Play at Tower Park wading pool
• Play at Beaverdale Park
• Swim at Ashby Park splash pad
• Have a Dance Party
• Play at Greenwood Park
• Hike at Walnut Woods
• Hike at Browns Woods
• Go to the zoo
• Visit the State Historical Building
• Walk the River Walk with Uncle Todd
• Visit Ivy’s farm
• Swim in a hotel pool
• Bike to Breakfast

I’ve also put together a passport for our 4-year-old neighbor who is Audrey’s good friend (her mom is my friend too, it’s really handy). Her activity list is smaller than Audrey’s; when she completes 10 activities we will have donuts. Her list only includes things that our families regularly do together and activities that her mom and I have talked about doing this summer. I didn’t want to spring all sorts of things on her mom that she wouldn’t want to do. I’m also going to tell her mom that we can add things if she wants, and she can tear out any pages she doesn’t want to do. I want it to be a fun activity for everyone involved.

Do you have any suggestions for activities to add?