Free Summer Activities

Okay so Cody gave me an assignment today. (Yes I know it's summer but he's an eternal teacher!) I'm supposed to make a list of all the stuff we could do this summer and create a summer schedule. Since I'm the best student in the world and lose my paper as soon sn my pencil loses contact with it, I thought I'd post it here so the world could see it!

Here goes, here are the free/low cost things we can do.

1--Utah Art Museum -- 200 S W Temple (ish) -- this is only fun-ish for the kids, but Cody and I enjoy it. We pack a picnic and eat on the grass outside on the north side of the building and the kids enjoy that part so it's a win win.

2--Church History Museum -- we've yet to see all of the stuff inside even though we've gone there a few times. We tend to end up in the Primary room with all the fun interactive stuff for kids to play on. My suggestion? Bring a book to enjoy while they enjoy themselves.

3--New Church History Library -- don't know if it's open yet, but I want to see inside!

4--Brigham Young's House/Church office Building 26th floor -- They rush you through so fast! We're hoping to find a time/day when the missionaries seem bored and there isn't another tour hot on our heels so we can actually ask questions and see all the cool stuff in there!

5--Hike Ensign Peak -- lived in Utah my whole life and I still haven't done this one. I'm thinking a sunrise hike sometime sounds great!

6--State Capital Tour -- we toured it on our own last year and that was lame, except the kids loved being in someplace so huge. This year we'll take the tour.

7--Liberty Park -- old stand by but the kids love it.

8--Gateway--playing in the water after a trip to Barns and Noble

9--**Main Library--actually, picking a different library, city or county, each week would be fun, never go to the same library twice but go to the library every week of the summer. **

10--Zoo--not free except if you buy an annual family pass then it feels free cuz you only pay that first time.

11--Clark Planetarium -- only good once a year cuz after you've seen it the only thing to do is watch a movie there. But why pay $50 to watch a movie (all 7 of us) when you can pay $3.50 (for all 7 of us) on Monday at the dollar theater? But it is fun to go that one time.

12--Utah Museum of Natural History -- free the first Monday of every month so hit it then!

13--Utah Museum of Fine Arts -- at the U -- first Wednesday of each month is free and the third Saturday from 2-4 is a free art project/lesson/lecture.

14--Temple Square & JSMB -- The movie's always fun, and downstairs in the North Visitor's Center...but we usually save this for a Sunday outing if we're ever not overwhelmed with meetings and other obligations.

15--Kennecott Copper Pit -- it's $5 per car load but it's SOOO cool. Plus, our favorite picnic place is up at Copperton Park so it's a must do, at least once each summer.


So I'm trying to think of how many activities we need. Summer's only 8 weeks long for the year round school kids. If we go to the library once a week and then go to the park once a week that only leaves 3 other days a week. If we do only one of these activities a week that leaves one day for laundry and one for outside chores. I'm thinkin' we're not going to be bored this summer! Oh, and I forgot to add all the concerts in the parks around town! There's something we can do after the boys get home from the gym!


Tentative summer schedule...

6:00 Mama to gym
7:30 Up and breakfast
8:00 Chores
8:30 Scriptures/Devotional
9:00 Outing
12:00 Lunch (or picnic if we packed it for our outing)
1:00 Papi School 20 minute centers / X1-X2 Nap Time
Math
Music
Foreign Languages
Reading
Writing
Other
3:00 Free Time
5:00 Dinner
5:45 15 min Chore touch up
6:00 X1-X2 Story time / Gym for Papi & Riley / Free kid time
6:30 X1-X2 Bed time
8:00 Kids to bed
10:00 Parents to bed


(Okay, if even 50% of this actually happens, I'll consider it a successful summer!)