In the Summer of 2010, I decided to rebrand
my lack of planning for the summer into what I preferred to call a “positive
opportunity” by hatching the idea of a Summer of Fun Bucket List (aka, Camp
Mom). The kids and I had one glorious summer of diligently researching,
planning, executing, and blogging, but the idea eventually lost momentum and
quietly slipped into oblivion in 2011 and 2012.
This summer, I am resurrecting and updating
our Summer of Fun Bucket List for 2013 and the rules, resources, and other
perimeters are set forth below (I’m hoping that a summer of blogging will make
me write less like a recovering lawyer and more like a writer):
THE CHALLENGE
- Prepare a draft schedule five days a week, every week, until the end of the summer, subject to weather, changes in attitude, or other unforeseen circumstances. Without the working schedule, I am staring down 13 unplanned and unaccounted for weeks of summer with three children ages eight-and-a-half, six-and-a-half, and four--potentially dangerous and soul-sucking situation. The success of the Summer of Fun 2013 turns on the schedule, which has been (mostly) planned out through the end of June and remains a work in progress
- Tie in relevant books and movies into our regular outings
- Record our daily adventures and outings in a blog, even though I may very well be the least technologically advanced person under the age of 97
- Have each child and myself complete a hard copy scrapbook of our summer, complete with photos, ticket stubs, postcards, written descriptions, and drawings
THE CATEGORIES (in the past three years, this has morphed
into a somewhat unwieldy 65-page Word document and includes:)
- Museums
- Beaches/Pools
- Playgrounds/Parks
- Zoos
- Libraries
- Gardens
- Other (this is a smorgasbord of places that defy easy categorization such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Coney Island, and Grey Line double decker bus tours)
- Neighborhoods and Walking Tours
- Broadway, Movies, and Other Shows
- Adventures Outside the City and Overnight Trips
THE RESOURCES
- City Walks With Kids: New York 50 Adventures on Foot by Elissa Stein
- Fodor’s Around New York City With Kids, 4th Edition
- Storied City: A Children’s Book Walking Tour Guide of New York City by Leonard S. Marcus
- New York Family: website and monthly magazine (newyorkfamily.com)
- Red Tricycle: website (redtri.com)
- Time Out Kids New York: website and monthly magazine (timeout.com/new-york-kids)
