School is Out.... Now What? Part 1 Staying Cool

Here in Vegas school is out on Thursday. So now what do we do with the kiddos till August? The kids are always so excited for summer break but in about 2 weeks the following phrases start echoing through the house: I have nothing to do, I'm bored, etc.... So in an effort to help prevent some of these phrases in my house I thought I would share a list of ideas I am trying with my girls. Granted they are only 3 & 5 and don't know the difference between summer break, spring break, & winter break.

Living in Vegas gives us a different challenge than other parts of the country that I have lived in. Mainly the heat. My oldest gets bright red after 5 minutes of being outside so I always have to monitor her. I have 4 main goals for my summer fun Stay Cool, Learn a little, Have Family Fun, & Stay on Budget!

1. Stay Cool is probably my #1 goal. Even though I am not a morning person in the summer I try to get moving early to beat the heat! Here are some of the things we like to do to beat the heat.

• Swimming Lessons - This is my highest priority in the summer for my girls. I have one daughter who is scared and one who is fearless. I have tried group lessons and they never worked for us because my oldest would end up sitting on the side because the other kids in the class wanted to participate. So I have enrolled my girls in private lessons at Las Vegas Swim Academy. While the lessons are expensive my girls are in the water, jumping in the pool and learning to swim. So for me it is worth the price so that we can enjoy the pool safely this summer.
• Park Adventures - As you may recall I am a member of our local MOMS Club chapter. We LOVE park days. So we try and attend as many morning park days as we can. We also try to schedule them at the parks with water features. Usually if we go in the morning the kids can play longer (get real tired), come home eat lunch, and then they take a fantastic nap. Plus it is a great time for mom to be able to chat with friends.
• Summer Movies - Read this past post about Regal's Free Movies. It is great they typically have a G & a PG movie playing. Get there early because there are usually a lot of people. Share some popcorn with a friend and enjoy.
• Story Time - My kids LOVE to go to the library. We try to go every 2 weeks or so. I typically order my books online and have them waiting for me so I don't have to drag the girls to the adult section. With the self check out it is super easy. Visit the library website to find out when storytime is at your library. You can also find storytime at Borders and Barnes & Noble.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow. I will have a Guest Blogger who will talk about inexpensive ideas for the kiddos. I meet her on Twitter and I know you will really like her ideas! Let me know some of your favorite ideas for staying cool in the Vegas heat or wherever you may live!