2020 Summer Checklist... Covid Edition

Every year my boys and I put together a summer checklist. We include 50 of our favourite summer activities, and we spend our vacation checking items off the list. This year, our list has been adjusted to conform with Covid social distancing and travel restrictions, but there are still tons of easy and inexpensive adventures in our future. Below, you will find a FREE printable version of our 2020 summer checklist, as well as some really helpful links.

To download our list: click on the picture above, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.


Then, check out the links below for more helpful hints, tutorials, recipes, and ideas.


1) Celebrate Canada Day

2) Watch fireworks or play with sparklers

3) Have an outdoor picnic or BBQ

4) Go to a splash pad, swim in a pool or run through a sprinkler

5) Buy a meal from a food truck or local restaurant

6) Paint a rock and leave it for someone to find

7) Read a book outside

8) Have a water fight or NERF gun battle

9) Have a movie night outside or go to a drive in

10) Do an “at home” escape room

11) Eat donuts from a string (with no hands)

12) Have a parent/child “one on one” date (kid’s choice… under $20 and 2 hours)

13) Plant something and watch it grow

14) Make a craft

15) Build a fort (inside the house or outside)

16) Get ice cream in PJs (drive throughs are OK)

17) Play catch, basketball or street hockey

18) Make homemade ice cream or make milkshakes

19) Go for a bike ride

20) Decorate a cake or bake cookies

21) Spend time at a cottage, beach or park

22) Do a science experiment

23) Play a board game outside

24) Go geo-caching

25) Have a "kids pick the meals" day

26) Play chocolate bar BINGO (like regular BINGO, but with chocolate bar prizes)

27) Play golf or mini golf

28) Learn a “trick shot” or magic trick

29) Try a new food or a new recipe

30) Have a theme day (e.g. spy training day, "parents say yes" day or "spend our gift cards" day)

31) Camp at a campground, in the backyard or in the living room

32) Have a PJ day

33) Build a large puzzle

34) Make a video

35) Fly a kite

36) Have a dance party or sing karaoke

37) Go on a scavenger hunt

38) Organize a drawer, closet or room

39) Play with water balloons

40) Do a good deed or raise money for charity

41) Go on a road trip to another city or town

42) Make an obstacle course in the yard or go for a walk in the rain

43) Roast marshmallows, make s'mores or cook a different campfire treat

44) Write and mail a letter or postcard

45) Visit at least 5 different ice cream stands

46) Go stargazing

47) Pick your own

48) Pick your own

49) Pick your own

50) HAVE ICE CREAM FOR SUPPER!

Creating and completing a summer checklist really is one of my favourite family traditions. We've had to "tweak" it a bit this year due to Covid, but we still have lots of wonderful activities planned. 

Does your family have a summer checklist? Are you planning to print mine? If you don't want to include all the items on the list, you can just choose your favourites. Have fun!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Summer Themed Days

With school out, and some Covid restrictions still in place, many parents are looking for easy ways to keep their kids happy and entertained. I'm a big fan of flexible schedules during the summer months. I like a little structure to keep the family on track... but with lots of free time to play and relax. I love the idea of creating theme days, don't you? You could do it for a week, or you could apply it to the entire summer. Check out the poster below.

To print a copy of the schedule (above): click on the schedule, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

I have also included some helpful links below.

Make it Monday

Get creative with art and crafts. Paint rocks, make pom poms from yarn, fashion friendship bracelets, try toilet roll weaving, have a painting party, etc…

Take a trip Tuesday

Use your imagination to take a pretend trip, learn about a new place, go virtual sightseeing on YouTube, camp in the backyard, go on a fun outing, etc..

Get wet Wednesday

Set up water balloon pinatas, go swimming, play with squirt guns, run through a sprinkler, have a water balloon fight, blow bubbles, have a bubble bath or bath with glow sticks, etc…

Thinking Thursday

Enjoy fun and educational activities like doing science experiments, reading, writing, etc…

Fun food Friday

Play with food. For example: eat donuts from a string, make ice cream in a bag, mix up some edible playdough, decorate cupcakes and cookies, make homemade ice cream sandwiches, visit an ice cream stand, whip up some homemade lemonade), etc...

Doesn't this look like a fantastic way to spend a week? The great part is that the summer theme day schedule is super-flexible. You can just do one activity a day, or you can fill your days with fun adventures. It's totally up to you. Have fun!

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Fitness Challenge Jar (including free printable label and ideas)

With Covid restrictions in place, and many organized sports on hold, this is a great way to get kids active and excited. Put together a Summer Fitness Challenge Jar. I've included a free printable label, instructions, and activity ideas below.

To create a fitness challenge jar: grab any jar, add a label, and fill the jar with slips of paper containing simple fitness activities. Whenever kids (or parents) need to get moving, someone can draw one of the ideas out of the jar.

To print the free label I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 picture.

You can come up with your own challenges, or you can use mine.

To print my challenges: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

I love this idea, don't you? I also think it would be fun to offer an incentive to finish the jar. For example, the whole family could camp in the backyard when all the challenges have been completed. Fun, right?!?!

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)