Ditch Those Summer Plans

As we head into summer I continue to see mention of ways to plan out your child's summer for a variety of reasons.

While I think that some planned activities such as camps and family activities are good and should be a part of life, I also believe there is a time to ditch the planning.

I would like to suggest more days of sending your kids out the door with no plan. Let them decide what they are going to do. Give them the freedom to explore the neighborhood, find friends and do a whole lot of nothing. This might seem like like a waste of time to many, but it is a very valuable learning experience. It takes planning, problem solving and social skills to make it through an unplanned summer day without getting bored.

I also think it helps revive the lost art of play.