Summer Staycation: Transform Your Home into a Kid-Friendly Camp

Summer’s here, and while traditional camps might be booked or pricey, you can create a week of unforgettable adventures right in your own backyard (or living room!). We’re talking themed days, crafts, games, and memories

Tomorrow will be the start of our weekly long At Home Summer Camp, Camp Lieb.

I’ve carefully planned out fun activities and snacks for the entire week. Each day has a theme and usually some sort of learning element, but it’s mostly just going to be loads of fun.

I’ve purchased most of my supplies (including food) and was surprised at how little I actually had to spend. Most of our projects and activities require very little money.

Here is our schedule for the next next. It’s a “loose” schedule as life happens and we have to be flexible especially with a baby.

The Schedule:

Monday: Friendship Day!

Tuesday: Space Explorers!

Wednesday: Ocean Adventures!

Thursday: Nature Discovery!

Friday: Ninja Training!

Day 1 – Friendship Day

Theme: Celebrating the joy of friendship and teamwork. Activities:

• Friendship Bracelets: Gather colorful strings, beads, and teach your kids how to make friendship bracelets.
• Team Games: Organize relay races, three-legged races, or a scavenger hunt that requires teamwork.
• Kindness Rocks: Paint rocks with positive messages and hide them around the neighborhood for others to find.
• Snack: Heart shaped cookies or fruit salad.
• Craft: Create a group mural on a large roll of paper, with everyone adding their own design.
• Book: The Rainbow Fish

Day 2 – Space Day

Theme: Blast off into the wonders of the universe. Activities:

• DIY Rocket Building: Use recycled materials like cardboard tubes and plastic bottles to create rockets.
• Constellation Creation: Use glow-in-the-dark stickers to create constellations on dark paper or the ceiling.
• Planetarium Show: Watch a space documentary or create your own “planetarium” with a projector or flashlight and a colander.
• Snack: “Moon rocks” (chocolate covered pretzels) or star-shaped sandwiches.
• Craft: Paint and decorate paper mache planets.

Day 3 – Nature Day

Theme: Explore the wonders of the natural world. Activities:

• Nature Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items to find in the backyard or a local park (leaves, rocks, insects).
• Leaf Rubbings: Collect leaves and use crayons to create leaf rubbings.
• Bug Hotel: Build a small habitat for insects using twigs, leaves, and pinecones.
• Planting seeds: plant some easy to grow flowers or herbs.
• Snack: Trail mix or apple slices with peanut butter.
• Craft: Create nature collages using found objects.

Day 4 – Ocean Day

Theme: Dive into the depths of the ocean and explore marine life. Activities:

• Ocean Sensory Bin: Fill a bin with blue water, sand, and toy sea creatures.
• Saltwater taffy creation: make your own salt water taffy.
• DIY Aquarium: Decorate clear plastic bottles or jars with sand, shells, and plastic fish.
• Ocean-Themed Games: Play “shark attack” (tag) or create an obstacle course with “underwater” challenges.
• Snack: Goldfish crackers or “seaweed” (green fruit roll-ups).
• Craft: Make a jellyfish using a plastic bag and streamers.

Day 5 – Ninja Day

Day 5: Ninja Training!

• Theme: Develop agility, focus, and ninja skills.
• Activities:
  • Obstacle Course: Create an obstacle course using pillows, blankets, and furniture.
  • Ninja Training Games: Practice balancing, jumping, and rolling.
  • Nunchuck creation: make nunchucks out of pool noodles.
  • Target Practice: Use beanbags or soft balls to practice throwing at targets.
  • Snack: “Ninja stars” (star-shaped crackers) or fruit skewers.
• Craft: Create ninja masks and headbands.

Tips for a Successful At Home Summer Camp

• Plan Ahead: Gather supplies and prepare activities in advance.
• Involve the Kids: Let your children help with the planning and preparation.
• Keep it Flexible: Be prepared to adjust your schedule based on your children’s interests and energy levels.
• Embrace the Mess: Some activities might get messy, so be prepared with towels and cleaning supplies.
• Capture the Memories: Take photos and videos to document your DIY camp experience.
• Have Fun! The most important thing is to create a fun and memorable experience for your children.

With a little planning and creativity, you can create a week of summer camp fun that your kids will cherish forever. So, get ready to unleash the adventure and make this summer one to remember!

Our Daily Schedule

As you can see I’ve schedule in “shows/movies” that correspond with the theme. I will also be picking up some library books that fit our theme days as well.