5 Must-Have Daily Summer Routines For Little Kids

These mini daily summer routines are must-haves for families who want a peaceful and fun-filled summer for their little kids.

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Summer is just around the corner, and if you’re anything like me, you’re about to have your kids at home all day long.

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or juggling work and family life, the upcoming changes in schedules can for sure mow you over if you’re not prepared.

Believe you me, you don’t want to let the summer season sneak up on you only to find yourself feeling stressed and wishing for it to be over.

5 daily summer routines

Since we don’t avoid our problems around here: let’s tackle this head-on and make sure we create an amazing summer for our families.

Let’s dive straight into creating a summer filled with all the necessary things as well as some fun ones.

Chore routines

When it comes to planning your daily summer routines, one of the first things to consider is establishing chore routines for your kids.

And let me give you a massive pro tip (as a mama of 5 and parent coach): starting chore routines early on helps to avoid resistance later.

If you wait too long to involve your kids in chores, they may start refusing or developing a negative attitude toward them. So, it’s crucial to get your kids involved in helping out around the house from a young age.

Consider strategically WHEN to do chores in the summer

You can choose to have your kids do chores in the morning, afternoon, or even have touchpoints throughout the day when they take care of their responsibilities. AKA: before lunch they need to clean up the play area.

The key is to think about what works best for your family and make a plan accordingly.

Creating at least a semi-structured chore routine not only helps you avoid a completely chaotic home during the summer, but it also teaches your children life skills and responsibility.

Self-care routines

When it comes to planning your daily summer routines, it’s not just about the kids and their activities—it’s essential to carve out some time for yourself too.

That’s why the second thing to plan is your very own self-care routine.

In my summer rhythms workshop (linked above), I talk about a concept called the “not to-do list.” It’s all about giving yourself permission to do things a little differently during the summer months. You can lower your standards in certain areas, ditch certain commitments, or say no to things that can wait.

This will give you more space to relax and take care of yourself.

When the kids are home more often:

• the noise levels go up
• messes multiply
• the kitchen is in constant motion with cooking, cleaning, snacks, and everything in between.

It can be overwhelming, especially if you’re someone who craves a little peace and quiet. Whether you’re a highly sensitive person, an introvert, or even if you were an only child used to your own space (me! me!), the added noise levels, busyness, and pressure can drive you Past The Point.

So, it’s crucial to plan ahead and figure out how you’re going to find moments of calm and relaxation.

Consider creating your own SOS situation plan.

• Think about the things that bring you peace and make you feel centered.
• Maybe it’s taking a solo walk in the early morning (if you do a 5am morning routine)
• Reading a good book during naptime (book lists here)
• Having a designated “quiet corner” where you can retreat to when things get a little crazy or an “escape time”

Having a little plan in place, even if it’s as simple as knowing what helps you unwind, can make a huge difference in your well-being.

Fun routines (aka summer bucket list items)

It’s time to think about all the things you want to do and see during this summer season. How you approach this bucket list is entirely up to you and your personality. Maybe you’re the type who loves a long list with little checkboxes to mark off each day or week.

Or if you’re not a long-list type of gal, a short list of about 10 main things that are the most important to you as a family.

Classic summertime activities like:

• ice cream
• watching fireworks on the Fourth of July
• playing in sprinklers
• going to the lake/beach/river
• slip and slide
• splash pad
• vacation
• grilling out
• camping

Summer days can feel never-ending, especially when the sun sets later and the kids start getting bored.

So, when everyone starts getting squirrely and tensions rise, you can turn to your bucket list and say, “Alright, my darling offspring, what adventure shall we do today?” Or, as I like to call them, children of my womb.

It’s like your secret weapon against boredom and restlessness.

Special projects, plans, or life skills to learn

Now, let’s dive into planning those exciting projects and special plans for the summer. When I sat down to plan my weeks I realized, we are gone a lot.

If there are some things I really want done, I need to plan them in.

Summer is the perfect time to focus on building life skills and learning because the kids are home more and have that extra time on their hands.

• outdoor projects
• life skills (swimming, mowing, weed pulling, etc.)
• visits to friends or family
• appointments

Anything you want done, that isn’t a bucket list item but is more of a Need To Do Thing, you need to slot it in so you don’t get to the end of summer (which will fly by) and it goes undone.

Screen time summer routines

Screen time rules are crucial to plan, both for us moms and our kids. We need to know what we’re okay with BEFORE it comes up.

We all know how easy it is to get sucked into endless scrolling or binge-watching even though we KNOW that leaves us feeling empty and dissatisfied.

So, while going completely screen-free might not be realistic, it’s important to set boundaries.

Make screen time a privilege earned after completing chores, reading, outside play, exercise, etc. Let screen time be earned, not given when they are acting naughty just to get them to be quiet.

Summer brings more free time and less structured plans which means the temptation for Too Much screen time increases. It’s up to us to determine what’s an appropriate amount of screen time and ensure it doesn’t hijack our little ones’s development.