Score Keeping Summer - Making your big kids earn screen time

As we near the final day of school, I am thinking about what next week and the nine following weeks will bring for my kids. While some of our summer days are booked with summer camps and vacation time, my kids will have plenty of downtime.

While I am very good with unstructured time and downtime and understand the importance of it, I don't want either kid wasting away beautiful summer weather bathed in the blue light of a screen. 

I also work from home and need at least some time to get things done with minimal cries of "I'm bored" or loud squabbling. 

The past few summers, we've compiled a list of activities that will earn you screen time, and I posted it, although my past list was a lot more basic than the one below. 

I am fully aware that some of the items on this list also involve screens. However, they are more productive than hours spent binge-watching fluff. The kids and I both worked on this list together. Feel free to borrow anything here to keep your kids entertained this summer.

Photo by August de Richelieu: https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-helping-her-daughter-with-homework-4260477/

Ways to earn screen time in our house 

• Walk the dog
• Go to the park
• Run an errand (buy milk from the corner store, mail letters, return a library book, etc.)
• Go to the library
• Swimming
• Playing outside with friends
• Crafts
• Yoga
• Practicing karate
• Playing quietly in your room
• Deep clean your room (twice a year, the kids go through their toy bins, bookshelves, clothes, etc., to clear out old items and make room for new items, time spent doing this activity counts)
• Reading (in addition to comics, graphic novels, and other books of interest, both kids have agreed to read two novels this summer and work on projects about them with their tutor. Jack's first novel of the summer is The Great Gatsby. Molly's is The Green Mile.)
• Sessions working with their tutor
• Online drawing tutorials
• Doing Word Searches
• Learning cursive writing (even though this is being re-introduced into the curriculum in Ontario, I think they're old enough just to miss it)
• Learning French on Duolingo
• Typing tutor games
• Taking an online babysitter/health and safety course
• Babysitting
• Cooking or baking
• Storyboarding and working on one of their movie projects together
• Playing a board game
• Writing postcards
• Outdoor chores (staining patio furniture, pulling weeds, washing windows, etc.)

What do you do to keep your kids off screens for the summer?

The Summer of Scorekeeping & Minimizing Screen Time

 After a year and a half of online learning and limited affordable summer camp options, the hubs and I began to worry about exactly how much screen time Molly and Jack would be getting, particularly when we were working and they were lazing about this smmer.

While some days of camp,time outside with a vaccinated babysitter, family vacations within Ontario, and visits with Nana and Papa are all on the schedule there will also be a lot of downtime.

I am a big fan of kids having unstructured play time, on the other hand I have deadlines and Zoom meetings, and two kids fighting or complaining they're bored often leads to screen time to keep the peace, quiet, and deadlines met.

So, the night before the last day of school Chris and I sat out on our back porch to brainstorm some ideas on keeping screen time to an absolute minimum. Then, I had an idea.

Like most parents, I had seen the images of notes from parents to their kids doling out the Wifi password each day ONLY after they had completed a series of chores. This popular online parental trope gave me an idea.

Image Courtesy of Social News Daily

That night we decided during working hours the kids would need to earn their screen time. We came up with a list of activities that earned them screen time. Some earned at minute for minute other items, like a successful 45 minute session with their tutor would earn them double screen time. 

Essentially we gamified screen time. Within those parameters things like pre-approved online drawing, crafts, and educational tutorials do not count as screen time. A minimum of one hour of reading a day is on the list as required, but again completing the reading earns them screen time. So far the kids love the process and when they don't feel like doing the items on the list they'll draw, work on crafts, or play together quietly. 

Here's the list of items our kids can complete to earn screen time. Ironically some of it involves being on screen, but we're okay with that.

• Reading
• Writing letters or postcards
• Playing with the dog outside
• 15 minutes of typing tutor games
• Chores (what needs to be done is determined on a day by day basis)
• A productive, focused session with their tutor
• Tutoring homework
• Speech therapy sessions (this one is only for Molly)
• Walk the dog with mom

I'm happy to report a week in this is working! Another thing we did to get the kids excited was to join the TD Summer Reading Program. The kids can search for ideas on books to read, log what they have read, and write recommendations for other kids. The goal at this point is 20 books each for the summer. 

How are you keeping your kids off screens this summer?

The Whole World Is Our Playground - Ravina Gardens

In order to prevent the kids from vegging out in front of TV 24-7 on summer days with me I try and get at least a little time with nature.  Another playground in our area has recently undergone renovation - and now has a brand new splash pad and wading pool, so I packed up the kids and Ted Theodore Logan (our dog) and walked over.

My park review disclaimer: If you don't live in the area I hope you enjoy the pics and can use some of the ideas to inspire and explore in your own city. If you have any recommendations for great playgrounds (or new criteria I haven't thought of) please post a comment on this post or email me at multiplemomstrosity @ gmail.com .

A small but sweet splashpad under shady cover

Park Name:

Ravina Gardens Park 290 Clendenan Avenue

In the West end of Toronto, an 11 minute walk from High Park Station

Parking:

There is some free parking on the side streets, just be wary of the school limited parking hours on weekdays, during the school year. 

Theme of Park:

Shady Oasis

Ground Coverage:

The playground has ample shade coverage and has soft wood chips to cushion any kid related falls, along with wide expanses of grass to play on.

Variety of Equipment for different ages:

Most equipment is designed for younger kids (three to eight years old), with smaller, but interesting climbers.  The splash pad has both a wading pool and sprinkler style water play area (something nearly unheard of in Toronto nowadays) and is perfect for toddlers and little kids alike.  

Enjoying the spinner (not sure the formal thing for this equipment)

Best Parts of the Park:

This park has a variety of equipment under ample shade coverage and so many shaded seats for parents, kids, and picnics (including umbrellaed areas by the splashpad).  There are more benches than I've seen in any park of this size.  There is a station to fill up your water bottle and a Portopotty for kids who need to use the facilities.  The park features several swings, including a wheelchair accessible one, and a clubhouse style play structure.  If you sit near the centre of the park you can view children playing at both the splashpad and the climbers. Molly says her favourite part of the park was the spinner structure, where she and a few kids worked to spin around, while Jack loved the new splashpad, and the ease that he could run from the splashpad to the wading pool.

How Long My Kids Stayed to Play:

We were at the park for just over an hour and left because the kids were hungry for lunch. We could have stayed a lot longer, particularly if we'd brought some other toys to play with (or a picnic lunch). 

Downfalls:

A couple of bigger, more challenging play structures would be good to allow older kids to play with a challenge.  Because this park is on a side street it's not really near any food or convenience stores unless you're willing to walk at least ten minutes away.

Overall Rating:

I would rate this playground a 3.5 out of 5, mostly because I think my kids are going to 'age out' of this park within a year or so (but man would I have loved this place had it been built a couple of years ago).  

Plenty of space for Ted & I to hang out while the kids play

To view my playground review of the playground with the boat (Vermont Square) click here.

To view my playground review of Pricefield Road Playground click here.

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There's A Hole In My Bucket - Summer Family Bucket List

The minions really loved knocking items off of bucket lists since we started the project last winter, and we've continued it each season.  I've been a little MIA on the blog front, but a lot of that was work in preparation for a summer filled with more time with Molly and Jack - which means more content, reviews, and everything else.  The kids are getting more and more involved in helping me crate these lists which is one of the reasons why they're getting a lot longer.   Most of these items are for the family, but some are for me as an added motivation for my 101 in 1001 goal/bucket list, and since I'm a little late posting this, we've checked a few items off already.

I love bucket lists because the have inspired us to book activities, appreciate what each season has to offer and get out and move, even when we were tempted to just curl up and binge on some Netflix - which when it's cold or rainy outside is really easy to do.  Use this to help build your own summer bucket list....and feel free to share suggestions.  Let's get out there and make some memories people!  Summer will be over before we know it!



1. Learn to ride our bikes
2. Go to Centre Island
3. Go on a Scavenger Hunt at Evergreen Brickworks
4. Go on four hikes✔✔✔
5. Visit three new playgrounds✔✔
6. Visit the Catskill Mountains✔
7. Visit the miniature Statue of Liberty✔
8. Fly a kite
9. Go to symphony in the gardens at Casa Loma (for the adults)

Jack circa summer 2014

10. Try archery (for the adults)
11. Try new BBQ Recipes✔
12. Have a picnic✔
13. Jump in muddy puddles
14. Finish our earth ranger grey fox and salamander sponsorship
15. Try new recipes using ingredients from our garden✔
16. Have an outdoor garden tea party
17. Go canoeing
18. Go to a baseball game at Christie Pitts
19. Go to an outdoor movie in the park (for the adults)✔
20. Make our own ice cream sundae bar

Summer 2 years ago, Jack was so proud for being able to climb so high

21. Make a flower crown out of wild flowers✔
22. Read the Entire Isadora Moon Book Series
23. Read the Entire Zombie Goldfish Book Series
24. Try 2 new splash pads✔
25. See The Incredibles 2 in Theatres✔
26. See Teen Titans in Theatres✔
27. Go to Wicked with Molly✔
28. Finish a road trip license plate game (48 states achieved)✔
29. Ride on the Beer Cart in Frankenmuth Michigan (grown ups) - Cancelled too time consuming and expensive
30. Go spend an afternoon out in nature using our colouring books

31. Do a cannonball into the water at the cottage✔
32. Buy a Hammock for camping and use it
33. Find a croquet set to play croquet with the kids✔
34. Enjoy an outdoor concert by the lake✔
35. Have water gun and balloon fight
36. Go cherry picking
37. Make Smores✔
38. Explore Outdoor Markets and Farmers Markets✔
39. Celebrate Molly and Jacks's 7th Birthday✔
40. Celebrate my 40th Birthday✔
41. Do fun and educational things for shark week✔

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