Summer Projects

This is on our fridge.  It's a summer list.  As you will notice, there is no "go to water park/Sea World/Disney World" on the list.  With children ranging in age from 7 down to 10 months, doing those kinds of things is not fun for myself or hubby.  Maybe it's our personalities, but keeping constant watch over four little ones in a crowded park is not our idea of fun.  For me, when they get older...yes.  For Dad, when they get older...probably still a no!  We have camping trips planned, but that's it in the way of attractions.  


Besides camping these are the around-the-house projects we'd like to play with.  It's a list that we all sat down together to make.  My thinking is that it will give us something to do at home.  It will be self-paced, educational and keep us (aka the kids) from getting too incredibly bored this summer.  If you're a parent, you know how booooored kids can get!  (Please tell me my kids aren't the only ones to live on 6 acres, have 14 chickens and two cats and get bored)!




The first project on the list is to build a solar oven.  I admit, this is my contribution to the list.  I think it's an awesome idea to use passive energy in the home and it will keep the kitchen from getting so stinkin' hot in the middle of the summer.  I hate cooking in the summer.  By the time I sit down to eat I'm dripping with sweat and then I'm expected to eat the hot, steamy food I just labored so warmly to make?  No, thank you!  I've looked at different plans online.  Did you know you can make a solar oven out of cardboard boxes and rolled up newspaper?  It's true!  Check out some plans here.  I can't wait to try this out and play around with it.  The kids mentioned trying to make raisins in it.  How cool would that be?  


The second one is hubby's contribution to the list:  build a wind turbine.  Sounds a tad more complicated, but fun and educational just the same.


The third is to design a family symbol, or crest, and to make matching family t-shirts for everyone.  We've had this idea for a while.  It seems like a great family bonding idea, and something the kids aren't old enough to turn their noses up at yet.  Can you imagine a teenager wearing a matching t-shirt as their parents?  One with a hand-designed family logo on it?  Yeah, exactly.  We figured we'd do it now to instill the idea of "Team Robertson" in the kids.  The idea that we stick together as a family and work together to help each other out.  What do you think?


The next one is electrical circuitry.  We touched on circuits a couple weeks ago in our homeschooling and we lit a light bulb using batteries, electrical tape and paper clips.  It was the highlight of my homeschooling career thus far!  We'd like to explore that a little more in depth this summer.


And, last on the list but first in the hearts of our children, build a fort.  Our very persistent 5-year-old will not be letting us forget this one any time soon.  We have the perfect patch of trees in which to build this fort, though, and I think it will be fun to create something unique for the kiddos to play in.


So, these are our family summer projects.  Stay tuned throughout the summer to see pictures of our creations!  


What will your family be doing together this summer?