Summer Activities for Boys

This summer i wanted to come up with a list of things to 'keep the kids busy' and found myself putting together of 'mommy crafts' on Pinterest. But lets be honest with 5 kids, i wasn't excited about creating more work for myself. Do I want my kids to have fun this summer - YES! Do i need to simply entertain them? - NO! I'm so thankful i stumbled across this list of things that a child should know how to do by the time they are SIX, by Charlotte Mason.

Given that our boys are basically 5, 6 & 7, it seemed like the ideal time to put this up as a 'to-do' list, in fact it seemed much more worthy of my time and preparation that throwing coloured balloons at a piece of paper in the backyard (though we still do some of those fun things too!)

Because our boys are bilingual, i modified the list some (ie. #16 & 17) My boys know thousands of words in Polish and by this point are pretty much fluent. Whenever they are bored i look on my fridge and pick something to work on. They LOVE the poems that they are learning and a bonus is that they learn whatever i teach their brothers as well (so we really just do 2 sets of 3 poems). Here is our modified list below ⇩

Boy’s Summer Activity List

(17 things to be taught to children by the age of 6)

1.    To recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns
2.    To recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm

3.    To add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters

4.    To read — what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child

5.    To copy in print-hand from a book

6.    To write their own name (first & last)

7.    To write the alphabet A => Z, in capital and small letters

8.    To know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows

9.    To describe the boundaries of their own home

10. To describe any lake, river, pond, island, etc. within easy reach

11. To tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stores from Bible history, 3 from early American/Canadian history, and 3 from early Roman history

12. To be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views

13. To mount in a scrap book a dozen (12) common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and where they found them.

14. To do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees (leaves, seeds, flowers)

15. To know 6 birds by song, color and shape

16. To tell a story about their own “pets” — chickens

17. To keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from their own observation

The summer is almost half over, and we still have a long way to go. In fact, i doubt that we'll finish the list. But that's okay! They love their nature journals and are improving in their handwriting and ability to tell stories and recite poems! Below are the 3 that they are learning ⇩

The Wise Old Owl
There was an old owl who lived in an oak;
The more he heard, the less he spoke. 
The less he spoke, the more he heard, 
Why aren't we like that wise old bird? 

Snowball (by Shel Silverstein)

I made myself a snowball

As perfect as could be.

I thought I’d keep it as a pet

And let it sleep with me.

I made it some pajamas

And a pillow for its head.

Then last night it ran away,

But first it wet the bed.

Now We Are Six (by A.A. Milne)

When I was one,
I had just begun.
When I was two,
I was nearly new.
When I was three,
I was hardly me.
When I was four,
I was not much more.
When I was five,
I was just alive.
But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six now
for ever and ever.