I have been working and working and working and working and working on this calendar for weeks now, and I’m finally ready to share it. Woot. No really. Woooot!
In fact, I’m so happy I’m literally dancing around the living room.
Why? I just mapped out the bones of our summer.
Ten weeks.
Ten weeks full of summer activities for thinking, curious, and creative kids. It’s our tabletop surprises calendar, and Maddy, Owen, and Cora will totally dig it.
We’ll still start out the summer by making Summer Fun Cards so that we are sure to remember to fit in everything we love to do during the long summer months, but then we’ll rock out the #tabletopsurprises.
This year, my kids are 10, 8, and 7 years old. They’re getting older, but they still love games. They love to create. They love to play with the old standbys that we’re too busy for during the school year but that they look forward to in summer months.
They still have playdates. They still hold my hand. They still want hugs. (Most days.)
So I’m milking this for as long as I can. Though learned the hard way last summer that because they’re getting older, we’re not all on the same schedule. Where I once used preschool mornings or rest time hours for games and learning, now we’re not on as strict a schedule.
I have an early riser and I have a night owl. And I have one kiddo whose mood is dictated by the weather, by the day of the week, or by the direction of the wind. So I’ve got to be flexible.
All I know is that what really, truly worked for us last summer was Tabletop Surprises because the activities ‘fit’ into our daily schedule. The kids headed to the table when they felt like it, sometime throughout the day.
And every day was kind of like Christmas because there was a surprise Every. Single. Day.
So we’re rockin’ them again this year.
Here’s the skinny. . .
- Summer Activities for Thinking, Curious, and Creative Kids–Tabletop Surprises Calendar:
What are Tabletop Surprises? Tabletop Surprises are invitations to learn, play, create, invent, and think–on their own time.
Little fun activities just waiting for someone to come along and try ‘em out.
this year’s tabletop surprises calendar 2014 teachmama.com
How to I get the kids to actually sit down and do the activities? A few ways:
1. The activities are fun and they want to do them;
2. At any given time, on any given day, I have been known to toss a few gems into the gem jars of people who have been spotted doing the activity. Not every day, but some days.
3. I’ll join them. Kids–I truly believe–like to hang out with their parents. Especially if their parents are kinda cool or funny or at least act like they’re cool or funny. I like to hang out with my kids, so when they sit, if I can, I’ll join them.
What are the ideas and what makes them so fun?
Simple. They’re hands-on. They’re cool. They’re creative and crafty. They’re unusual. They’re familiar. They’re old and they’re new. They’re digital and battery-free. They’re indoors and outdoors.
It’s a mix, and that keeps them going. And it’s only ten weeks. That gives us one week for vacation and one week to totally pound out math packets and summer school assignments.
I’m busy. I don’t have time for this.
Yes. You. Do. I’ve got every single thing you need right here. Ten weeks. Links to resources and everything. Just print out a few things, gather supplies the night before and set it out so it’s all there when the kids wake up. They’ll do it when they’re able.
In fact, I’ve so got this covered, that if you subscribe to teachmama.com via email (only a few emails a week–full of awesome for you and your kids!) you’ll have access to every single thing you need for the entire ten weeks. Every link. Every printable. Bam.
Cool. So now what?
- Print out the calendar: tabletop surprises calendar 2014 teachmama.com
- Subscribe to teachmama.com via email.
- Download the Tabletop Surprise Resource Guide (you’ll get it when you confirm your subscription, yo!).
- Give your kids the skinny on Tabletop Surprises.
- Start learning, playing, creating, inventing, and thinking alongside your kiddos!
- And? Share your #tabletopsurprises via instagram or twitter just for fun.
- Have the summer of your dreams. Well. . .
Give me a look at this stuff.
Sure. Check out last year’s Tabletop Surprises to get an idea about what we’re doing:
- Tabletop Surprises Week One
- Tabletop Surprises Week Two
- Tabletop Surprises Week Three
- Tabletop Surprises Week Four
Or check out some fun ideas from a our Smart Summer Challenge a few summers back.
Here’s to an awesome summer filled with fun learning and memory-making!
I printed the calendar and am looking forward to adding some of it to our other activities. My kids liked Tabletop Activities last summer. I have summer plans made already with some activities from blogs I’ve been collecting, but I had forgotten how nice it is to pull something out to leave for them to discover on their own! Thanks for the reminder! I am already an email subscriber…how do I get the resource guide?
Awwwwh, so appreciate you taking the time to write, Janice!! Glad that some will work for your kiddos! If you’re already a subscriber (yay!) the link to resources is in the email you re’d this morning! let me know if you have other questions, and I look forward to your #tabletopsurprises this summer!~
So far everything in the email, including the resources link, sends me to this post. What am I missing? Thanks
Janice. Sorry, friend. There was a block under the email with a button and link back to the resource page, but I’m so sorry if it was basically hidden and impossible to find. You were not alone, and I’m sorry!
If you check your email today, look for subject: special for teachmama subscribers ONLY: tabletop surprises RESOURCES! and the link is right there!
Many thanks for your patience!!
Thanks for this post. Already a subscriber. 🙂 How can we get resources?
you got it, Whitney! Your link to resources should be in the email you received this morning! Check it out–and let me know if you still need help!:)
I’m also a subscriber, and the only links I found in that email brought me back to this page. Help?
Wendy! If you check your email today, look for subject: special for teachmama subscribers ONLY: tabletop surprises RESOURCES! and the link is right there! Hope this helps.
Thank you, thank you for your patience, and we look forward to your #tabletopsurprises this summer!
Saw it. Thank you.
hi, Amy. Actually I don’t the link did work. I clicked on the link “subscribers click here” in my email & it took me to this same blog post page, so maybe I’m missing something.
Whitney! Sorry, friend. So strange. Sorry for the confusion! If you check your email today, look for subject: special for teachmama subscribers ONLY: tabletop surprises RESOURCES! and the link is right there!
Many thanks for reading, subscribing, and supporting us–and we look forward to your #tabletopsurprises this summer!
Whitney! HA! I check comments earliest to most recent. . . you beat me to it!
Very excited to see this and think my kiddos will love it. I subscribed, but the link in my subscription confirmation just leads me back to here, not the resource. I must be missing something. Thanks!
Betsy, sorry for the confusion! If you check your email today, look for subject: special for teachmama subscribers ONLY: tabletop surprises RESOURCES! and the link is right there!
Let me know if you have any other questions!!
I tried again and still am getting this page. Below is a copy of what I’m seeing. I’m clicking on “Tabletop Surprises: Resources for Families, summer 2014” am I clicking the right link?
Many thanks for subscribing to teachmama.com.
You totally rock.
As a thank you for subscribing, please enjoy this resource guide from teachmama.com:
Tabletop Surprises: Resources for Families, summer 2014
Betsy — SO SORRY!
Really, I tried to be all cool and tricky with this, and it backfired. BIG time.
The resource guide is a blog PAGE on my site that is password protected. It has everything you need for the 10 weeks.
Two things:
1. I had a security program installed that was protecting me and not letting ANYone in. It’s fixed.
2. I had the password entered in the site in lowercase and in the email in uppercase. It’s fixed.
The link in the email and the password in the email SHOULD work now! WOOOOT!
HUGE and happy thanks for your patience, friend!
Hello…thank you for this…my kids will love it…I am a subscriber…and was unable to get the resourse download…help please!!:)
Lauren, SO Sorry, friend. If you check your email today, look for subject: special for teachmama subscribers ONLY: tabletop surprises RESOURCES! and the link is right there!
Many thanks for reading, subscribing, and supporting us–and we look forward to your #tabletopsurprises this summer!
Phew! I so need this because I was just thinking about summer learning for my kids! Thanks!
Mia–YAY! Hope that some of it works for you and your girls!!
Awesome! I run my WP web design business from home which means, I am basically tied to my computer all day. Summers have always been tough because I want to spend some quality time doing things with my son but I have to work. So this year I let all my clients know that Wednesday’s are OFF LIMITS for for July & August. i promised my son, now 8 1/2, that Wed’s are our mom/son days and we are going to do fun things together. I was running out of ideas already and we haven’t even started yet so THANK YOU for this.
I am with everyone else though, the link in the email brings me to the subscription confirm page and then when I click the link there to get the resources it brings me back to this page. The link being clicked is this: http://teachmama.com/tabletop-surprises-resources-families-summer-2014/ maybe you just have the wrong link loaded in mailchimp?
~C
Chrissy — GREAT idea to set aside Wednesdays for you and your son!! So smart!!
About this log in problemo. . . really, I tried to be all cool and tricky with this, and it backfired. BIG time.
The resource guide is a blog PAGE on my site that is password protected. It has everything you need for the 10 weeks.
Two things:
1. I had a security program installed that was protecting me and not letting ANYone in. It’s fixed.
2. I had the password entered in the site in lowercase and in the email in uppercase. It’s fixed.
The link in the email and the password in the email SHOULD work now! WOOOOT!
HUGE and happy thanks for your patience, friend!
This will be great… Thanks! Sorry Amy, it’s the same problem with your new email that you just sent. Clicking on the link just brings me back here…
JILL — SO SORRY!
just emailed you, my friend!
I received the email with the correct link & password but when I enter the password another box pops up asking me for a username and password. Can’t get in 🙁
Chrissy — SO SORRY!
Really, I tried to be all cool and tricky with this, and it backfired. BIG time.
The resource guide is a blog PAGE on my site that is password protected. It has everything you need for the 10 weeks.
Two things:
1. I had a security program installed that was protecting me and not letting ANYone in. It’s fixed.
2. I had the password entered in the site in lowercase and in the email in uppercase. It’s fixed.
The link in the email and the password in the email SHOULD work now! WOOOOT!
HUGE and happy thanks for your patience, friend!
It worked, It worked. Thanks for the update!
omg! wooo–hooooooo! best news I’ve heard all day!! thank you!!!!!!
I am unable to access the resources page and am an email subscriber. I have the password, it does not seem to work. I just see a blank page.
Rachel — SO SORRY!
Really, I tried to be all cool and tricky with this, and it backfired. BIG time.
The resource guide is a blog PAGE on my site that is password protected. It has everything you need for the 10 weeks.
Two things:
1. I had a security program installed that was protecting me and not letting ANYone in. It’s fixed.
2. I had the password entered in the site in lowercase and in the email in uppercase. It’s fixed.
The link in the email and the password in the email SHOULD work now! WOOOOT!
HUGE and happy thanks for your patience, friend!
So excited to get started with the tabletop surprises! I received the password, but it then prompts me to enter a username and password. Can you help? Thank you!
just emailed you, Libby! It’s all worked out now!