Don’t look at the calendar — it’s a jolt to see just how few days of school are left. The end of school always seems to sneak up on us. Let’s get to the finish line together.
Daily plans: Are the kids registered for camp yet? If the answer is yes, kudos. We’ve got your packing list for both day and overnight camp here. If the answer is no, no worries! Scoot over to our Virtual Camp Fair to see some of the great area camps that still have open slots.
Vacation plans: Family vacay on the schedule? If you’ve got a high schooler, why not work in a visit to a college campus? We tell you how here.
Teacher gifts: We canvassed our readers on Facebook (like us there and join the mom-versation), and gift cards are far and away the favorite end-of-year teacher gift. We love the idea of collecting several from classmates and attaching them to cutout cardboard flowers arranged in a gift-card bouquet (right).
Summer learning: Keep on top of the summer slide by getting your hands on some of the books on our ultimate summer reading list by grade, and make sure to take advantage of the area’s wide range of summer learning opportunities.
Father’s Day projects: Dad’s got a big day coming up amid the end-of-school swirl of activity. Personalize a kid’s gift by using something he’s already got in the garage: Hand-stamp a baseball (left) or Rit-dye a bucket of golf balls (or get crafty with other ideas on our Father's Day board over on our Pinterest page).
Find fun: Finally, remember that summer’s a thrill for kids — doubly so if you take them to experience the new theme and water park attractions we highlight here.
And don’t forget about our 72 Days of Summer Fun, with great prizes every day from June 18 through the end of August.
MK Staff Picks: What We’re . . .
Watching: I Am Big Bird, a documentary about Carroll Spinney, the octogenarian who’s manned Sesame Street’s feathery yellow suit for 40-plus years, is on demand at iTunes.
Wearing: Rash guards. Play keep-away with the sun’s rays by layering an SPF 50 swim shirt on top of all the sunscreening you and the fam will do (we like these from Land's End).
Eating: Fruit cones are colorful, tasty, healthy and easy — just scoop and plop fruit balls into a standup ice cream cone. See a handful of variations on our Pinterest page.
