Summer Strategies for Keeping the Kids Busy

It's almost May, which means moms are sorting through the various enrichment activities, day camps, sports teams, summer school offerings and assorted other organized undertakings available to kids in the western suburbs during the summer months.

This was never my strong suit. I seemed to either under-schedule my kids—requiring me to be a computer cop for the entire summer—or over-schedule them, which meant I had to spend hours each week shuttling them back and forth to activities.

What I always really wanted for them is what I had—long summer days spent outdoors with friends and punctuated by rainy days holed up with a good book. I didn't take an "enrichment" class until junior high school, mainly because there weren't many offered in that time or place.

Did I miss out? Maybe. Have my children missed out? Yes, I believe they have. But not, I think, on organized activities, although they were enrolled in far fewer than many.

How do you plan your children's summer schedule? How do you find the right balance between time spent indoors and outdoors, and scheduled and unscheduled activities? And how do you ensure you're choosing those activities wisely? Is there a day camp or a class you highly recommend?