Savoring Summer: Our Daily Rhythm With Structure + Adventure

How we're intentionally spending our summer months before beginning another homeschool year.

It’s taken me a few summers since beginning our homeschool journey to realize that having a complete free-for-all in our home isn’t always what’s best for everyone. The relaxed nature of it seems good for a few weeks, but then things quickly turn from unstructured bliss to having multiple kids follow me around like ducklings asking, “What can I do?".

Maybe you can relate a little?

We all need a break from the busy school schedule so taking a few months to intentionally wind down and feel rejuvenated before beginning another year is necessary in many ways. But after the novelty wears off, that’s when we crave daily rhythms again.

Instead of diving back into our school routine early and missing out on the slowness that we all love about these months, I’ve found that having a loose but structured summer schedule is what helps to keep our days enjoyable, adventurous, and free from the cycle of boredom. A little bit of rhythm and some predictable routines gives us enough structure to help us enjoy our days, keep up with some learning, and return to school in late July feeling rested and ready.

In this post, I wanted to share a quick look at what our daily summer rhythm looks like on a regular week where we’re not traveling (with kids ages 9, 7, 5, and 2). A lot of our days look the same since we prioritize a less busy lifestyle, so being intentional about how we spend them is what makes this season sustainable and enjoyable…

8:00 a.m. – Wake Up
We let the kids sleep in a little later than during the school year, but not so much that the day runs away from us. Waking between 7:30 and 8 keeps our mornings slower but productive.

8:00 to 9:00 – Chores & Breakfast
Each child has their own morning chores and chore chart, and this has been a lifesaver for keeping our home running smoothly. Unless it’s a Saturday morning where I make a special hot meal, my 3 older kids are responsible for getting themselves breakfast— usually a yogurt parfait with granola, toast, cereal, or fruit.

9:00 – Morning Walk or Bike Ride
Before it gets too hot, we head out for a walk or bike ride to our favorite trail nearby. This helps to give us daily exercise while it’s still cooler in the day, which is much more enjoyable than convincing hot and tired kids to keep going! It usually includes a stop to climb rocks, play in the creek, or pick wildflowers.

10:00 – Snack Time & Read-Aloud
Snack time always comes at 10:00 every single day of the year, so this is a consistent standing time that the kids know and look forward to. During the school year we do our Morning Basket time during snack time, so in the summer I typically read a classic children’s novel while they eat. Currently we’re reading Little House on the Prairie.

Mid-Morning – Unstructured Play & A Little Bit of Learning
After snack, we have plenty of time for creative play. On days that we’re home, I also weave in short learning times with my older two so we don’t loose key skills that they worked hard to gain throughout the school year— a grammar workbook, math flash cards, or a quick speech practice session for one of my kids.

12:00 – Lunch (Made by My Daughter!) & Chores
Lunch is typically prepared by my nine-year-old, who’s become quite the kitchen helper and enjoys making creative lunches for her brothers. Sometimes they take their plates outside to their playhouse or we pack the lunch boxes and head to the park nearby. Afterward, we tidy up again and reset the house for the afternoon.

12:30 – Outdoor Play & Family Read-Aloud (before nap time)
After lunch and cleanup, the kids usually head back outside for more play— bike riding, trampoline jumping, or making concoctions in their mud kitchen. Then to wind down and get ready for nap and quiet time, we squeeze in one more read-aloud, either picture books that my younger boys checked out from the library or our family chapter book.

1:30 to 4:00 – Quiet Time
Afternoon quiet time is a consistent rhythm we do all year long, because it works and gives us all a short break to reset. My toddler naps, and the older kids each go to their own space for quiet time. They do silent reading and quiet activities. This is also my window for writing or catching up on other projects while I have a bit of kid-free space.

4:00 – Snack & Neighborhood Play
After quiet time is over, everyone reconnects for a snack and then heads back outside, usually to play with neighbors until dinner time. Sometimes I’ll set up the sprinkler in the yard or have water-play on the trampoline but usually they play, swing, bike, or find some other creative activity to do.

6:00 – Dinner & Family Time
Prioritizing dinner together nearly every night of the week is one rhythm that we’ve set firmly. My kids love saying their “One Good Thing” as they have a chance to tell one thing they were grateful for today. My daughter then cleans up the kitchen (as part of her chore routine) and the rest of our evening is spent playing whiffle ball in the yard, going on a walk, or just hanging out together.

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Weekly Anchors for Novelty

Alongside our daily rhythm, we’ve built in a few weekly anchors that I sprinkle in throughout the week. This adds a bit of novelty with the ability to get outside the house and see friends, explore nature, or take more time to do field trips before we start our busier school year again.

• Weekly Library Visits – We make one trip each week to stock up on fresh books. The older kids choose chapter books for their independent reading time, and the younger ones pick out picture books that we keep in a big basket in the living room.

• Field Trips or Day Trips – Once a week, we try do something a little bigger. So far, we’ve visited the zoo, the science museum, and the berry farm where we picked way too many strawberries. These outings are a highlight of the week and give us a chance to be adventurous together.

• Hiking – We’re doing a summer hiking challenge through our local library this year that includes weekly hikes and I’m really excited about it! All but one of my kids is fully able to hike without being carried or pushed in the jogger so hiking seems much more doable in this season.

• Summer Bucket List Fun – At the beginning of the summer, we had so much fun making our Summer Bucket List! It’s a big poster filled with tons of ideas of how to add adventure, creativity, and fun activities to our summer. We sprinkle some of these in throughout each week— popsicle-making, backyard camping, water balloon fights, silly national holidays—just little things that make summer feel memorable.

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Having a flexible rhythm, one that allows us to stay rooted while still giving us room to breathe, has been the best way we’ve spent our summers since choosing to homeschool. The kids continue learning without the pressure of our regular formal lessons, our days feel relaxed but purposeful, and there’s still room for swimming at the neighbor’s pool, spontaneous playdates, or catching up on projects at home.

But most importantly, it gives us the reset we all need before jumping into a new school year. I hope this post was helpful if you have kids at home during the summer months and are looking for ideas of how to balance a little bit of structure with some adventure and relaxation— without feeling the lazy summer day boredom set in half way through!

As always, thank you for reading and following along! If you found this post helpful, I’d love if you shared it or sent it to a friend who might also enjoy it.