Nanny to Mommy

School is rapidly approaching the end and what are your plans this summer? If you are like my family, we vacation during the spring or fall so the summer is wide open. My children are just now getting old enough to participate in summer camps. The reason I personally like the idea of summer camps, is because I like for my children to stick to some sort of schedule and, honestly, get out of the house for a few hours.

Since my family is so new to summer camps, please let me know what summer camps you have attended and I will look into them. I want to have an ongoing summer camp list that people can use and find informative. 

Though it may seem like 2018 just began not too long ago, here we are already into the summer season! School is out, the kids are home, and that means there will be plenty of opportunities to spend time as a family. Here are some fun ideas that you can do at home as a family this summer!

The sun is shining, the backyard is freshly mowed, and something most associated with summer is always at your fingertips- the backyard barbecue. The 4th of July doesn’t have to be the only reason to fire up the grill in the summer, and even though it is easy to grab fast food on the way home the payoff of a homecooked meal outside on a nice weather day is a great family bonding experience. Let the kids get crafty beforehand and make their own fun, custom aprons for Dad to wear while cooking, for mom to use while tending to the garden, or for themselves!

Today is National Get Outdoors Day! Summer is here and there is no better time for outdoor adventures. Whether it's going on a hike, visiting a park, planting a garden, camping, geocaching or stargazing, Nat Geo Kids makes it easy and fun for kids of all ages to #EscapeTheIndoors and explore their world.

My hope each and every summer is that my children avoid the summer slide which is not forgetting everything they learned the previous school year. STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. I love to have educational toys on hand during the summer in hopes of beating summer slide.

Summer is here! Don't let your kiddos suffer from summer slide. Summer reading is critical, not only for helping kids maintain learning while school is out, but also for fostering social-emotional development, discovering the joy of stories, and elevating the importance of lifelong learning. Educators and parents agree summer reading matters. Below are some great selections plus you could win some copies of your own!

With my son going into kindergarten and my daughter going into third grade (but reading on a fourth-grade level already), I want to keep this momentum going. So, we have been reading all summer long! If you take a look at my Summer Bucket List Ideas, it included completing a reading log.



So, I searched the web and found this printable reading log that we have been using. And the kids are earning their rewards. Y'all let me know in the comments what some good reading log reward ideas are. Maybe something from my Spectacular Summer Toy Guide? Anyways, we were sent a wonderful book from Silver Dolphin that is great for summer reading and a new spin on some awesome classics!

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

 

The Smithsonian is one of the coolest places on Earth. We traveled to D.C. the year before our daughter was born and it was awesome. Now, the WOW factor of this amazing museum is now available via interactive books and activity kits - perfect for chasing away those summer boredom blues.

 

 Nanny to Mommy received complimentary products to host this giveaway. All opinions are her own.

If you have been following along so far, you have seen some of our summer fun already. I decided I would put together a little Hello Summer Fun Gift Guide. These are all the awesome products I have found that help you and your family enjoy summer. These are some products I have either come across and just loved or that were sent to me and loved. :)

If you would like to see your product featured, please email me at Diana.n.chastain@gmail.com.

My daughter is at this amazing age where she wants to learn as she plays. I think it has a lot to do with the amazing teachers that she had last year. They focused on a lot of hands-on learning and she learned so much in the past year. Now that summer is in full force, I have been wanting to make sure she doesn't get "Summer Brain Drain" and lose all that information.

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

So when I was asked to review the GeoSafari Jr. My First Telescope from Educational Insights, I took it as an opportunity to help my daughter learn about the moon and other lunar facts with a hands-on experience.

We are in full blown summer fun our house, but it sure has been a rainy one. Whenever we have had a chance, we have been getting out. We have had so many parties to go to where it even rained at those! And what do you do when the weather is bad and you have two cooped up kids to entertain all day? Board games are a great idea especially when you can take them on the go too!

What better than some fun games to play from TCG Toys?!

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

It's summer and that means the three S's -- sand, sea, and SHARKS! National Geographic Kids Books is celebrating this majestic beast and its habitat with a "jaw-some" shark-themed giveaway for all ages. Chocked full of vibrant photos, exciting first hand accounts of shark encounters and weird, wild and fascinating facts, these books are perfect for shark-tastic summer reading, backseat boredom busting and the ideal gift for the shark “fin”-atic! And don't forget -- the summertime pop culture phenomena of Shark Week and SharkFest is almost here.

Here is a brief description of each title:

If you haven't heard of LUVABUB, they are a children's backpacks and accessories brand Launched in 2016. Luvabub strives to create beautiful, high-quality products that both kids and parents love. They also believe that by making great products that are adorably cute and are also durable, environmentally friendly, safe and easy to care for, that they are making the world a happier place. With summer right on the horizon, their cute little backpacks make days at the beach or out exploring that much brighter.

A post shared by Diana Chastain (@mrsdchastain) on May 31, 2018 at 10:12am PDT

Bring the great flavors of the outdoors, inside with The Hamilton Beach Indoor Searing Grill. It’s the perfect gift for moms, dads or soon to be graduates. Grill everything from steaks, pork, fish or even sandwiches. This grill has a high heat searing temperature of 450 degrees to sear meats while locking in flavors. There is a viewing lid to allow you to keep a close watch on your food without losing heat.

Enjoy perfectly grilled meats and veggies any time of year with the Hamilton Beach Searing Grill. No longer do you have to fire up the outdoor grill to cook a couple of steaks or wait until winter is over to enjoy a juicy grilled burger. With a high searing temperature that locks in juices and an adjustable temperature knob to customize grilling, you’re sure to have delicious results every time.