When the calendar says August, it is easy to get a sinking feeling. Oh no. Summer is almost over. But actually there is plenty of free time left to enjoy. I can sometimes feel like I did not “do” summer well enough. Each year I look for a new strategy.

In past years I have filled my summer to-do list with lots of projects. I like projects, so that has been fine, but this summer I decided I needed to give myself permission to have a little more “fun”.  I gave myself stickers. No joke – stickers – like the kind your teacher puts on your paper when you do a good job. I put up my paper calendar and any day I did ONLY fun stuff, I gave myself a sticker. All this so that at the end of the summer I can look at the calendar and say, “See, I did have a fun Summer!!”

What is fun stuff for you? There is still time. Here are a couple of ideas related to music:

• Outdoor concerts – there are plenty of family friendly ones. Pack a picnic and some bug spray and make the most of it.
• Rainy day movies – in the theatre or in your house – how about a musical you have been meaning to share with your kids.
• Encourage your kids to give you a concert on the piano with some of their favorite songs.
• Sing a lot – do you remember any old camp songs? Maybe look up something on youtube and let everyone join in. Singing a “round” (like row, row, row your boat) is a great way to pass some time on a car ride or even an actual boat.

Make music a part of your “fun-days”, because …

Music Lasts a Lifetime