How to Survive a Summer in Arizona with Your Kids

Summer is my least favorite season here in Arizona. We normally have a few heat waves where the temperatures go above 112. 108 and 109 are fine, but it’s when you get close to 115 that you feel like dying as you walk from your car into a store. So how do you survive a summer in Arizona with your kids? And how do you do it without spending a ton of money? That’s the part that always bothers me: if I want to go somewhere, I am going to spend a bunch of money because you can’t do free things outside (except splash pads). Here’s my list of activities that have helped me over the years.

Do School

I think I will start with the most obvious activity to do – school. My kids have been asking for a break because they figured out that their friends and cousins get a summer vacation. I knew that day would come! We are currently doing math, reading, nature study, and Spanish (duolingo). My goal is to keep things simple, but yet have a small amount of rhythm to the day. When fall comes, we will add more subjects. It’s also kind of nice to have a shorter school day since everything seems rather choppy – VBS, trips up north, family reunions.

It’s also fun to do crafty school-related projects. Those can be hard to fit in in the course or a normally busy week, but the summer is perfect for doing something a little more fun.

Be a Library Tourist

Another favorite way to survive a summer in Arizona with my kids is to be a library tourist. Everyone tells you to go to the library in the summer, but have you considered making an effort to drive a bit farther away to visit a new library, especially if it’s a bit bigger than the usual one you go to? A few summers ago, we visited all the libraries in one town nearby and most of the ones in our area. We are doing it again this summer, but this time we are venturing out a bit further. My book-loving kids love this! Best of all, it’s free. Going to free library events and doing a library reading program are also a great ideas.

Invest in Audiobooks

Summer is the time of year we spend a bit more on audiobooks. We use Hoopla, audible, and yoto player cards (Hoopla is available through your local library). We enjoy listening to audiobooks while we do something else like eat lunch or work on a puzzle. Since we spend more time outside in the winter and spring, getting new audiobooks is a special treat. It’s also kind of nice to have things to associate with a hot summer – audiobooks, puzzles, etc…

Invite Friends Over

This is my favorite way to survive a summer in Arizona with my kids! It’s also free. I don’t like the idea that parents need to spending a bunch of money to entertain kids and keep them busy. They have plenty of fun just playing at a friend’s house. Things we have done are invite friends to go swim in the pool, share a dessert, or just let them run wild in the house. Sometimes we invite friends over for dinner, especially with kids.

Teach Kids How to Bake and Cook

Last summer we baked cookies every week, and then we went to the dentist. It was not a good visit. I don’t want a repeat, so this summer I am switching to having my kids help me with making healthy snacks and breakfast food (I triple recipes and freeze everything). Foods that they enjoy making are energy balls, waffles, muffins, and scones. We will make cookies too, but a bit less this year.

A personal confession is that I find it stressful for my kids to “help” me in the kitchen. The mess is awful! But I also know that my kids really enjoy baking and cooking. Even though the mess stresses me out, they learn useful skills such as cutting with a knife, using measuring cups and measuring spoons, and how to hold a bowl still and mix. I have to tell myself it’s the right thing to do (and fun), but it’s also the messy thing to do. However, when it’s hot outside, it’s not a bad option.

Go Swimming

This is an obvious thing to do since many homes in Arizona have pools. It’s hard to find a house that doesn’t have a pool. Making pool time a routine part of the day has helped me a lot. It gives the kids a chance to exercise and feel cool. We swim after dinner so we don’t have to bother with sunscreen (another money saving tip!). Of course, splash pads are another fun option.

Watch Documentaries

This one is a new thing I am adding to my mental list of things to do. I limit screen time, but if there’s a crazy day, then I might choose to turn on an educational documentary. We have watched a few on Disney. My boys like weather, and we watched part of Gathering Storm.

Have Breakfast Outside

Having breakfast outside is good for everyone. However, it does take some effort (because you have to bring the food outside). What I like about eating outside is that afterwards my kids run around and play a little bit before the heat takes over. Even 30 minutes of running around in the grass can make the day feel better.

Final Thoughts

The summers are rough. If I ever write a book, it might called The Long Summer. I would try to mimic Laura Ingalls Wilder’s style and make my summer seem dreadful and horrid. Not really. Our lives today are so much easier than they were in the 1800s with trains being blocked by snow. Maybe you think a summer indoors with your kids is hard, but I hope some of my ideas can help make 115 degrees more enjoyable. Just remember, the summer ends by the end of October. Five months till we can go to a park! You can survive a summer in Arizona with your kids.

Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com