Give Your Kids a 1980s Summer

SARAH LYONS contributing writer

As the whirlwind of the last few weeks of school fly by, I find myself ready for the long, unscheduled days of summer. Sleeping in, spending our afternoons poolside, and playing hide and seek until the fireflies come out. Realistically, my idea of carefree summer days come from my youth and not from the summers our own kids typically experience. Camps, playdates, and ball games fill up most of our calendars while any free time is consumed by parent-planned educational activities and crafts seen on social media. While these things aren’t bad, it can be a little daunting for parents due to the pressure to plan every minute of their child’s summer.

I have declared this summer to be different. My kids will have the kind of summer I had as a child. One that is less scheduled and more free play, less video games and more outside time, and less parent-planned and more child-created. If, like me, you are tired of feeling pressure to entertain and educate your child every waking moment, use these tips to enjoy your summer, 1980s style.

UNPLUG Today we love our electronics. It is unlikely that many of us can make it more than a few hours without checking in with social media and responding to emails and texts. Our kids are no different, but limits should be set on screen time to allow kids to experience outdoor play, the joy of curling up with a good book, and allowed time to use their own imaginations. 1980s kids didn’t have apps, educational or not, to entertain them and fill their days. Instead, they used their imagination to create inventions with recycled trash, build forts with whatever they could find, and cooperate with other kids to create games that could last for hours.

GO OUTSIDE “Go outside and come back when it’s dinner time” is what my parents would say nearly every afternoon when I was growing up. There were no scheduled playdates, meet ups at the park, or specific activities planned. If I wanted to go to the park, I would ride my bike or walk there. If I wanted a friend to come along, I would swing by their house on the way and knock on the door to see if they wanted to join me. My parents had only a vague

idea where I was or who I was with and this was the norm. While many parents don’t feel quite as safe giving their child free reign, we can learn from this attitude. Kids do not need us to plan and intervene in their daily activities. Send them outside, have them go knock on a neighbor’s door and ask them to join them. Play in the sprinkler, ride bikes, draw with chalk, drink from the hose, learn to do cartwheels, jump rope, plant flowers, or simply sit in the sun. Go outside and don’t come in until dinner.

DITCH THE EXCESS Give your kids the gift of free time to play and try things on their own. Be selective about which camps you will register your children for and be intentional about allowing them to have time to create their own adventures.

Check the listing of high-quality camps at the back of this issue and consider which would be the best fit for your child.

LET IT GO Parents today have so much pressure to live up to unrealistic standards. We feel we must provide educational crafts, plan interesting and affordable outings, provide well-balanced extracurricular activities, all while cooking healthy, organic food, maintaining a clean house, a healthy marriage, and balance our careers. The truth is, none of us are able to keep up with it all. The 1980s parent, while balancing many of the career and family obligations we have today, did not put the type of pressure parents today place on themselves. This summer, take a break from the pressures of social media, enjoy your kids, join them outside, play a board game, have a movie night, lounge at the pool, eat a little junk food, and give yourself permission to let things go and accept you can’t realistically keep up with everything anyway.

The key to giving your kids, and yourself, a 1980’s summer is to unplug, enjoy, and ease up on the pressures we place on ourselves. Let’s just enjoy our kids and enjoy every unscheduled moment because, before you know it, it will be time to head back to school.

Summer Classes + Camps Guide

Cache Children's Choir

(435) 752-6260 (call or text) cachechildrenschoir.org

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT SUMMER CAMPS: Register early. Space is limited.

Music in the Park

Ages 8 to 14 June 21 – June 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come make music in the park! Ukulele, choral singing, harmony, circle games, and more with camp director Janni Richards and guest instructors. Includes t-shirt and instrument.

Logan Music Academy

(435) 265-6691 loganmusicacademy.com

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Vocal Camp

June 21 – 25, 10 a.m. to Noon Vocal camp for girls ages 6 to 12

Vocal Camp

June 21 – 25, 1 to 3 p.m. For girls and boys ages 12 to 18

Ukulele Camp

June 14 – 18, 10 a.m. to Noon, Ages 6 and up

Cost: $120

Cache Valley School of Ballet

(435) 753-3633 cvcballet.org

The Cache Valley School of Ballet offers qualified training in classical ballet to community members of all ages and skill levels. Summer semester (5 weeks) is for ages 3 and up. Visit our website for a complete list of classes.

Tueller School of Dance

(435) 752-9154 tuellerdance.com 521 1/2 N. Main, Logan

Join us for our fun Summer Technique Workshops! Offering classes for ages 3 and up. This is a great time to get little ones started and for experienced dancers to improve turns, leaps, tricks, and overall dance technique. See our schedule and classes on our website or email us at tuellerdance@gmail.com for more info. Come dance with us!

Cache Valley Fun Park

(435) 792-4000 cachevalleyfunpark.com/summer-camp

Summer camps at the FUNNEST place in town! Our camps are the perfect way to beat the summer doldrums! Your kids will experience activities full of fun and learning. No vegging out in front of the TV … just FUN times and happy memories.

Pickleville Workshops

picklevilleworkshops.com

Insanely fun musical theater camps taught by Pickleville Playhouse’s awesome cast members and directors. Throughout the week we work on musical numbers and scenes that our campers will perform in their awesome end-of-week performance. All campers will receive a Pickleville Workshop t-shirt and one complimentary ticket to Pickleville Playhouse’s Peter Pan.

July 12-16 (Logan: ages 8-18) July 19-23 (Logan: ages 6-7) July 26-30 OR August 2-6 (Bear Lake: ages 8-18)

Cache County 4-H

435-752-6263 extension.usu.edu/cache/4h Email: alisha.straatman@usu.edu

4-H is booming with activities for the summer! Kids of all ages will enjoy our camps and classes that teach hands-on life skills. Whether your child is interested in outdoor adventure, cooking, or Lego robotics, we’ve got a camp for them. Learn more on our website and follow us on social media: @cachecounty4h.

Highpoint Tumbling

(435) 753-7500 sportsacademy.com

Ongoing, year-round tumbling and gymnastics classes for toddlers through competitive teams. Check our website for current schedule.

Love to Cook

(435)752-9220 luvtocook.com

Do you want your kids to feel more confident in the kitchen? Sign them up for one of our Summer Kid’s Cooking Camps! Your kids will spend three days hands-on in the kitchen, learning how to make kid-friendly recipes they will love.

June 1 – 3 June 8 – 10 June 22 – 24 June 29 – July 1 July 13 – 15 July 20 – 22

Beginner Class (ages 8 to 12)

10 a.m. to Noon

Advanced Class (ages 13 to 18)

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sports Academy

(435) 753-7500 sportsacademy.com

Summer Camps

Keep your kids active and healthy! Camps held June 7 – 11, July 5 – 9, and August 2 – 6. Camps run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., ages 5 to 12.

Summer Swim School

Learn to swim with the best instruction in Cache Valley! Classes begin June 7. Two-week sessions, Monday through Thursday, 40-minute classes.

Tennis Classes and Camps

Professional tennis instruction from the Valley’s top coaches and players. All ages and ability levels.

Tumbling Classes

Flip and tumble to new heights with classes for all ages and abilities.

Summer Classes + Camps Guide (cont.)

Imagine This!

Art Camps for Kids and Adults (435) 774-2414 imaginethislogan.com

This year we’re having a variety of camps for kids and adults! Come learn something new or improve at something you already love to do!

For kids ages 8 and up: 3-D Camp, Cartoon Camp, and Art Around the World

New camp for kids ages 5-8:

Junior Camp

For adults: Basics of Drawing and Painting and Portrait Camp!

Mountain Peak Volleyball

mtnpeakvolleyball.com

Summer Camps

Youth volleyball camps for ages 3 to 18 for all skill levels begin in June! We offer camps in June, July, and August. Instruction from our Mountain Peak coaching staff, as well as collegiate-level coaches.

Outdoor Volleyball

Get outside and play under the sunshine. Our grass and sand volleyball clinics begin in late May and end in July. Tournaments are offered on select weekends in collaboration with Logan City.

Fall League

Practice and competition in a league format for 3rd through 9th graders begin in August! Our recreation and competitive leagues are split into 3rd – 4th grade, 5th – 6th grade, and 7th – 9th grade. Both north and south practice options.

Dance Illusion

(435) 755-6783 danceillusionutah.com 42 East 2200 North, North Logan

Register now for our summer classes!

4-WEEK SUMMER PROGRAM June 7 – July 2 Improve your technique, try a combo class, and make new friends!

INTENSIVES AND CAMPS

3-day Technique Intensives

July 5 – 7 and July 19 – 21

3-day Ballet Intensive

July 26 – 28

1-day Intensives

Hip Hop – August 2, Acro – August 3, and Tap – August 4

Princess Camp – Voted Best of Cache Valley: July 12 – 14

Cache Arts

Folktales & Ancient Myths Camp 435-752-0026 CacheARTS.org/artcamp

Children ages 5 to 11 explore the quiet, hands-on work of art and ceramics as well as active group activities in music, dance, and drama classes. Performance and art exhibit on the last day of each session. Three camps Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to Noon, or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

1670 South UT-165 • Providence, Utah (435) 753-1738

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