I vividly recall a warm July afternoon from my childhood in the ’80s. I was clad in my favorite pink sequined tutu, a treasure from a local rummage sale. I dashed in circles around the worn plastic pool in our yard, leaping over the garden hose that lay carelessly on the grass. My little sister, oblivious to her surroundings, sat blissfully in the murky water, splashing joyfully while bits of grass clung to her chin. My parents lounged in their vinyl folding chairs—my mom coating herself in baby oil while painting her toenails a vibrant fuchsia, and my dad engrossed in a paperback, his mustache occasionally bobbing as he turned the pages.
On that particular day, my dad handed me a 17-cent container of iodized salt, claiming that if I managed to sprinkle some on a sparrow’s tail, it would become temporarily flightless and I could keep it as a pet. I remember the thrill and excitement as I raced around the yard, clutching the salt container in my tiny hands, eager to catch a bird.
Though I never caught a bird, I did capture something even more valuable—perspective. Life unfolds in moments, and those moments don’t hinge on whether they occur in an immaculate backyard or at a fancy resort. What matters is the joy, presence, and wonder that fill those moments.
I completely understand that for some families, summer camps or daycare are essential. However, in my case, hiring a babysitter to care for my kids at home while I work is much more economical than enrolling three children in a camp. With this in mind and fond memories of my own unstructured childhood, my husband and I decided to host “Camp Free-for-All” at home this summer, with a mix of Camp Counselor Mom and laid-back Babysitter Jess.
While summer camps and structured daycare can provide memorable experiences, I believe my children also learned the magic of unstructured time. This summer, they enjoyed lazy mornings spent cuddling in bed, digging holes in the yard for “mining,” and crafting robots out of duct tape and shoe boxes from the dollar store. They threw eggs off the deck to discover which objects could cushion their falls, and they visited the local library, getting lost in stories about Greek mythology. They built incredible forts using sheets and thumbtacks, experimented with rope traps for catching bunnies, and spent hours searching for caterpillars and lizards. They even lined up kitchen chairs to create a train to the Eiffel Tower! Not to mention their adventurous attempts at a “cookie recipe” made from cake mix and butter, drawing comics to sell at the end of the driveway, or rollerblading along the cracked sidewalk, diving into yards to stop.
By embracing a summer filled with spontaneity rather than scheduled activities, my kids experienced the same uninhibited joy that defined my summers in the ’80s. I hope that someday they’ll look back on these moments and realize that life is a collection of experiences—moments that don’t need to be extraordinary to be truly special.
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In summary, my kids enjoyed a wonderfully unstructured summer full of creativity and exploration, reminiscent of my own childhood adventures. I hope these moments stay with them as they grow, reminding them that life is a tapestry woven from simple joys.