Moms reveal the toughest family-friendly activities to plan

Six in 10 (59%) moms say they struggle with planning activities for their kids during the summer months, new research suggests.

A recent study of 2,000 moms with children ages 5–12 found that two in three want to make the summer break special for their kids but aren’t sure how.

Forty-six percent said finding both outdoor and indoor activities that’ll keep their kids entertained for long periods of time can be a challenge.

Other difficulties included getting their kids into the activities they want due to high demand (43%) and coming up with new ideas beyond the same ones they do every year (42%).

While most moms feel happy (47%) or excited (45%) about this upcoming summer, 53% find it challenging to plan family-friendly activities on summer weekends.

Trips to the zoo (53%), movie nights (51%) and museum visits (49%) were among the toughest activities to plan. Meanwhile, cooking and baking (17%) and video games (32%) were the easiest.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Mother’s Cookies, the survey also found that seven in 10 moms look forward to the last day of school and having their kids home for summer.

Sixty-two percent even have “end-of-school-year traditions” with their kids. Of those respondents, 50% take their kid’s photo at the end of each grade they finish, 49% burn old homework, schoolwork or workbooks and 48% write “thank you” notes to their kid’s teachers.

For the summer months, moms are looking forward to spending more time having fun, being silly and playing games with their kids (35%) and catching up on what their kids have learned throughout the school year (35%).

Moms usually prepare to spend the summer with their kids by finding a summer camp or sports team for them (59%), signing themselves and their kids up for arts and crafts classes (55%), and buying arts and craft kits, activity books, and books (54%).

Nearly half (47%) of moms start their summer off with a to-do list of activities to share with their kids, averaging about eight items per list. A whopping 88% said they end up checking off all or some of the items.

While 30% get in “soccer mom” mode and play the game with their kids, moms were also found to join their kids in swimming (35%), tennis (30%) and basketball (30%).

“It’s great to see moms planning activities they can enjoy together with their kids and finding joy in the little moments," said Rachna Patel, Senior Director of Marketing for Mother’s Cookies. “Sixty-eight percent of moms agree it’s important to ‘stop and enjoy’ the summer, especially after the events of the past two years, and what better way to do that than embracing life’s silly moments as a family?”

Most moms said they usually turn to parenting magazines (35%), social media (35%) and TV talk shows (35%) for ideas on how to keep their kids entertained.

However, six in 10 (62%) feel they’ve run out of new ideas.

“Looking beyond the usual sources can help moms find new ways to have fun with their kids while providing an alternative to activities such as summer camp that have limited spots due to high demand,” Patel added.

MOMS’ AND KIDS’ END-OF-SCHOOL-YEAR TRADITIONS:

• Taking a photo of my kid(s) at the end of each grade they finish - 50%
• Burning old homework, schoolwork or workbooks - 49%
• Writing “thank you” notes to their teachers - 48%
• Storing all school-related items in their closets - 46%
• Getting ice cream - 43%
• Decorating the sidewalk with chalk art - 40%
• Throwing a party - 38%
• Making s’mores - 36%

WHAT FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES ARE TOUGHEST TO PLAN?:

• Trips to the zoo - 53%
• Movie nights - 51%
• Museum visits - 49%
• Arts and crafts - 46%
• Board games - 41%
• Outdoor sports - 36%
• Video games - 32%
• Cooking/Baking - 17%