Summer Coop

July 1, 2007 - 11:00 AM by Stephanie

Kids up to nothing whatsoever over the summer? Worried about keeping them occupied and happy? Don’t have the funds for fancy camps?

Take a very large cue from A Mother in Israel and her friends: They run their own do-it-yourself coop for kids where they share the responsibility and take turns hosting “camp” sessions. In turn, everyone gets a break, the kids have fun and the cost isn’t crippling, especially if you’ve got a household full of little ones to entertain.

Read here for Mother’s last year entry on getting the coop up and running. A sampling:

We organized a cooperative camp with two other families (and a few hangers-on). This year we meet 4 days a week. Each day a different family hosts and on the fourth day we take a trip. We have 10-12 children ranging from 2-1/2 to 12 years old. So far we’ve gone to the local zoo, the fire department, and Ganei Yehoshua in Tel Aviv (all on the bus). We have a theme–each family does a different country when they are hosting. For Australia we made ANZAC cookies and learned about kangaroos and platypuses, and for Italy we made pizza and gelato. This week we are doing Mexico. It’s a commitment, because I have to prepare in advance and be on the ball the day of camp, but the kids have a great time.

A large kudos for the creative effort, energy and determination.

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