Richmond Summers with Kids
I mourned summer for fifteen years. From 2005 to 2019, I spent stress-filled summer days sweating as I jogged between meetings set across VCU’s campus, inspected thousands of disastrous residence hall rooms abandoned by carefree 18-year-olds, and stared mournfully at the river as I crossed the bridge every morning and evening on I-95. I remembered the summer of my youth and its blissful lack of schedule, its slip-n-slides and days spent at the pool. The spontaneous trips I took to the movies with friends as a teen, the lack of responsibility, and the lack of hard pants.
Now, six years into my decision to quit my full time job and be a full-time Richmond family photographer, sometimes I need the reminder that I did this on purpose. I left my job in 2020 so I could be around my kids for more than two hours in the evenings. (The pendulum has swung wildly in the other direction, but that was kind of the point.) I wanted the topsy-turvy schedule, the ability to surprise my kids with a spontaneous activity, the awkward shorts-and-flip-flops tan lines.
*Pauses to address a child with a bell who just walked into my office*
I’m trying to take the advice of a friend with much older children, who reminded me recently that this won’t last forever (nothing does) and if I reframe my perspective (and my innate urge to always be working) I can enjoy being with my kids while my summer is slower.
Anyway, all of that to say, I’m trying to accept that this is what my summer looks like right now: children reading literally under my feet while I work; random afternoons at SkyZone with our summer passes; crowded pool hours, and occasional days at Busch Gardens with the passes we got during Spring Break.
*Pauses to address child who needs to complete a chore and who wants to play a game instead*
Because I am Camp Director here at Home Camp, I’m always on the hunt for little things that can feel like treats for the kids when we do them. Because as much fun as it is staying home all day every day, by the end of the day we’re all a little bit crazy and we just need to go do something sometimes.
So here’s my list of things I dip into to keep us from going nuts, or being on screens all day:
Big Screens (ironic)
Along with taking them to occasional big movies as a family (Toy Story 5, anyone?), a favorite movie in a theater can feel like a real treat even if they’ve seen it before. The Byrd does weekly Family Classics movies, and Regal and AMC are both doing cheap kids’ days through the summer too.
Reading
The Richmond library, Chesterfield library, and Henrico library are running their annual summer reading program, called Unearth a Story. It’s a fun, free, and easy way to keep kids reading all summer, and building towards prizes. It’s not a personal pan pizza… but then again, who says you can’t create your own reading program prizes? I’m using Reading Bingo sheets (from Google) and letting popsicles and small books/toys be the incentives.
Analog communication
We’re trying a penpal mail exchange with grandparents this summer, and I’m considering branching it out to other kids (if that sounds fun to you, let me know. Sticker/art exchange?)
Building
Lowes has a kids’ workshop where you can sign up for free and take the kids to make something different every month. You have to be a member but you can be a member for free too.
Bowling
Uptown Alley in Midlothian has a Play All Day feature happening this summer where you can bowl for an hour and a half, and get unlimited arcade play for $15.
Play
Chesterfield Towne Center has a free indoor play area for kids, and Short Pump Mall has a $3 train (outside).
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is free and has a Family Lounge if the kids need something more interactive.
Scotty’s Taphouse in Scott’s Addition has free duckpin bowling for kids on Saturdays from 11am - 3pm.
Those, along with the staples: Maymont (inside $), Lewis Ginter ($), CMOR ($), the Science Museum ($), and the many parks and playgrounds that Richmond has to offer (Belle Isle, SOAR, Huguenot Park, Deep Run Park, etc, all free), should keep us busy for the next two months, until school starts.
Need ideas for other things to do this summer, in Richmond and beyond?