Summer Simplified: 5 Type A Routines to Help You Keep Your Cool as Temps Rise
Do you ever feel like summer is the best and worst time of the year? We all love the sunshine and the activities, but doesn’t it feel like all the work to get routines and the groove we practice during the school year fly out the window? Like how one trip to the pool can lead to the house being covered in wet towels and swimsuits, the kids and your partner are asking where the aloe is, and you also need to get bags ready for soccer camp that starts in the morning. Suddenly, a fun day turns into an overwhelming situation, and all you want to do is get in bed and never reemerge. Sound too familiar?
To make your summer less stressful, here are the 5 Type A Summer Routines to help you keep your summer lifestyle on track.
Routine 1: The Summer Gear Grab-and-Go
When your life is bursting at the seams with goggles, flip-flops, summer camp trucks, and soccer/baseball/volleyballs, it can feel like our summer activities are taking over every space in our house. Like the goal with most Type A systems and routines, creating a “zone” for all your summer gear is a must to prevent your items from burying you 🪦
If you’re new to the Type A Lifestyle blog, let me catch you up! When I mention a “zone,” I’m talking about a designated grouping of items that live in one space together. For example, if you are planning a trip to the pool, you don’t want to have to go to the garage for the goggles, the linen closet for the beach towels, and the kids' bathroom for the sunscreen. That’s far too many locations and takes too many steps to get out the door. You’re going to be exhausted before you even get to dip your toes in. So, instead, let’s gather all the items we need for our specific summer activities so that they all live together in one zone. This step will help us take the stress out of our summer fun!
Next, find a home for your Summer Activity Zone 🏃♂️. As we are organizing for an active family, we like to determine where their “drop zone” is. So ask yourself, when we come home from tennis practice or the park, where does your gear naturally land? Most of the time, it is in the laundry room, entryway, mudroom, or garage. These are the perfect spots to create a home for our summer equipment.
You may need to shift some items around that already live in these spaces, but I always suggest we create space for what is important to us in the current season. Our winter coats or school bags don’t need to take up valuable space in the summer. We do not want to be reminded of snow or homework in the middle of July! Instead, place a labeled bin, or maybe a shelf, by the door for towels, sunscreen, goggles, and other outdoor gear. Not only will this get you out the door faster, but it should help us forget fewer things and make every outing smoother. Here are a few examples of outdoor zones we’ve created for our clients:
Type A Tips:
If the pool is a regular stop for your family, having pre-packed swim bags for everyone is a great habit.
Install a clothesline or a drying rack and a laundry basket outdoors for sticky sports uniforms or wet towels. This will make your summer cleaning a tad easier, ensuring none of the grime makes it inside!
Keep a basket with sunscreen, bug spray, water bottles, and hats near the back door so it’s easy to grab before heading out.
Always keep a first-aid kit stocked and ready in case of an outdoor injury. You’ll be thankful to have it on hand
Routine 2: The Summer Schedule Overview
Nobody loves the mad-dash scramble to get out of the house because they forgot about t-ball. Putting events in your phone calendar is a great (it’s honestly just okay) option, but when you have multiple drivers or more than one kid doing different activities, it can be easy for things to slip through the cracks. Let’s stay ahead of the summer craze and keep our schedule in order.
The next Type A Summer System is a summer schedule! While this system does require some pre-planning, I can promise it will be beneficial in the long run. There are numerous calendar options I suggest that will help this routine work, but I recommend doing what will work for you and your family. Here are some of our favorite calendar options (then I’ll show you how we use them):
Rainbow Calendar Digital Files | This digital download has 12 PDF calendar sheets that you can print out and fill out. This is a great option if an overview glance at the calendar is what you’re looking for.
Calendar Wall Planners in Pastel Colors | Another 12-month option that comes pre-printed. This option takes out another step, coming to you ready to fill out. Again, this is another great option for a month-to-month view.
Acrylic Magnetic Calendar | This 4-piece set is perfect if you want a more detailed option. This comes with a month, week, daily, and blank dry erase boards, plus multiple dry erase markers.
Large Yearly Calendar | This option is the biggest calendar suggested. If your family is running in multiple different directions every day of the year, this may be the perfect fit for you!
Okay, get your sticky notes and markers ready, and let’s plan! If you go with one of the big calendar options, having color-coded sticky notes assigned for each member of your family is a great option. This will allow you to add their activities to the calendar quickly and allow you to be flexible and move things around without having to use white-out or print out a new calendar.
We use this system in the Type A office, and it helps us stay on top of juggling clients, meetings, and admin work easily.
Or if you’re leaning towards getting a dry erase option, I suggest purchasing multiple color markers, one for each person. Spending the time and writing out each event on the calendar will not only help you remember what’s happening all summer long, but if your kids are asking you what's happening 80 times in one day, you can tell them to read the calendar. The dry-erase calendar I suggested above also has multiple options for you to fill out. The monthly view will ensure every event is accounted for, the weekly view will help everyone remember to wash their uniforms, and the daily view will help everyone be on time.
Keep the calendar somewhere everyone can see it, and watch your days run smoother. Ensure everyone helps to add things to the shared calendar, giving them a sense of ownership. This family activity will help everyone stay engaged throughout the summer and keep everyone on track. Also, at the end of the summer, you’ll have something to look back on, remembering how lucky we are to have a life so full of activity!
Type A Tips:
Keep a “what’s on deck” mini whiteboard or clipboard by the door, so nothing is forgotten as you rush out.
For younger kids or visual learners, use stickers, symbols, or magnets to show camp days, trips, or quiet time.
Don’t forget to snap a photo when you’re traveling or juggling multiple drop-offs.
Set weekly check-ins. Choose a time as a family (Sunday evening or Monday morning) to review plans, make adjustments, and avoid surprises.
Routine 3: The Summer Meal Plan
While our schedules and lives are more unstructured than normal, having a plan in place for simple meals can be a lifesaver (mentally and physically 😉). Creating a strategy that is easy to stick to and has minimal prep is going to set you up for success and allow you more time to do those activities you have scheduled.
One fun option for a summer meal plan is a weekly schedule with themed nights like:
Mix-It-Up Monday: Try something new and fun.
Taco Tuesday: Always have the stuff for tacos on hand so it's easy to whip up.
One-Pan Wednesday: Put everything in a pan and throw it in the oven. Meals like this are easy to assemble in large batches and store in the freezer.
Slow Cooker Thursday: Either stick your main protein and a yummy base for the meal in the slow cooker, and have the rest be fresh produce, or throw everything in and let it cook while you’re out and about!
Minimal Effort Friday: Reheat a protein from earlier in the week and pair it with a bagged salad or do something simple like breakfast-for-dinner, BLTs, or grilled cheese. There is no shame in the game of a pizza and some veggies!
Grill + Chill Saturday: Make Saturdays a casual cookout night. Some easy things to make are burgers or kebabs.
DIY Sunday: Let Sunday be your meal prep day, putting everything together for the next week, and have the fam fend for themselves. A protein-packed smoothie and popcorn are my favorite!
Another great rule of thumb for meal planning is to cook as much ahead of time as you can. Batch-cook your grains (rice, quinoa, pasta) for the week, pre-cut all the veg and fruit you’ll need, and marinate your proteins. Doing as much as you can pre-cooking will eliminate some of the hassle of summer dinners. One great way to meal prep for the family is finding what “cold” meals everyone likes. While the name isn’t appealing, having a pasta salad or the ingredients for a simple sandwich/wrap is an excellent alternative.
Type A Tips:
Keep the staples. Make sure go-to snacks and meals your kids love are always within reach. If you need to have an easy meal ready fast, you’ll be thankful for those dino nuggets.
Create designated “healthy” snack bins in the refrigerator and pantry. This will give your kids some easy choices for healthy snacks and make getting out the door faster.
Plan your meals as a family. If you have someone who can’t stand cilantro, and the entire week is supposed to be Mexican, allow them to put in their two cents—and make them help with their meal of choice. Cooking can be a great time to reconnect during a busy week.
Routine 4: The Car Drop Zone
If you’re anything like me, your backseat is where donations go to die and coffee cups get forgotten (and grow new species of mold…). And it’s even worse when you have little humans bringing in dirt, grime, and their new pet caterpillar. Summer activities put our cars through the ringer, and often our summer items never make it back inside. Let’s keep your car from becoming a second home, and keep those coffee cups mold-free!
A backseat organizer, whether it’s a reusable tote or foldable crate, is going to save you from ninety-nine trips back and forth from the car to your new Summer Gear grab-and-go zone. Inside your chosen organizer, separate everything that needs to be housed in your car into categories. Things like sunscreen, hand sanitizer, wipes, non-melting snacks (granola bars, pretzels, applesauce pouches), water bottles, and phone chargers would be great to have on hand.
Using reusable mesh bags or Ziplock baggies will keep everything organized and controlled. And so it doesn’t look like your backseat exploded.
Another MUST for your summer backseat is a mini trash can! I believe that everyone needs a trash can in their car, no matter how much time they spend driving. Nobody wants to see that old banana peel just sitting on the floorboard of your passenger seat. Ew 🤢Keeping your car clean will ensure that it stays smelling fresh and makes your passengers feel comfortable.
The last thing that I always encourage people to have in their car is an “emergency” kit. While some of the items in this kit may not be needed in a crisis, they are always good to have on hand!
Wet bag or plastic bag for dirty/wet items
Change of clothes (for post-splash pad or messy play)
First-aid kit (bandages, bug bite cream, allergy meds)
Flashlights
Jumper cables
Reusable shopping bags
Keeping these things on hand will ensure you’re prepared for any situation! When you are running kids to soccer camp or a park playdate, feeling prepared is the best way to live in the moment and enjoy your summer.
Type A Tips:
Designate a bin or basket in the garage to collect items that don’t belong in the car, such as shoes, toys, and tools. Empty it once a week to prevent clutter from creeping back in.
In your garage or entryway, store a bin with wipes, extra towels, and maybe even a change of clothes for when your littles get dirty and you don’t want to bring them inside all icky.
Have a mat or boot tray to keep muddy shoes, wet towels, or water toys from getting everything else in the car dirty.
Routine 5: The Summer Fun Bin
Being self-sufficient starting young is an essential skill, and allowing kids to entertain themselves without screens is so important for their developmental health. So, when you hear “I’m bored” this summer, take full advantage of the warm weather and create an atmosphere where the kiddos can make their own fun! Let’s prep the Bored Buster: A kit to save your sanity…
There are a couple of different ways to approach this. The first option for the fun bin is designating a clear bin, or bins, filled with easy activities you don’t have to oversee. Think things like outdoor chalk, bubbles, card games, water balloons, and coloring books. There are a lot of free resources for kids available, too! Print out a bug scavenger hunt or a nature coloring page for them to use, encouraging learning throughout the summer.
Another option for the Summer Fun Bin is filled with spontaneous outings. These are pre-planned options already determined by your family. Letting the kids choose what they are doing that day will allow them a sense of responsibility for planning and deciding what is worth their time. Some options would be going to the zoo, hiking a local trail, going on a picnic, walking to the park, swimming or going to a splash pad, or reading at the library. Filling the bin with screen-free activities lets your kids choose how they want to spend their summer and make memories.
Need some more inspiration? Our Backyard Bingo is a prefilled digital resource full of screen-free activities that you and your kids can do in the backyard, with little to no prep. Whether it’s running through the sprinkler, spotting fireflies at dusk, or creating a sidewalk masterpiece, each square on the bingo card invites a small, joyful adventure that kids of all ages (and grown-ups too!) can enjoy.
Here’s how it works:
Print your bingo sheet and hang it on the fridge or a clipboard.
Choose one activity each day, or let the kids take turns picking.
Mark off each square as you go. We suggest using stickers, checkmarks, or laminating the sheet for reuse with dry-erase markers.
Or make Backyard Bingo your own by customizing a blank version with activities unique to your family!
Complete a row, column, or go all in with a blackout! However you play, it’s an easy way to add a little more fun to your summer days.
Don’t let summer slip by in a blur. These routines are designed to help your family stay on the same page, work together, and make room for what matters. A little planning now means fewer headaches later, and more space for the fun, laughter, and sunshine you’ll remember. Let this be the summer you enjoy each other and the season!
