2023-2024 School Supplies
Orders placed after July 16 will ship to your home address.
If you would prefer to go shopping for supplies, you can find the class supply lists here.
Summer Ideas
1. Take family field trips.
Whether you can take a day off work, or simply plan something fun in the evening, take a few hours to go to the zoo, visit a local museum, or find a baseball game to attend.
2. Volunteer locally.
Find a local charity or talk with other community organizations about ways your kid can help out during the summer.
3. Plan a family game night.
Or make it a party and invite some friends over. Most importantly, let them plan the activities and menu!! You’re busy enough during the day, so don’t feel like you need to be the family cruise director all summer. Getting them in on the planning allows you to settle back and just have fun!
4. Read a book series.
Almost every kid in school will have some type of required summer reading. But, outside of that, let them get creative and pick a longer book series to read over time. Bonus points if you read the book at the same time!
5. Plan a family dinner night.
Again, let them do the menu planning. Encourage a certain theme, whether it’s Italian, Mexican, or burgers and fries. When it’s time to cook, you can help, but you would be surprised at how many kids begin to love cooking after they first give it a try.
6. Work out together.
Invite your kids along on your morning run or when you go to the gym. You might even think about planning some kind of “30 Day Fitness Challenge” to energize them over the summer.
7. Give screen time a purpose.
Take advantage of all of the positive aspects of iPads and iPhones. Find some fun, educational apps to download (we’re sure your kid’s teacher would have suggestions) to help them continue learning over the summer. Or, find a fun app you can connect over, like Heads Up, Words With Friends, or Mad Libs.
8. Take a hike.
Literally, go for a hike. While you’re at it, find some memorable spots you can revisit—something like a waterfall, quiet creek, mountain overlook, or just the perfect spot to watch a sunset.
9. Clean out the house and have a garage sale.
Sure, they might hate this idea, but it’s their stuff, too. This will help them take ownership of things around the house and possibly help them keep their rooms and closets cleaner in the future. For even more incentive, offer to give them the money they make from selling their stuff.
10. Make puzzle time.
Grab a massive, 1,000-piece puzzle, put it on the kitchen table, and spend a few weeks putting the whole thing together.
Benjamin Phelps Elementary School
Email: avillamaino@agawamed.org
Website: https://www.agawamed.org/o/bjp
Location: 689 Main Street, Agawam, MA, USA
Phone: 413-821-0586