I just wrapped up another week of Camp Kaleidoscope — the brainchild of my dear friend Erica. Every summer, a group of my mom friends with girls the same age get together and host a week full of fun camp days. For my girls it’s a week long playdate with their good friends after being subjected to a summer of separation from their pals. For me, it’s four days of free childcare on the days I work and some blissful time to myself on the days I don’t.

We try to create a theme for each day and incorporate some sort of educational component. For example, science day (filled with fun experiments, everything from making lip gloss to learning about gravity); spa day (nail painting, hair dos and diva photos); zoo day (with an emphasis on endangered species); and pool day (water fun and root beer floats). We’ve done it for three years now and my girls anxiously await the week each summer. I’ll post some photos in a Smilebox soon.