Ideas for Summertime
By Gina Dostler
Memorial Day weekend jumpstarts us into vacation mode with block parties and barbeques. Soon after this fun-filled weekend, kids will be spilling out of schools ready to give their parents a challenge in keeping them busy. Newport Beach’s Vel Turney, of Surterre Properties, mother of a daughter raised in the area, provides a peak at summertime fun for kids in and outside the home.
Q: Please,describe a perfect Memorial weekend day!
A: After scrambling the kids out of bed, truck over and have breakfast on the pier at Ruby’s or at the Beachcomber Café at Crystal Cove. Ride your bikes over to Balboa Island and get the traditional frozen banana (a must for all!). Take the ferry over to the Fun Zone then take advantage of a beach bonfire at night since their controversy might entail them to go away very soon. Then again maybe simply letting the kids tumble around the surf, and setting off for home in the afternoon to enjoy a barbeque or neighborhood block party.
Q: What summer fun did you find for your daughter in her teenage days?
A: Living here the number one activity for most teens is heading for the surf and sand. You’ll see kids riding to the beach and meeting up with friends laughing and having a good time. So a big draw for me as a parent is to enroll them in Junior Lifeguard. My daughter loved it. It is not only fun, but a smart move. It teaches them about the ocean and beach safety. It’s a great program for beach and ocean responsibility. Huntington, Newport and Laguna all have water safety training.
Q: Teenage years are fussy years. Where can parents apply that burgeoning independence in a good way?
A: Teenagers are all about being out and about. As a parent funneling this energy into something productive came about in the form of volunteering. It gives them some responsibility and a great way to earn community hours required for school. Organizations like Girls Inc. or the city have volunteer opportunities available. I remember my days as a candy striper and the good feeling of helping others. Have them apply for a job. Teens can find part-time employment in jobs such as shops in Balboa Island or Corona del Mar. My daughter worked at Jack’s Surf Shop in CDM. It keeps them busy earning money, contributing to society and having fun as well working in the summer scene.
Q: How about keeping kids of any age physically active during summer?
A: Besides their exhausting antics in backyard pools, this community allows families to venture out for more fun. California is all about being active. Check out the Back Bay Aquatic Center for boating, kayaking and rafting, or signing them up for swim classes, maybe even some golf lessons. Team OC is a wonderful place for kids gymnastics, dance, and cheer classes. There are lots of activities for kids and many can be found at the city’s recreation and senior services department.
Q: How about those summer days at home?
A: There are the many days where home is the summer destination. I find this is a good time to have kids clean out their closet for the summer and give away their unwanted, unused items to the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa, Goodwill or any non-profit organization that helps out the community. Another constructive way for time at home during the summer is for your high schooler to take online college courses to get a jump-start on units. My girlfriend’s daughter did that and she was able to graduate a half semester earlier from college.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Vel Turney, Lic 00929296
Surterre Properties
1400 Newport Center Drive
Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949.717.7258
