For parents sending their kids back to school in the fall, this summer may represent a mix of feelings.
On one hand, many parents are welcoming a return to the school routine and in-person education, while kids are likely looking forward to seeing friends and resuming co-curricular activities. But on the other hand, especially for parents of younger children who have gotten quite used to having their kids around home much more often, seeing them go back to school might feel bittersweet, like the first day of kindergarten all over again.
But the good news: There is a lot of summer left. And if you're looking to maximize the quality time spent with kids, a local website can help you find things to do in the Milwaukee area.
MilwaukeeWithKids.com founder Calie Herbst began brainstorming for the site in 2013 with the idea of providing a hyper-local resource for parents.
"There was nothing that filled this need to just have everything in one spot for parents, like everything that's going around on around the city in one spot," Herbst says. So, the former Milwaukee Public School teacher and mother of three got the domain, then launched.
"I literally just made up a job," she quips.
The site offers an interactive daily calendar of activities for kids that she, and a "small army" of other contributors, curate from a variety of locations and sources. It includes events, both free and paid, for kids of all ages. You can also filter by location to find things close to home, and Herbst also encourages parents to step outside their neighborhoods with their children.
"You probably have your playground that you always go to, you probably have your park that you always go to," she says. "Go to a new park, go to a new playground. It just makes it, just shakes it up a little bit. Gets everyone out of their comfort zone for a little bit and makes it feel like a new adventure. And really you're just at a park."
Herbst joins me in studio and offers a few specific picks for activities with kids this summer. Listen below.
