School’s Out for Summer {Our End of the Year Tradition}

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Disclosure: This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TrainYourDragonAtWalmart http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

 

We have been counting down the days until summer for a few months now. The start of summer means days full of adventures and mornings that do not have to start with an alarm clock – definitely my favorite kind of day! The last day of school is also filled with traditions that have been fun to be a part of since we moved into our neighborhood. As soon as the kids get off the bus, they jump right into a neighborhood water balloon fight.  After everyone is splashed out, our family heads home to to dry off and we complete the evening with a family movie in our living room. It’s a tradition my kids have grown to look forward to every year and one that I get excited to plan for them too.

As I started to prepare for our movie night, I was so excited to discover that How to Train Your Dragon 3 was out in Walmart stores just in time for the end of the school year! I knew it would be the perfect movie for our family evening. Walmart was also stocked with fun How to Train Your Dragon toys and apparel that were just the fun touches I needed for this planned celebration. Things from toys to t-shirts and even fun blankets – I knew I could totally go big and make it a blast for the kids! So I shopped for the snacks and items on my list, and grabbed the How To Train Your Dragon 3 Walmart Exclusive DVD Gift Set that was on a stand (and it includes 2 Funko keychains!) My checklist was complete – now bring on the last day of school!

Friday rolled around and the weather was hot and absolutely perfect. So after the neighborhood water balloon fight, the kids were ready to hunker down and chill out for the evening. While I made a huge family bed on the living room floor, I had the kids start making their movie snack. You see, anything I can throw into a little bag for them to munch on is ideal for this family. Snacks that are easy to prep but even easier to clean up is the trick. Trail mix is a huge hit with my kiddos so I decided to theme it up and make “Dragon TAIL Mix” for our movie snack. It’s real simple – I just choose a few different snack foods, a good combination of sweet and salty, and then place them into little bowls. The kids just grab what they want and fill up their bags. The best part is if they want to save it for later, I can always zip up the bags and throw them back into the pantry for later on. 

Our family snuggled up and enjoyed another movie night together. How to Train Your Dragon 3 was a hit with everyone. As a parent, I loved how the movie focused on growing up and finding the courage within to face the world of unknown encounters. It was the perfect theme for the end of the school year as our family will enjoy the adventures of summer and soon have to prepare for brand new set of unfamiliar people and situations when school starts back up again in August. Plus the friendship between the main characters Hiccup and Toothless is truly heartwarming as you watch them fight and protect everything they have ever known. As a mom of two daughters, I also loved the addition of Light Fury, a female dragon, because it’s a character my girls can relate to and enjoy themselves.  I have to be honest, I’m a sucker for a good family movie with an inspiring theme and How to Train Your Dragon 3 definitely ranks high up on my list!

Recently it has hit me hard as to how fast my family is growing up. Next year I will have two kiddos in elementary school and a full-time preschooler. My hope is that this is a family tradition we can grow into and not quickly phase out of as my kids gets older. Regardless, I do know that these are memories they will always remember and as a parent, that’s exactly what I hope to create with my family.

Start a tradition with your family – head to Walmart and purchase the new release of How to Train Your Dragon 3 Walmart Exclusive DVD Gift Set today!

 

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Kait
Kait is a small town, Indiana girl who knew she was destined for the Big(ger) City when she grew up. After graduating from Indiana University with a degree in Elementary Education, she found her love and passion as a second grade teacher in Indianapolis, where she has been teaching for nine years. Kait is the mom to three sweet littles, Cohen, Lola and Remy, and a teenage step-daughter. When she isn’t busy attempting to play Super Mom, she enjoys running, fashion, iced coffee and spending time with her family. Kait and her husband Kurtis reside in Westfield where they are raising their young family. You can catch up with her wild journey through motherhood on her blog, High Heels and Mommy Ordeals.