Free tool · Holidays

Summer schedule planner

Summer is long, and plans made in June are easier than arguments in July. Work through who picks first, each parent's holiday weeks, camps, travel notice, staying in touch and a backup plan, then print one page you can both work from.

General information, not legal advice. This tool runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere unless you choose to email yourself a link.

Fill in what you know. Your answers save in this browser so you can come back, and nothing is sent anywhere. Print it, or save it as a PDF to share with the other parent.

Summer plan

1. The basics

First parent's name

Second parent's name

Children's names

Summer of (year)

Summer starts (last day of school or first day off)

Summer ends (first day of school)

2. Who picks first

This year, who chooses their holiday weeks first?

A common approach is to alternate: one parent picks first in even years, the other in odd years.

Pick their weeks by (date)

Then the other parent picks by a second date.

Other parent picks by (date)

Regular schedule during summer

For example, the usual schedule continues outside the holiday blocks.

3. Holiday blocks

Each parent's uninterrupted holiday time. Weeks covered by a block are coloured on the calendar below.

4. Camps and activities

In Canada, camps and child care that let a parent work may count as special or extraordinary expenses shared by income. Agree in advance who books and who pays.

5. Travel and notice

Days of notice your plan requires for travel

Check your parenting plan or order. If it says nothing, agree a number, for example 30 or 60 days.

Trip destination

Trip starts

Trip ends

Itinerary, addresses and phone numbers shared with the other parent Signed consent letter, if leaving the country Passports valid for the whole trip, and who holds them agreed Medical or travel insurance and health card copies packed

6. Staying in touch

How often the children call or video chat the other parent

Usual time (and time zone, if travelling)

How

How the parents reach each other about something urgent

7. Backup plan

If a child is sick or a camp is cancelled

If a parent can't do a pickup or handover

How to ask for a swap, and how fast to reply

Handover times and places

Summer at a glance

Each row is a week, starting on Monday. Colour shows a holiday block that covers most of that week.

What this is and isn't

General information, not advice for your situation

This tool is

A worksheet to organise summer between two homes, based on topics parenting plans commonly cover.
A calculator for the date travel notice is due, using the notice period you enter.
Something you can print and share with the other parent or a mediator.

This tool isn't

A change to your parenting plan or court order. If your order sets summer terms, those apply.
Permission to travel. Check what your agreement says about travel and consent.
Legal advice about what to do if you cannot agree.

Rules differ between provinces, territories and states, and they change. Before you rely on anything here, check it with a family lawyer, mediator or other qualified professional in your province or state.

Sources

Where this comes from

Official sources we checked on October 22, 2026.

Department of Justice Canada: Parenting Plan Tool Includes holidays, travel and communication sections. Page modified July 8, 2024.
AFCC-Ontario Parenting Plan Guide Guidance on holidays and longer time away by age.
Government of Canada: Recommended consent letter for children travelling abroad Page modified September 2, 2026.
US Department of State: Travelling with minors Last updated August 11, 2025.

Related on FairWell

Keep going on FairWell

Holidays and special daysSharing birthdays, holidays and summer fairly.Travelling with your childConsent letters, passports and notice.Calls with the other parentMaking contact work while children are away.Who pays for camp?Section 7 expenses and how they are shared.Build a parenting planPut summer, travel and holiday terms in writing.

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