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I am incorporating more themes into my program now that I have found my footing with this job. I want to send out a calendar to parents with this info. Do you just offer the theme of the week or do you break down specifically what activities you will be doing? I guess I don't want to be held to doing something if it just doesn't happen but I don't want my calendar to look too lame either, heh heh.
I would just let the parents know the general topic for the week. They will see what the children are doing based on crafts that come home, assume children are old enough to talk so they can tell about what they did too. Things need to be flexible and days will come where you want to do something completely different so don't lock yourself into promises you don't intend to keep.
I only have one theme in the summer..it's called "playing outside" LOL. I wouldn't want to be locked into some sort of schedule for crafts or other activities personally. I feel like this is the only time in a child's life when they get to direct their own learning and enjoy the freedom of going with their own interests. I don't do themes at all in fact. I find lots of interesting art and science ideas etc that we try out (more in the winter), but I like to go with what the kids are really into at the moment.
I don't communicate themes to parents in advance as most times it's spontaneous...for example, there is a lot of construction on my street this week so we walked to the library and checked out books on machinery, brought trucks and tractors to the park to play in the wood chips, and I just finished changing my sensory bin to small trucks and pebbles and stones :) I like to focus on what kids find interest in on their own so we can expand on their own ideas.
I agree with what you both said re: being more lax or not having themes. It will all be very causal as that is the kind of provider I am when it comes to this aspect. The themes I am looking at are based on what the children have shown an interest in and it is really just so the parents are impressed. So a week on "detectives" will basically mean this idea/concept just gets woven into our day of free play. Our day is 90% free play when they are not eating and sleeping so I am just looking at other options to make their summer extra special/fun.
A lot of people that do themes do them more as centres in the sense of if the theme is dinosaurs they add a few dinosaurs to the sandbox or set up the sensory table with sand and dirt as a dig site, put up a display of dinosaurs on the walls, books in the book centre, dino footprints to follow etc. What you could do is simply give an outline of some of what you will include in the theme based on resources that you have, why you chose the topic as in what made you think the children would enjoy it, etc. so the parents know that there is a plan behind what you will be doing but at the same time you are remaining totally flexible in how and when you do the activities.
I make quarterly newsletters that are handed to the parents and one is posted on my bulletin board. There are 3 sections to my newsletter, some info about past/upcoming things, Important Daycare Dates where I list all the parties, closed dates, special dates and Themes where I list my themes for the next quarter. It's helpful for me mostly because it's right on my bulletin board near the front door.