Give your kids a time out—with YOU! Summer is almost spent; make the time to spend with your kids making active, fun memories!
As we promised, here is another twenty-five great family activities that will get you all out of the house and into each other's hearts!
Park
Go to the park. Play on the grass. Run beneath the trees. Toss around a ball or a Frisbee. Swing on the swings. Lie on a blanket and listen to the rustling leaves and the sounds of children playing. Let go of your stress.
Tour a Factory/Farm
Many farms and factories offer public tours. It’s a great way to explore the world and see how your food and products come into being.
Museum/Gallery
Museums and art galleries open your children’s minds to science and art with all the many possibilities that exist in each.
Visit Local Interests
Explore your home town. There are points of interest just around the corner you may not even know about.
Dress Up
Halloween doesn’t own costumes. Make a random summer day another Halloween with costumes, fun, games, and stories.
Build Something
Introduce your family to some tools and build something together. Maybe it’s a treehouse, a picture frame, a shelf, or a teardrop trailer. Go with what you can make, just wear those safety glasses and teach them tool safety skills while you’re at it.
Origami
Pick up an origami book and spend a day folding paper into magical animals and objects.
Blend a Smoothie
Smoothies are fun to make, tossing all those ingredients into the blender before watching them spin into a sweet, drinkable meal.
Concert
Treat the family to a night of powerful music. It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are local bands playing in most towns for cheap.
Game Night
Break out the board games, the cards, or the Pictionary and enjoy some friendly competition.
Workshop
Many companies offer workshops for a small fee, like home improvement stores, colleges, universities, pottery stores, and artist communities.
Puppet Show
Make puppets together and put on a puppet show. Paper bags, cardboard, and construction paper all make great puppets.
Fly a Kite
Summer is a great time to get your kite on. Choose a windy day and hit the park.
Road Trip
You don’t have to go all that far to get the joy out of a road trip. Hit a state park or something cool within a couple hours of home.
Sunrise/Sunset
Both are beautiful in their own way. Wake up early or stay up and watch the sun’s display together. Bring a snack and make it a show.
Pick Wildflowers
Wildflowers go crazy during summer, especially after a fresh shower. Take a walk and pick a bouquet for your home.
Go for a Walk
Hit the sidewalk and walk around the block. Play a game of I Spy along the way.
Jump in the Puddles
It’s warm out there. If it rains, take advantage of that warmth to go puddle hopping without fear of freezing.
Update the House
Tackle some of the needs around the house as a family. Paint, repair a faucet, replace lighting, install a ceiling fan, add a backsplash, or do something else that adds value to your home. Your kids will help and learn life skills.
Dodgeball
There are soft balls you can buy that won’t result in any dodgeball traumatic memories for some wholesome running, dodging, bobbing, and weaving fun.
Do a Stand
Set up a lemonade style stand on a corner. You don’t have to sell lemonade either. Make smoothies. Sell veggies from your garden. Sell unique art pieces made by your kids. It teaches money management, hard work, self-value, and much more.
Transform Your Backyard
Turn your backyard into a make-believe wonderland. Set up a movie theater, create a rocket ship, string lights, hang sheets, make a mini spook alley, or let your kids dictate the ideas. You won’t regret the fun you’ll have together in your own backyard.
Wash the Car
It probably needs to be done anyway. Let the kids help.
Canoe/Kayak/Paddleboard
Strengthen their little cores with fun, healthy exercise that they’ll enjoy doing the entire time.
Your Own Ideas
There are literally hundreds more activities you could do together. Do some yoga, learn your kids’/spouse’s video games, play music, make-believe with your kids, play soccer, meditate, get messy, and have some fun out there this summer.
Check out part two for another twenty-five great ideas on activities and outings for your family!
