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Let’s jump right into it! You only get so few summers with your children. Make the most of them with some of these family activities. Some of these summer activities are more or less affordable, some will be a better fit for older children, while others could be better suited for younger children.
These summers are times to spend quality time learning about your children and also teaching them. This is your opportunity to pour into their lives.
Get off auto-pilot and be intentional with your time this summer. Be intentional with your children.
Activities to Get Outside and Enjoy Nature
1. Parks
2. Taking Walks/Hikes
3. Bug Collecting
4. Strawberry Picking
5. Leaf Collecting/Tracing
All of these activities can be done for so many different age groups.
When it comes to parks find ones best suited for your child. Some parks out there are simple enough for an 18-month-old to enjoy. There are also parks that are quite advanced with webs of cable ropes and intense climbing that older children could still enjoy.
Taking walks and hikes can be adapted to fit any age or skill level. Some people even do walks that are led by their toddlers. You follow their lead, interests, and pace.
You could spend time collecting bugs or if you prefer to leave them in nature maybe you draw or take pictures of the bugs you spot at the park or on a walk. This would an opportunity to use an instant-type camera, like a Polaroid camera.
Strawberry picking is just an example. You could go to a farmers market or go pick any fruit or vegetable that is in season. You could combine the activities of picking with them taking your bounty home to make homemade jam or preserve it somehow.
Leaf collecting can be the same as bug collecting. If you prefer to simply leave them in nature take a picture instead or only find leaves on the ground.
Another fun thing to do is place the leaf under a piece of paper and run a crayon across it. You are making a print of the leaf. You need the crayon to be free of the paper label so you can use it sideways and roll it.
You can make beautiful images of leaves this way. A young toddler could find it interesting as well as an older child.
Activities to Make an Impact
6. Volunteer
7. Start a Small Garden
8. Learn a New Skill or Craft
Volunteering is a great way to pour into both your children and the community this summer. Some different examples of volunteering include picking up trash, working at food pantries or soup kitchens, and the list can go on and on. If you need ideas locally for volunteer work, reach out to a local church or community center to see what you can do to help.
A place I volunteered as a young teen left such an impact on me. People were there to get personal and household items. I was a shopper. You escorted people around and kept them within the limits. For example, 3 pairs of socks per member of the family. There was a loading dock area where they would get large furniture items.
Some of these people were truly homeless and what they wanted most was a decent backpack.
It hit me hard volunteering there. You saw how badly some people were struggling.
This can be a huge life lesson for your children. It can teach them first off to be so thankful for the life they have. Maybe they will learn to complain less when they don’t get the latest cell phone or coolest pair of shoes.
It may also impact their view of money. They will likely never want to see themselves in a position like the people that they are serving.
Volunteering can lead to so many important conversations you need to have with your children. Once again, get off autopilot and impact your children this summer.
My next activity to make an impact is to make a small garden.
You could go simple or go advanced. If you have never gardened before I recommend a small pot garden. By placing plants in pots it is much easier to harvest the crops you grow as well as limit the potential for weeds to grow.
The foods you grow and can be used in your cooking. You might be motivated to eat a bit healthier. If your children are young toddlers they will enjoy watering the plants and watching them grow. If your children are older they will enjoy the process of learning to cook them.
As with all activities, tailor them to fit the current interests of your family and children.
Another thing you can do is donate any extra foods you grow to food pantries or gift them to neighbors.
My final idea for making an impact is to learn a new skill. This skill could be something like poetry, woodworking, pottery, painting, sewing, or sign language. By getting the whole family involved you can support each other in your new endeavor.
Learning a new skill can bring you together as a family. It can be mentally stimulating as well.
Your new skills could be used to help others. Many people spent time using their skills to sew when the pandemic hit and there was a mask shortage.
Imagine running into someone who is hearing impaired and actually being able to effectively communicate with them.
Learning a new skill can have an impact. This summer is an opportunity to make that difference.
Big Activities to do this Summer
9. Amusement Parks
10. Summer Festivals
11. Outdoor Concerts
12. Children’s Museum or Learning Zone
13. Sporting Events
If your budget can handle it you can do some of these large summer activities with your family. These are great ways to spend the day and when possible support your local community. All of these are pretty self-explanatory. You can take that time together as a family to make some amazing memories.
Water Activities to do this Summer
14. Water Park
15. Splash Pad
16. Boating
17. Fishing
18. Pool
Sometimes all you want to do in the summer is spend time in, on, or around the water. You can do all sorts of water activities as a family and find ways to make them both safe and enjoyable for the whole family.
Remember when it comes to the water to do what you can safely handle with your children based on their ages and water skills.
I have a few water activities that are geared more towards toddlers that you can check out here.
10 Affordable Outside Activities to Wear Out Your Toddler this Summer!
Getting Out of Town this Summer
19. Camping
20. Vacation
A great way to get some intentional time with your children is to get out of town. Get away from home and out of your routine.
This could be a full-on vacation hundreds of miles away or simply a weekend getaway.
Vacation time will greatly depend on your budget and what your family can handle.
A great way to spend time while getting away is a camping trip. Unplug and connect with your children. While camping you can do some of the other activities mentioned such as hiking or bug collecting.
Getting out of your home and into a new environment can give your children the opportunity to see the world differently. When they disconnect from electronics, maybe it spurs unique conversations.
Summer is a great opportunity for a family vacation.
Conclusion
I hope these 20 summer ideas help you connect with your family this summer.
Find what works for your family as far as interests and budget. Connect with your children. Get interested in their lives and continue to learn more about them.
Each summer they are at a different place in life. Make the most of summer with your kids.
Enjoy!
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