10 Adventures That Will Make This Summer Special

Let The Summer Adventures Begin…

1. Make a list with the whole family and decide how many of those things you want to do this summer and when. We as parents sometimes think that we have to go all out and spend a ton of money to make the summer special for our kids. Most of the time that is not the case. More than anything our children want to spend the summer with us and do things with us.

2. Go to the lake. Find a park near you and go have a lake day. Pack a lunch and have the kids bring their books or toys and just spend the day at the lake. I find the water very relaxing. 

We love going to the lake and all of my kids from my 20 year old down to my 1 year old loves water. Something that we discovered more recently that my kids really like is to use a paddle board. They use it all summer long and they take turns rowing each other around the lake. It was definitely a worthy investment. (Here is a link to the one we have if you are interested https://amzn.to/4bL1fLP)

3. Go out for ice cream. This is a summer treat for our kids and they always remember it. We don’t go out for ice cream often because it is expensive. We have 7 people in our family right now and paying almost $40 for ice cream is definitely a treat (an expensive treat).

4. Find an amusement park and take a day trip. My kids love the ones that have both water rides and regular rides. Some amusement parks have discount days so I would definitely look into that. The one we go to has a family day each week. If you purchase two kids tickets an adult gets in free. 

5. Make a campfire and make s’mores. Get some camp chairs set up around a campfire and enjoy the evening with your kids. Talk about things that interest them and share stories. 

6. Prepare water balloons, water guns, or spray bottles and have a water fight. Or make your own water slide with a roll of plastic. This will be fun for the kids and will tire them out. Afterward, head in to snuggle with a book or a movie. 

7. Plan a vacation. It doesn’t have to be elaborate and expensive. One of the best memories from my teen years was when we went to a campground by the beach. It was inexpensive and a whole lot of fun. Also, very memorable. 

8. Go berry picking. It’s a great lesson for children to learn about where food comes from. My older teen girls have always enjoyed our family trips to pick blueberries when they were younger and talk fondly of those memories. 

9. Plant a garden. Have the children pick out what they would like to grow and have a planting day. Have them help you water the garden daily and watch the garden grow. 

10. Plan a picnic or barbecue at a park. 

These are just 10 adventures that you can start with but you can plan anything. What is important is that you do these things together with your family and you focus on each other. Put away distraction (PHONES) and just be there fully in the moment. That is how you will make this summer special. Believe me, it’s really that simple.