Summertime is already chock full of memories that your children will carry for their lifetimes. Baseball games, lazy days by the pool, and watermelon seed spitting are what summer childhood is made of. Most times, our kids remember the extra special events or moments once they become adults. These extra special moments aren’t necessarily the most expensive vacations or the most costly experiences. Instead, a break in routine is what causes our kids to make a memory. Here are a few ideas that we will be doing at our house this summer – join us?
Night Walks
For kids with earlier bedtimes, an evening or nighttime walk is an exciting break in routine. Give baths and get in jammies before passing out a few glowsticks and announcing plans for a night walk. Head around the neighborhood, collect fireflies, or walk to a nearby ice cream shop.
Have a “yes day”
Have you heard of the term ‘yes day’? Essentially, you let your child pick the activities, destinations, and meals for the day (or for the afternoon, evening, etc.), all within reason. It is an idea that has some merit for our family. Sometimes, my husband and I feel like we say “no” very often to our preschooler. Time constraints, regular routines, and activities like errands sometimes leave no room for extra jumps in a driveway puddle or making pepperoni omelets for dinner. We had one “yes day” last summer and we all loved it. Our son talks about it still and refers to it as “Son Day” since I get Mother’s Day and Daddy gets Father’s Day.
Make a bucket list
Rally the family troops and spend an evening making s’mores and talking about what you all want to do this summer. Write your list down and hang it on your fridge for all to see. Mark off your accomplishments as you work your way through the list.
Pick up a new hobby
Summer time is the best time for adventuring and trying out a new family hobby. Last year, we tried out Geocaching as a family and it was a hit all around. It gave us something fun and new to learn together and who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt? This year, we are going to up our game by placing a few geocaches of our own. We will likely pick up another hobby this summer too, but we’re not quite sure what yet.
Explore your neighborhood
With kiddos out of school, you can now explore your favorite neighborhood spots at different times of day. What does your neighborhood creek look like in the morning? What does your favorite park look like at nighttime? Everyone in the family will enjoy seeing otherwise ordinary spots in a new light.
Here’s to a summertime full of adventures and memory making!
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