Summer Family Activities

Enjoy the Natural World

Take a good look at the world outside of your home. To start, try the following:

• If you see or hear interesting birds or small animals in your yard or parks, take photos and identify them. 
• You can also put out a blanket on the grass and gaze up at the clouds for a while. Use your imaginations to come up with clever things you see in the clouds, the reflections of a lake, or the bark of trees.
• If there is a farm nearby, arrange a visit. Take some time to spot summer harvests of berries, vegetables, or flowers. Fill your baskets and discuss the importance of nutritious foods.
• Create a scavenger hunt in your backyard. You can even create a parents versus kids challenge for some fun family competition. 

Take Advantage of Local Attractions

Just because you are not going out of town does not mean you and your family can’t have fun where you are. For example, attend a free concert nearby. Search for music you and your children would love to listen to. Or consider something totally new.

• Summers are also filled with carnivals and state or county fairs to attend. Frequently they are affordable and full of rides, games, and baked or salty treats to snack on.
• There is also nothing like going to the movies (if the big screen is an option) with your family. Something family-friendly is fun to watch and can provide content to stimulate discussions afterward.
• Check out your local park district website or catalog. Often they have free or low cost community events such as block parties, splash pad hours, and toddler and parent classes or activities. 
• If you feel like you have seen enough of your area, take a mini road trip to a city closest to you and go exploring.

Learn Something New

A few months away from school should not mean a vacation from using your brain.

• Encourage your kids to get their summer reading done as soon as possible, preferably during the first month of vacation. Then, make summer reading fun by starting or joining a summer reading club together. Check out your local library for summer reading programs! You can each take turns having to discuss your favorite stories and characters.
• Make science fun by finding science experiments online too. Create original chalk art masterpieces and have your kids write a journal about their summer, pasting or drawing photos of their favorite memories along the way.

Nighttime Fun

The fun does not have to end when the sun goes down, there are always inventive ways to have a summer of fun. Make warm evenings enjoyable too:

• You can have a camp-out with your children by pitching a tent in the backyard, roasting   marshmallows, and watching the stars.
• Host an outdoor movie night. If you have a projector you can create an outdoor screen and project the movie there. Bring out air mattresses, pillows and pop some popcorn for a fun night of  movie watching under the stars. 
• Take a night time walk around your neighborhood. Get the kids snuggled in their pj’s, grab a blanket, flashlights and take them for a stroll in their wagon for a whole new perspective of your neighborhood.