With the days getting longer and the temperatures getting warmer, it can only mean one thing: Summer is coming! That being said, kids are typically the ones elated to be done with school, it's the parents that cringe when they try to think of ideas to keep them busy for the next few months. Rest assured, today’s blog post was designed for the parents who need some fun new ideas and a list of activities to check off one by one to make this summer, the best one yet!
Activity # 1: Go Hiking
Hiking is not only free to do, but it burns a ton of energy (hopefully more of your kids than your own!) and can be done almost anywhere. Whether you live near a beautiful landscape or you have a forest behind you, make an adventure of it! Pack the classic hiking attire and snacks, you know, the trail mix, cookies, apples, cheese and nuts and make the most of the trek. If you have a large area to cover, break it into chunks and cover a trail per weekend! Then you’ll have something new to look forward to every week!
Activity # 2: Explore Local Beaches
Again, another free activity to do, but also extremely rewarding! Go past your go-to beach, or lakeside and explore a handful of others in the area. Bring your flippers, goggles and floaties. Pretend to be pirates or better yet, mermaids. Search for sunken treasure and then top the day off with ice cream. A more perfect day couldn’t exist!
Activity # 3: Archery Tag
Bear with us here while we explain this! This idea is likely listed because of our most recent experience playing this past weekend - believe us when we said, it was the best game we’ve ever played! Imagine archery crossed with elements of dodgeball, crossed with athletics and agility. Dream of epic duels where you are shooting your opponents with padded arrows, launching them over boulders, tossing fireballs and sliding on the turf to safety. This game is for the older kids, but if you have younger ones, there are also Nerf games available! Look up the options in your local area and get ready for a rush of adrenaline!
Activity #4: Water Balloon Fight
This is likely going to throw you back to your childhood days, so please, try to tame your excitement, you have to come off as cool and collected around the kids… Water balloon fights are the perfect combination of fitness meets fun and is a sure-fire way to cool off, unless you don’t get hit that is! Purchase and fill a variety of sized balloons and make up some fun rules. These could include, you must hop on one leg, cover one eye with a patch, throwing with your non-dominant hand…etc. Get creative, but more importantly, get ready to have a blast!
Activity #5: DIY Camp Night
Whether you’re a camper or the farthest thing from it, this activity everyone can do. If you love the outdoors, take the family to an actual campsite, for everyone else who is also deathly afraid of snakes, this is for you. Set up a tent in your backyard, set up a gas firepit (if allowed) and pack the cooler full of treats. Challenge yourself to stay outside for 24 hours with no electronics. It’ll be hard, but incredibly rewarding and worth it! Play games, start a campfire, tell spooky stories and stay up late into the night. This will be a memory that you will cherish forever!
There you have it, 5 Easy-to-try summer activities to keep your kids busy, while also bringing some fun and entertainment to the adults. Some other fun ideas include food truck hopping (get one thing from each truck and share it), Spikeball, family soccer/basketball/volleyball, waterpark adventures, sidewalk chalk drawing and road-tripping. There are endless possibilities, but what is most important is that you have fun and be present in the moment. Our kids are only little for a short period of time, so soak up all of the time you can with them and cherish these fun summer memories.
By Lindsay Mustard. Lindsay is a Holistic Nutritionist, foodie and firefighter-in-training with a burning passion for health and fitness. In her nutrition practice, Lindsay works with clients to craft a unique plan that is tailored to their specific health goals using a natural, whole food and supplement approach.
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