Creating A Summer To Remember With Easy Summer Activities
Summer is right around the corner and the kids are itching to get out of the house. They are ready for new memories and experiences – dreaming of having the best summer ever. Yet, this year, summer is looking a tad bit different thanks so social distancing. Coronavirus came and changed our day-to-day lives just a couple of short months ago, and it looks like it will be doing the same well into the summer months as well. So how do we create a summer to remember when so many summer activities are canceled or drastically changed?
That’s what we are going to figure out, together! 😉
A Summer Vacation Without the Familiar Summer Activities
With summer nearly here, and the kids and I racing towards summer vacation, I can’t help but be slightly saddened that this summer will not have many of our normal activities. With social distancing looking like it will be here for the long haul, the brief moments of warmth we get here in Maine will have to be enjoyed quite differently than in years past.
Summer camp is of course a no-go this year, a challenging thing for the two who are accustomed to going and the one who was looking forward to this milestone this year.
A lack of summer camp is not the only change we are facing as summer arrives.
I’m willing to bet that in your corner of the world, it’s similar.
Each day I hear of additional closures as camps, venues, events, festivals, and other seasonal activities announce their own closures. All of this really changes the summer outlook.
This Can’t Be All That Summer Has To Offer?!
Yet, I don’t want this summer to be all doom and gloom. I don’t want my kids to think that this summer, and this time in their lives, is going to be miserable. Instead, with the help of some of my readers, I have created a list of seriously amazing stay-cation options and home-camp ideas that we can all do with our kids this summer!
Easy To Do Summer Activities
The majority of the following summer activities are easy to do and can be done with minimal prep work on your part. The goal was to create a list of things for you to pull from, but also get your own imagination going. Try the things that you think will work for you, skip the ones that won’t.
Most importantly, be open to trying new things. Just because you have never camped before doesn’t mean you can’t try it. And simply because you don’t typically hike doesn’t mean you can’t start.
With all new things, expect some bumps in the road. Keep trying. Keep smiling. And keep making memories with your kids.
Backyard Campfires
Quick and easy to set up, a backyard campfire is a great excuse to turn off the electronics and get outside. Whether you cook your dinner at the fire or simply opt to roast some s’mores, a backyard campfire is a fabulous way to spend time with your family.
Backyard Camping
Take your campfire up a notch and add in the entire camping experience. No need for a reservation or loading up the vehicle with more stuff than you could possibly need. Simply check the forecast, grab your gear, and get set up.
Or, be extra adventurous and try sleeping right under the stars.
Complete the experience by cooking dinner or breakfast right in your backyard.
Star Gazing
Whether you have an astronomy buff in the house or not, summer is an excellent time to turn our eyes up and experience the nighttime sky. Meteor showers, visible planets, and searching for constellations – all hopefully from your backyard. A perfect addition to either a simple campfire or backyard camping experience.
And if you can’t take in the night sky from your yard, try finding places nearby that you can travel to. Download a free app to help you if you are a novice, get a map of constellations to add to your walls, or check out some books on what to find in the night sky.
Themed Weeks
Who says summer camps get to have all the fun? Create your own theme weeks right in your own home! Celebrate summer, holidays, birthdays, or get creative with a quick Google search. Plan a week around your favorite books, movies, or even vacations from the past. Create costumes, games, events, and activities.
Your imagination is your only limitation here!
Disney At Home!
Yes, you read that right! My friend Jessica over at Imagineered Vacations is hosting a free 14-week virtual summer camp in her Facebook group through September 3, 2020! It’s free to join and to participate.
Read Around The Globe
Whether you are homeschooling through the summer or taking a traditional break, reading is always a fantastic activity. And reading around the globe, well that gives you the opportunity to travel right from your own couch!
Sail the seas with Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. Wander through the wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia. Venture to a sweet farm in Charlotte’s Web. Travel back in time in Little Women. Journey across the countryside of England in Britfield and the Lost Crown.
Reading with your kids and to your kids (even the older ones) is a great way to get out of your corner of the world and experience a new land, a new time, and a new place. A low-key way to work on valuable skills like reading comprehension. An excellent way to work in some geography and history lessons as well as some character training.
Above all, a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon inside or a beautiful day outside in the sunshine.
Eat Around The Globe
You can do this either with the books that you are reading, along with your themed weeks, or independently, but eating around the globe is a great way to learn about the world around us.
Turn dinner time into an adventure by eating foods commonly prepared in other countries and by other cultures. Expose yourself and your children to new tastes, textures, and food combinations. Learn about the customs, preparation methods, and history of other lands.
Don’t forget to document this one! A lot of families use an eat-around-the-globe approach to cultural studies and include dressing up as part of the process. Pictures create a way to scrapbook a summer of adventurous eating, new outfits, and experiencing the world around us without ever leaving our own homes.
Nature Walks & Mountain Climbing
Strap on some sneakers, grab a water bottle, and see where the path takes you. This one is easy enough to do simply spur of the moment, or plan out a longer trek.
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunts
Create a simple option yourself by assigning different types of homes, vehicles, traffic signs, and buildings, or find one online that works for your location. Make an afternoon of it and prepare something fun for the end. Scavenger hunts are a great way to get out of the house and move.
Neighbor or Neighborhood Day-Camps
This one may require a little bit of planning, and depending on the regulations where you live may be off the table completely, but if you have some willing neighbors you could plan a week of day camps that each family rotates hosting. Games, activities, fun, and some kid-free time for parents who are off for the day.
Field Day
When I was a kid, our public school had field day once a year. A day outside with games like hot potato, tug-o-war, and three-legged races. With a little bit of imagination, and possibly a few minutes online looking up the rules for games like potato sack race, Red Light, Green Light, and Red Rover, you could show your kids how to have some fun in their own backyard.
Drive-In Movies
Perhaps you have a local drive-in that you can take the kids to, but if you don’t, you could create one at home with a sheet and a phone projecting the image on the wall.
Or, toss some pillows on the living room floor, pop some popcorn, and use your imagination pretending you are at the drive-in.
Family Theater
A couple of weeks ago, our six-year-old put on a six-part one-kid show. She has props (dolls, the broom, and a basket) and lighting (thanks to a cell phone flashlight), and off she went taking us through all six acts. She even charged admission!
Some were clearly made up on the spot. Others she did try to prepare for. All were entertaining for all of us (even if the teens did roll their eyes).
However, the fun was real for all involved and it got me thinking that families could use this downtime to perhaps exercise their own theater skills. Set the stage, prepare some costumes, and have some simple, family fun.
Plan A Staycation
It may not be ideal, but it can be memorable and enjoyable. Take the money you save on hotels, airfare, and eating out, and instead invest in some time at home. Maybe a telescope to watch the night sky. Perhaps new bikes for the kids. Or even, a pool or other toy the whole family can enjoy.
Put aside school, work, and other activities, and simply enjoy some lazy days at home. Binge your favorite movie series. Explore the land around you. Tour the historic or scenic areas your state has to offer.
Splurge on dinner and keep it simple for a few days. Late nights, sleeping in, and all of the relaxation and fun you would have on a “real” vacation, but from home.
Creating A Summer To Remember Might Take Some Work, But It Will Be Worth It
Creating a summer to remember, while keeping in mind the new and ever-changing restrictions and social distancing requirements, may be challenging – but it will be worth it. The time you invest now to plan even a few things throughout the next few months will create memories that will last far longer than the summer activities and laughs do.
Be sure to document your families’ adventures all summer long! Pictures, scrapbooks, videos, and journals are a great way to record the memories you make for years to come.
