Summer time is in full swing! And before the chaos of back to school begins, July is the perfect month to focus on family togetherness!
So whether you have little kids or older teens, why not add a few of these ideas to your Summer Bucket List? They’re the perfect way to get some quality time in with your kids that you’ll remember forever.
So pull out your calendar and pick a few of your favorite ideas below. Here are 31 ways you can bring your family closer together this month!
31 Summer Fun Ideas for Kids
- Have CHRISTmas in July! Decorate an outdoor tree with paper ornaments you make yourselves. Get out the CHRISTmas cookie cutters, bake sugar cookies, and decorate! Have great conversations about the fun memories from CHRISTmas!
2. If you’re in an area that is safe for fireworks, buy sparklers and have an evening outdoors! If your city doesn’t allow fireworks, try this fun idea from Jenae – Fireworks in a Jar
3. Create a fun sprinkler park in your back yard…even if some of the “sprinklers” are you holding hoses.
4. Make a slip-and-slide in your backyard with water and tarps.
5. Go on a random road trip. Get in the car and flip a coin… heads you drive north for 30-40 minutes, tails you drive south. Stop and the end of the time limit and see where you end up.
6. Make a summery date with your husband, or best bud for our single moms!
7. Create a mini movie theater. Line up all the stuffed animals, cars, favorite toys, in rows in front of you, dim the lights, pop the corn and place in paper cups, make tickets, have the kids tear them, and point you towards the “theater” – you get the idea…go for it in as many ways as you can think! Pretend/creative play ads an extra level of fun for kids!
8. Go fishing with a Grandparent or another older friend! If your children’s grandparents live too far away, visit (or make cards for) your local senior center and get to know the seniors there. Their grandchildren may live too far away from them too and they just might be longing for attention from a child!
9. Teach your child how to find the perfect watermelon. (They should be heavy for their size and have a nice creamy yellow ‘ground spot’)
10. For days when it’s too hot outside, visit the library – or create your own library with books at home, complete with book checking out system, along the idea of idea number 7 … get creative!
11. Go berry picking. Find a pick your own farm near you.
12. Summer is the time of festivals and fairs. Visit your local chamber of commerce or city website and find out what events are happening this month near you. If things are shut down – create your own. Strawberry festival, peach festival – and go all things “strawberry” wear red with a green cap, eat strawberry everything and learn all about that yummy red fruit!
13. Build a fort inside with pillows and blankets.
14. Go on a flashlight walk or play flashlight tag in the backyard one evening.
15. Recently, I’ve heard people all over the country talking about seeing fireflies in their area. Have you seen any in your yard? If so, share the joy of catching fireflies with your children. If you don’t have fireflies in your area, try this fun science experiment to create glowing firefly jars!
16. Take a hike! (Can’t go far? You can also take a “mini hike” in your back yard or neighborhood!)
17. Visit a local museum–or learn about it on line, you’ll be surprised at what you didn’t know about your town!
18. Put the kids in swimsuits and get them to wash your car–then reward them with shakes or icees.
19. Learn a new card game (War, Blitz, Go Fish, Rummy, etc.) or memory strengthening Concentration (matching game!)
20. Make a movie with your kids. Let them come up with the script and costumes, you record!
21. Make popsicles.
22. Volunteer at an animal shelter. Sometimes they allow you to take care of a pet for a day so the pet can have human interaction and physical activity. It’s free, and lots of fun if your child can’t have a pet of his own.
23. Have a tickle fight. (This is a really good way to teach your child their ‘Stop’ and ‘No’ should always be respected no matter who or what. Always stop tickling them when they say ‘stop.’ Even if you don’t think they want you to or if they beg to be tickled 2 seconds later.)
24. Go to the beach. Or, make your own beach!
25. Play with sidewalk chalk.
26. Build a birdhouse or picture frame (or anything else) out of old popsicle sticks or twigs.
27. Have some fun with paper plate flying saucers…decorate and launch with a frisbee style toss!
28. Visit a local inn or hotel and find their collection of “Local Attractions” fliers. You might just discover a fun local attraction you’re never noticed before – if you cannot visit now, plan out a future trip and have fun imagining how awesome it will be!
29. Have a toy car race in your drive way! Use sidewalk chalk to create a race track!
30. Bake Sunshine cookies and surprise your neighbors!
31. Pop popcorn and have a movie marathon of old favorites – your choice in your living room!
