10 Fun and Unique Summer Activities for the Family
With summer right around the corner, it’s time to start planning some super fun family outings. Here are 10 unique summer activities that everyone will enjoy.
When you were a kid, summer vacation was probably one of your favorite times of the year. Endless days with nothing to do but have fun – what a dream! But now that you’re a parent, those endless days may not seem so fantastic.
Trying to find activities to keep your kids busy during the summer can be a challenge. If you’re looking for fun summer activities for the whole family, read on. Below are 10 things the whole family will have a blast with.
Go Geocaching
Geocaching is a great summer activity because it gets everyone out of the house, and it’s free! In geocaching, people hide small containers filled with little trinkets around various places. Using a GPS, your family can go to the location of a geocache and try to find the hidden treasure!
You can look online to find lists of geocaches near you. Take a few small trinkets (stickers, very small toys, rubber bracelets, etc.) with you. When you find the geocache using its GPS coordinates, sign the log and swap one of your trinkets for one of the ones already there.
Do a Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt
A summer photo scavenger hunt can be a great way to find unexpected adventures with your kids. It also means you’ll have lots of memories once the summer is over. You may even want to make a scrapbook with all the photos!
Put together a list of photos (or find one online) at the beginning of the summer. Examples can include a road sign with one of your names on it, a man in a yellow hat, or a perfectly-executed cannonball dive. You and your family can keep your eyes peeled all summer, or dedicate a weekend to checking off as many things as you can.
Go Berry Picking
Lots of berries come ripe in the summer, and berry picking can be delicious and fun. Sometimes, farms will not use pesticides, so you can eat the berries straight off the plant. Or you can wait to make something delicious with them once you get home!
Look around online for berry farms near you. Blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, and strawberries all have summer harvest times. Be sure to ask at the farm if it’s okay to eat the fruit as you pick it.
Have a Movie Night Popcorn Bar
Summertime is prime movie season, so why not have a movie night for your family, complete with a popcorn bar? Have everyone in the family pick a movie to watch and do a marathon – or have everyone vote on one movie. If you want to go the extra mile, maybe set up a sheet and a DIY projector for the full big-screen effect.
Pop enough popcorn for the whole family and set up a bar with different toppings. You may want to pick the usual – caramel, cheese, chocolate, M&Ms. Or you may want to get crazy with sour gummy worms, or even pickles!
Have a Craft Night
Making something together is always a good family activity, and having a craft night is an excellent way to teach your kids creativity. Plus then you can have some new d?cor to hang around your home! The end result could even make a wonderful Father’s Day gift.
Don’t be afraid to – well – get creative with your craft night! Pick up some acrylic paints and canvases from your local craft store, or spend an evening working with modeling clay. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure there are plenty of paint shirts and drop cloths to go around!
Build a Blanket Fort
When you’re having your movie night, why not make things a little more exciting by building a blanket fort? Blanket forts are one of the fondest childhood memories for most of us, and reliving that with our kids is a whole new kind of special. But this summer, you and your family should take things to the next level.
If you really want to go crazy, there are some wild blanket fort designs out there. But you can make yours special on its own by putting some Christmas lights inside, along with plenty of pillows. And, of course, don’t forget the snacks!
Have a Backyard Campout
Camping in the backyard is another great way to spend summer nights. There’s something about sleeping under the stars that make for magical memories. And you can do that without ever leaving your own home (though if you are looking for a dream getaway, click here for more info).
Set up a tent for the whole family in the backyard. Make sure you’re okay to have a fire in city limits, and then build a bonfire to roast marshmallows and hot dogs over. Try to catch fireflies, or teach your kids about constellations.
Make Fairy Jars
When you’re a kid, stories about Tinkerbell and the tooth fairy are so entrancing, you can’t help but believe in fairies. It’s a wonderful part of childhood, and while making fairy jars may not be quite as magical and the real thing would be, they can be a great summer activity.
The easiest way to make fairy jars is using glow sticks. Carefully cut the glow sticks open and empty them into a clean, clear glass jar. Screw the lid on tightly, and shake the jar hard to coat the inside in glowing magical light.
Create a Lemonade Stand
Having a lemonade stand is a classic summer tradition, and can be a great way to help your kids earn a little of their own pocket money. You may want to check with your city to make sure you won’t be violating any business licensing requirements. (Alternately, you could offer anyone who stops by to complain free lemonade!)
Help the kids make a sign for their stand, and hang it on a table on your front sidewalk. You can also offer other fun treats, such as homemade cookies or nice sayings written on cards your kids could make. Help them count their earnings in the evening, and celebrate a day well-spent!
Have a Game Night
A family game night can be a great way to spend an evening. While you might want to steer away from games like Monopoly (especially if you have competitive or restless kids!), games like Twister, Clue, Scrabble, Pictionary, and Uno can be enormous fun for the whole family. Have everyone pick a game they’d like to play, or get a new game and try it out together!
More Fun Summer Activities
There are dozens of fun summer activities to do with your family, and these ten are only the beginning. No matter what you decide to do with those summer days, be sure to take a moment to treasure the time spent having fun with your family. That’s the most important part of summer vacation!
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