Five Fun Family Summer Activities

School just ended for the year. The kids come home, joy in their eyes at the prospect of a long summer with no homework.

You, on the other hand, might be getting more stressed by the second as you try and come up with things to keep your kids entertained. Never fear, there are a variety of fun summer activities that will keep your children entertained.

A lot of great summer activities involve spending time as a family. These activities allow for plenty of interaction and bonding.

Swimming

Is there a more timeless warm weather activity than swimming? Going to the pool is such a great way to keep cool in the summer heat, and is something most kids love to do.

It can be as simple as just going to the pool and letting your kids swim. You can join them or play lifeguard from the side.

If you have your pool, or if the public pool isn’t as crowded, you can encourage activities to spark a little healthy competition. Have a cannonball contest, races, or see who can get the most diving toys from the bottom of the pool in a set time limit.

Swimming not only provides fun, but it’s an excellent way for your kids to get exercise, and they won’t complain about it! 

Hiking

Hiking is an activity that can be done with people of all ages. You need to make sure the hike is easy enough to complete for the smaller children.

Hiking is great because it allows you to get out into places that aren’t as busy. Show your kids the beauty of nature, you’ll enable them to build an appreciation for it.

Also, it’s another great way to get some exercise in. Your kids may complain a little, but getting to the top is usually a great reward as they’ll love the view.

Movie Night

Kids love movies, so let them stay up late one night and watch videos of their choosing. Get snacks, and maybe build a blanket fort.

Kids will love the experience of putting a twist on the typical movie watching experience. This can be a fun event to repeat over the summer.

Maybe there’s a movie series you love, and you watch them throughout the summer. Perhaps you let each family member take turns picking what movie every time you decide to do a movie night.

However you do it, it’s sure to bring a lot of fun.

Being as this event takes you indoors, you will need to be aware of the amount of time spent using electricity. As your bill is likely to be high during the summer anyway, make yourself aware of some useful energy saving tips.

A fun twist would be an outdoor movie night. If you have a projector and screen, it’s an easy setup.

You can also use curtains or a flat side of a building if these objects are light colors to project on to.

Picnic

Picnics are awesome. Food and beautiful weather, a wonderful combination! I think every kid is down for a picnic, and so this should trigger a lot of excitement.

Have the kids help you plan a meal and then prepare it. It will help them learn some essential nutrition and meal planning skills.

Have them think of the main course, sides, a drink, and a dessert. They will be sure to enjoy feeling involved in the planning.

Make sure you scope out a beautiful place to go. Prepare the food, make sure you have utensils and a blanket to sit on and bring some activities (more on that later) for a family outing filled with fun.

Outdoor Games

Playing games outside was one of my favorite things to do as a kid. It tied to exercise, competition, and fun all together in an entirely enjoyable bundle.

There are a ton of games that can be played outside; here are a few to give you some ideas.

1. Sports – Games ranging from football to basketball, kickball to dodge ball. Anything that’s considered an organized sport. Many of these are great family activities, though you might need more than one family to make for a good game.
2. Chase games – Hide-and-seek, Kick the Can and tag are excellent examples.
3. Water games – Water balloon fights, water balloon volleyball, use of the sprinkler, and slip-and-slide are some of the favorite games of my childhood.

Conclusion

Summer is the time of the year when kids can laugh, play and be free. Help them to have a great summer. While it may be crazy having them home all day, it will be worth it for the memories you all will make.

If you have a teen and they’re a new driver or they spend a lot of time outdoors, the summertime is a great opportunity for parents to put an extra emphasis on safety education.

Take a closer look at five areas in which you can encourage your teen to be safer this summer.

About the author

Spencer Bell is a senior at Brigham Young University – Idaho. He is studying Communication with an emphasis in Advertising. Spencer is from Nashville, Tennessee and loves football, hiking, Netflix and spending time with his wife. He loves writing and thinks nothing is better than seeing words come together to form an entertaining story.