Summer is finally here! After so many months of virtual learning and canceled events, we’re all ready to get outside. There are so many possibilities that you might not even know where to start. So we put together this list of 11 of our favorite summer activities.
Active
1. Go for a bike ride
Bike rides are an activity the entire family can enjoy while getting exercise. On top of providing a bit of cardio, it can be fun transportation to your other activities. Worried about a long ride? You can make it fun by adding games like I Spy or 20 questions.
2. Build an outdoor fort
Sometimes, you want to stick a little closer to home. That’s the perfect time for building a fort. One of the best parts about this is the amount of possibilities. You don’t have to be too handy either. Imagination does the heavy lifting with many homemade forts and the games you can play in and around them. Wikihow has a quick guide to help you get started.
3. Make your own slip ‘n slide
Once the next heat wave comes, this handy DIY Slip ‘N Slide from BobVila.com will help keep everyone cool. It’s an easy, fun project that you can do with little more than heavy plastic sheeting and a water hose.
Educational
4. Plant a garden
Planting a garden allows you to teach your children about different plants and vegetables while providing high-quality ingredients for dinner. This article has more details, but if you’re planting your garden this summer, it’ll make sense to plant fall vegetables especially later in the summer.
5. Make ice cream in a bag
We all scream for ice cream! You’ll be happy to know that ice cream is surprisingly easy (and fun!) to make at home. With little more than a few ingredients and a ziplock bag, you’ll have delicious homemade ice cream ready to be combined with all your favorite toppings. The process is also an opportunity to learn a few chemistry basics like emulsion and how adding salt raises the melting point of ice. This recipe from Delish is simple and easy to follow.
6. Pick your own produce
Many areas have “pick your own” farms that are attractions where you can pay admission to pick your own cherries, apples, strawberries, peaches etc. Many pick your own farms also feature high-quality specialty foods made with the fruit they grow such as apple pies, peach cobbler or strawberry preserves. In California, a well-known “pick your own” farm is Underwood Family Farms where they also have an electric train, duck feeding, an animal viewing center, hiking trails and so much more. You can easily spend the day there.
7. Camping and stargazing
Camping is great for those who enjoy being outside for extended periods. As a result, it’s the perfect way to tie together multiple activities that happen to be educational such as identifying flora and fauna that you come across, stargazing while searching for constellations or learning basic survival skills like fire starting and fishing.
Artistic
8. Tie-dye t-shirts
Tie-dying shirts is a fun way to use old white t-shirts or just have fun making a shirt that’s more unique and personalized. Summer is the perfect time to get outside and start tie-dying. Many craft stores make it super simple by carrying tie-dye kits that have everything you need including rubber gloves, rubber bands, soda ash, urea, and easy-to-follow instructions.
9. Sidewalk chalk painting
Chalk painting is an artistic outlet that provides hours of fun outside with no cleanup. Need some ideas on what to paint? Check out this article from What Moms Love for 101 sidewalk chalk painting ideas.
Games
10. Paper airplane contest
A paper airplane contest can be done on the fly with nothing more than a few sheets of paper. Make it more fun by adding prizes or running the contest tournament style. Most people know how to fold a standard paper airplane, but Fold ‘N Fly compiled this awesome set of instructions for folding a plethora of different paper airplanes.
11. Cornhole
Cornhole is a game where players take turns throwing 16 ounce bags of corn at a raised platform with a hole on one end. It’s unclear where it started, but it’s become extremely popular at tailgates and backyards all over the country. So popular in fact, that you get your own platform with custom designs.
Wrap up
There you have it, eleven of our favorite activities to enjoy this summer. Have a favorite that you think others should definitely put on their calendar this summer? Comment below!