Big Brave Summer: 20 Fun Things to do with Kids

And just like that, summer is here!  While there are still 24 hours in each day, everything seems to shift this time of year.  School is out, schedules change, we’ve wrapped up spring sports (hallelujah!), and the school work, piano and ballet lessons are nearly finished as well.  Our days are taking on a new shape and rhythm and it’s all kind of wild and fabulous, messy and fun at the same time.

It feels like grace, a bit.  It’s freedom to try out the things we don’t make time for during the rest of the year.  It’s freedom to stay up way past bed times and sleep in a little more often.  It’s road trips and barbecues and memories just waiting to be made…if we’re ready to make them.

Summer beholds a whole new offering of brave things to do with your family – growing, building and stretching those brave muscles –  and with a little planning, a little intention, you can easily make some of those things happen.

Here is a tried and true list of 20 fun things to do with kids, to get you started. (Some of the links below are affiliate links. By using these links if you choose to purchase any of the recommended products, you help support this blog. Thanks!)

• Go Camping – This may be a no-brainer for some of us, but even if you’re not outdoorsy you need to give this a try with your kids.  Put up a tent in the yard if you have to, your kids will be delighted no matter what you do.  We’ve found camping to be an awesome way to explore the Pacific Northwest, to catch frogs and watch deer, to wade in creeks and pick wild huckleberries.  Adventure and memory-making opportunities abound on camping trips.

 

• Stargazing – have you watched this video yet?  Stars are quite extraordinary!  Stay up late and observe them.  We picked up a telescope at a yard sale last year.  Use this app to locate and name the constellations.  Or visit an observatory to view the galaxy like never before.  This is on my list of things to do this summer!

 

• Have a water balloon fight –Ever thought water balloons are a annoying?  Problem solved!  My mother-in-law bought us this pack this year and we had a blast with it.  It’s genius – 60 seconds and you have 30 water bombs ready to explode.  If you doubt the “as seen on tv” stuff, that makes two of us, but these things really did work perfectly for us.  We might try this water balloon piñata next.

 

• Pick fruit – I live in the valley of plenty for this, but it’s still an adventure every year.  We pick strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and wild huckleberries.  We pick apples and peaches and pears.  We make jam and crisp (not pie!) and we freeze and can some of the fruit for the winter.  The kids dive into the mix of all of it.  They are actually becoming pretty decent pickers!

 

• Give – How about giving some of that extra time away?  Volunteer to help with community clean up, serve at a community event or your church’s vacation Bible school, just make sure your kids see and help you do it.  So often we give, but our kids don’t get to see it first hard.  A couple of weeks ago I told my kids we were going to pay for the car behind us in the McDonald’s drive thru.  The questions and excitement that unfurled from that one simple experience were priceless.  Pay it forward and let your kids see the value in giving this summer.

 

• Go to an amusement park or local fair – Ugh, I know.  I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with this one right here, because $$$.  However, my kids have joined a homeshchool reading program the last several years (I’m sure most school have these too?) and have earned themselves free amusement park and fair tickets.  Not only does that make it more affordable for our family, but it makes us actually do it, because they worked hard to earn it.  And honestly, even though amusement parks can definitely drive a parent crazy, our annual trip to Silverwood has fast become a tradition of unforgettable family memories.  We love it!

 

• Free Write Fridays – Odd choice?  Maybe.  But ,why not?  When it’s crazy hot and you fear your kids’ brains have turned dull and marshmallowy, try this on for size.  Everyone gets a pen and paper (including you, mom!), pick a topic – fun, funny, random (ice cream, the circus, anything!) – and have everyone write for 5 minutes, non-stop.  No worries for grammar, spelling, any of it, just get your creative minds going and learn to get your thoughts down on paper.  If your kids are feeling brave they can share their stories.   Make it an every Friday habit and it will only get better.  Don’t tell them, but they are reading, writing, learning and bravely sharing.  My kids haven’t once seen this as work…actually they ask for it if we happen to skip it for a few weeks.  Brave Writer taught me this trick!

 

• Play Laser Tag – We have some really fun laser tags courses near us and I love that it’s an enjoyable and easy sport for a variety of ages.  After having a blast playing laser tag for my son’s 10th birthday we purchased a couple sets of these guns for birthday and Christmas presents and have since played hours of laser tag in and around the orchards that border our home.  Even our three year old can play.  It has been money well spent and memories well made for us.

 

• Catch a parade – Nothing makes me feel like I live in Mayberry more than watching my small town States Day Parade.  It’s another tradition for us.  We sit in the same spot, every year.  Surrounded by the same friends, every year.  We wouldn’t miss it.  Find a parade, teach your kids to stand in honor of the flag, clap for the band and wave at the girls on the float.  Check with your local chamber of commerce for other community events and celebrations.  Memories, friends.

 

• Go old school – Grab a rope and have a tug of war, get a long jump rope and start jumping together (Braver?  grab two and double Dutch!) or have three legged race with the neighbor kids.  We’ve busted some serious boredom by pulling these simple, tried and true games out when we needed them most.

 

• Get crafty – I’m not crafty, but it’s not to hard to fake it with young kids! 🙂  One year I ordered all kinds of craft kits in bulk from here and then split them with a friend.  I hid them from my children (because if they find this stuff they want to do all the things NOW!) and then I pulled them out on the long, summer days.  They made pin wheels for the garden.  They designed their own jigsaw puzzles.  For just a dollar or two per craft these turned out to be great fun.  Watch the craft stores as well, they put out all kinds of fun kits for kids this time of year.

 

• The worlds best slip and slide – well this might just earn you the mom of the year award.  And for cheap too!  We’re working on a slightly different option for our home this summer.  I’ll let you know if it works like we planned. (By the way, did you know you can follow I Choose Brave on Facebook and Instagram?  That is where I get social and post the occasional pic of my family getting brave.)

 

• Learn a new skill – Make friendship bracelets, learn to whittle and carve, crochet and knit.  Handicrafts are a bit of a lost art and you will be surprised how quickly a six or seven year old can catch on with your help.  Best of all, the supplies to get started don’t cost much at all.  Check You Tube for some great detailed tutorials to get you started.

 

• Write letters – During the school year, we don’t make as much time for this as I’d like but now is the time.  Every kid loves getting mail, right?  Help your kids find a pen pal, write a letter to their neighbor or a widow from church.  Go Bob Goff style (excellent book, by the way!) and have them write political leaders.  When they get a letter back they are quickly motivated to write again.  Like Free Write Fridays they are keeping their brains from getting rusty and they don’t even realize it. Win!

 

• Outdoor movie night – Why are movies just so much fun outside?  Because they just are!  Check with your parks and rec department or library to see if they are hosting any outdoor movie nights this summer.  Even better, host one at your house!  Plans for this are in the works over here; I can hardly wait!

 

• Hold a cooking class – Oddly enough, I bake more in the summer than the winter.  Sure, it’s hot, but I bake early and my kids could live off of muffins.  I’m often rushed and trying to stay on schedule throughout the school year, but summer is a great time to slow down and teach my kids the art of cooking.  Last summer my son caught on to making homemade popsicles after seeing a recipe in a magazine.  For a week or two he made his siblings popsicles every day, trying out different recipes we researched together.  Check out my cooking for kids board for more ideas.

 

• Sneak in some learning – I’m a homeschooler so it’s in my nature to fit some smarty pants stuff into our summer, but I try to make it look nothing like our normal school day.  I picked up some fun geography sticker books recently and I’ll be working through Draw the USA with my older kids.  Because it’s new and different, my kids don’t balk at a little summer learning.  Last year they caught on to the fact that many quarters have states on the back (nevermind the fact that they were 10 or 15 years late to the party!) so we ordered fun folders like these for each kid and spent the entire summer working to fill them up.  A little geography? Check.  A little fun? Check.  That’s a win, moms!  Add in weekly trips to the library and you’re sure to avoid the summer slide.  (You can find a few of our family’s favorite read alouds over here.)

 

• Go rock climbing –  A friend of mine checked into this and found a climbing wall at a local gym that is open to the public.  How is that for easy access to brave family fun?  Rock climbing is definitely on our list for family fun this summer.

 

• Run a race as a family –  The variety of races these days is endless. Many have fun run options for the littlest runners (often a one mile race) and bigger kids can compete in the 5K (3 miles).  Make it a family affair and get moving together.  Even better, entry fees often go to support local organizations and great causes.

 

• Create a scavenger hunt – I can’t wait to try this one out with my kids this year.  Get them exploring and noticing the details, not just looking, but really seeing creation. Pinterest is full of awesome printables to take along with you on your hunt.  Even better, try this out while you’re camping!

 

So there you go, 20 brave ideas and fun things to do with kids.  Make some memories, start some traditions and try something completely out of your comfort zone.  Remember, these don’t just happen on their own and summer slips by in a hurry.  Make some plans, invite some friends, mark your calendar and make it happen.

 

Here is to many memories and a Big Brave Summer!

 

Already have some big summer plans?  Share them in the comments so we can all keep adding to our list!