Family Fun Summer Activities
1. Summer Reading Programs
Don’t let the kiddos experience summer slide, the period during summer vacation when children who do not continue to learn fall below grade level, particularly in math and reading. There are many benefits to reading, including helping your child learn more about the world, expand vocabulary and develop emotional skills.
An easy way to avoid that is by hitting up your local library! Many public libraries have summer reading programs, some of which reward you with gifts depending on how many books you’ve read. Let kids choose the books in which they’re most interested, and have them get lost in a new fantasy world. (Hogwarts, anyone?) Teens in particular may have a reading list as a summer assignment, but it may be nice for them to get engaged in a novel that’s not seen as homework.
2. Other Educational Opportunities
Take a trip to a museum of your choice: science, art, history and more. You could also make a day out of a zoo trip, and have the kids learn about the different types of animals, along with animal care and conservation.
And, of course, there are some educational games, like Minecraft, that incorporate certain lessons within the video game. What’s not to love if the kids are playing the games they want with a little dose of teaching moments? (Read our blog about summer learning to find more ways to layer in some lessons during the break.)
3. Join A Club or Organization
What are your family’s interests? Find a club or organization that supports that. If, for example, you’re voracious readers, join a book club, or even start your own among your family. If you’re all wanting to get more active, try joining a gym or a sports club, like soccer, kickball or softball leagues within your city. Don’t forget about civic organizations either, like the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, 4-H, FFA and more. Civic organizations are great things to do with kids in the summer, when they have more time for which they can develop life and business skills, such as leadership and problem solving, widen their social networks and broaden their knowledge with continuing education.
4. Get Outside and Get Moving
This is probably the area that first comes to mind when you’re looking for ideas on having fun this summer. Our best advice? In short, get active. Read on to learn ways you can go about doing that.
Go to the nearest playground or park, so the little ones can spend some time running around with their friends. Pack some food, and have a picnic, too. Take a breather by laying out and watching the clouds pass by.
Play a sport together, whether you’re tossing around the frisbee or shooting some hoops. This can include competitive games, like putt putt golfing, go karting or lawn games.
Explore the great outdoors by camping, hiking or visiting a fishing hole. And, if you’re a little strapped for cash, go camping in your own backyard. You could easily pitch a tent, make some s’mores around a fire and tell spooky ghost stories. An added bonus? You could watch the sun rise or set there, too, and stargaze. Cool down with a dip in the pool or with a DIY splash pad in your backyard. You could even have a water gun or water balloon fight.
5. Play Some Games
We’ve already mentioned a few, but don’t forget classics like Pictionary or Jenga. You could also bring your Twister mat outdoors and have more fun by adding shaving cream to make those falls a little more imminent. If you’re wanting to enjoy the summer sun, take your games outdoors — with Bocce ball, cornhole or even giant Jenga or checkers. Also, take into account popular family card games, including Slapjack and Crazy Eights. A few other game options that come to mind are bowling or creating your own scavenger hunt.
6. Make or Build Something
There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the final form of something you’ve made or built from scratch. Art projects may come to mind first, but don’t forget about snacks and food — homemade lemonade, ice cream sandwiches, milkshakes, popsicles, etc. — and even toys, such as a water balloon launcher, a marble slide or a puppet theater. You could also build the ultimate fort with sheets, blankets, chairs and more!
7. Start A New Hobby
For all you know, your child could be a chef in the making! Experiment with different activities that your children can harness into a hobby. If they like arts and crafts, have them complete an art project that they might not be able to do during the school year. Maybe they’ll want to put together some model planes, trains or automobiles, or perhaps start a new collection.
8. Go On A Day Trip
Go to a different city or town as a day trip and explore. Visit local attractions, including museums or parks. Check out a farm in your area and pick out some fresh fruit. And feel free to turn on those podcasts or audiobooks that you downloaded at home!
Daytripping doesn’t necessarily mean you have to skip town. This could easily turn into making a day out of a theme park, water park or carnival that’s taking place near you.
9. Find a New Favorite Show or Movie
If you’ve been putting off your favorite family shows because of busy school and work schedules — and delayed it even more with your family vacation — stream them all with your Kinetic Internet. Try pairing it with Kinetic TV, our new streaming service that lets you watch all the channels you love on any device, anywhere. See if your area is eligible for Kinetic TV here.