{"id":1674,"date":"2013-07-26T14:59:13","date_gmt":"2013-07-26T18:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vas\/?p=55"},"modified":"2013-07-26T14:59:13","modified_gmt":"2013-07-26T18:59:13","slug":"fun-summer-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vas\/2013\/07\/26\/fun-summer-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun Summer activities!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"schools-out-craft-photo-260-FF0608SCHOOLA01\"<\/p>\n

Summer time fun is up to you to plan and enjoy with your kids.\u00a0 Have you run out of ideas?\u00a0 Looking for something fresh?\u00a0 Here are 100 fun summer activities!<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pick your own\u2026.whatever.<\/strong> Find a farm with blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, flowers, etc., and get picking.<\/li>\n
  2. Play outside in the rain. <\/strong>Smell the rain on the pavement; splash in puddles; make mud pies.<\/li>\n
  3. Make your own rain. <\/strong>Douse everyone with the hose or sprinkler.<\/li>\n
  4. Take family naps. <\/strong>Parents nap too!<\/li>\n
  5. Have daily quiet time. <\/strong>Big kids need rest too.<\/li>\n
  6. Cook out\u2026.frequently. <\/strong>Go beyond the burgers. Try veggies or fish. The kids might like them!<\/li>\n
  7. Make \u2018smores. <\/strong>Chocolate + marshmallow + graham cracker=summer<\/li>\n
  8. Camp out. <\/strong>First-timers, try backyard camping.<\/li>\n
  9. Camp in. <\/strong>Put the sleeping bags on the floor and have a family slumber party.<\/li>\n
  10. Stargaze. <\/strong>Invite friends and make a party of it.<\/li>\n
  11. Catch lightening bugs. <\/strong>And then watch them flicker away into the night.<\/li>\n
  12. Rearrange the furniture. <\/strong>Give the kids graph paper and have them draw out a plan first.<\/li>\n
  13. Make your own pizza. <\/strong>Look online for\u00a0 a recipe.<\/li>\n
  14. Invite friends over for a game night. <\/strong>Have a kids\u2019 games table and an adult one too.<\/li>\n
  15. Go to the demolition derby. <\/strong>And expect to see some major crashes.<\/li>\n
  16. See an air show. <\/strong>And hope for no crashes.<\/li>\n
  17. Stop to smell the flowers. <\/strong>(Go to a botanical garden.)<\/li>\n
  18. Talk to the animals. <\/strong>(Go to the zoo.)<\/li>\n
  19. Get wet. <\/strong>(Go to a water park.)<\/li>\n
  20. Play a word game. <\/strong>Think Scrabble, Boggle or Bananagrams.<\/li>\n
  21. Play a card game. <\/strong>Maybe crazy eights, spoons or poker. Take your pick.<\/li>\n
  22. Play a board game. <\/strong>Candyland, chess or Monopoly, depending on age and inclination.<\/li>\n
  23. Make good use of nearby parks. <\/strong>Go to your local parks website, print the schedule of activities and tape it to the refrigerator.<\/li>\n
  24. Pack a picnic. <\/strong>And plop down to eat it just about anywhere, at a free concert, in a state park or in your own backyard.<\/li>\n
  25. Start the back-to-school shopping early. <\/strong>The farther from the start of school the more fun my kids think it is.<\/li>\n
  26. Get the summer homework done. <\/strong>Not exactly fun, but get it out of the way.<\/li>\n
  27. Experiment with new hairdos. <\/strong>Let the kids try out not-permanent colors or braids. Or maybe a spiked look.<\/li>\n
  28. Dig in the sand at the beach. <\/strong>Doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s on the ocean, lake or bay.<\/li>\n
  29. Set a goal and complete a home project.<\/strong> Find ways to let the kids help.<\/li>\n
  30. Take an early morning bird walk. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  31. Grow vegetables. <\/strong>And then eat them.<\/li>\n
  32. Grow flowers. <\/strong>And then arrange them .<\/li>\n
  33. Let the kids cook dinner. <\/strong>In fact, make a tradition of it.<\/li>\n
  34. Host the kids\u2019 friends for a sleepover. <\/strong>And the maybe your kids will be invited next\u2026giving you a free evening.<\/li>\n
  35. Go to a nearby museum that you\u2019ve never been to before. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  36. Go to your favorite local museum\u2026again. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  37. Go to a carnival or county fair. <\/strong>Eat cotton candy, fried dough or something really bad once this summer.<\/li>\n
  38. Decorate your walkways with chalk. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  39. Take a hike. <\/strong>Choose a route near your house or take a drive to a more distant park.<\/li>\n
  40. Plant a butterfly garden. <\/strong>Watch the butterflies flutter by.<\/li>\n
  41. Make fresh lemonade. <\/strong>Maybe even sell it at a lemonade stand!<\/li>\n
  42. Take road trip to a nearby city. <\/strong>Spend the night if you can or just make it a day trip.<\/li>\n
  43. Show the kids science is fun.<\/strong> Look for easy experiments online.<\/li>\n
  44. Go to a matinee. <\/strong>Find a bargain movie houses and pay less.<\/li>\n
  45. Go to the drive-in.<\/strong> If there isn\u2019t one nearby, look for one near your vacation spot. Every kid should go to the drive-in at least once!<\/li>\n
  46. Read a chapter book aloud. <\/strong>Or even go on and read a whole series together.<\/li>\n
  47. Listen to a classic as an audiobook. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  48. Teach the kids a game you haven\u2019t played since you were a kid. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  49. Meet friends at the playground. <\/strong>Not groundbreaking, but always popular nonetheless.<\/li>\n
  50. Visit a historic house. <\/strong>Kids will be amazed at what the old-timers lived without.<\/li>\n
  51. Make ice cream. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  52. Use bikes as a mode of transit. <\/strong>Show the kids the way to the store or a friend\u2019s.<\/li>\n
  53. Take bike rides for fun. <\/strong>Either leave from your own house or drive to biking trails.<\/li>\n
  54. Go fishing. <\/strong>In many states kids can drop a line in without a license.<\/li>\n
  55. Paddle a kayak or a canoe. <\/strong>Or if you\u2019re really adventurous try white water rafting.<\/li>\n
  56. Jump rope. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  57. Press summer flowers. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  58. String beads. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  59. Blow bubbles. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  60. Play miniature golf. <\/strong>Can you make the last hole-in-one for a free game?<\/li>\n
  61. Eat at the counter of a diner. <\/strong>And let the kids spin on the stools.<\/li>\n
  62. Find a new place to play. <\/strong>Easy idea: Clear out the basement or garage. Complicated idea: Build a treehouse.<\/li>\n
  63. Build a Lego castle. <\/strong>Clear off a table and make it a family project.<\/li>\n
  64. Master a new skill together. <\/strong>Learn to juggle, play harmonica, do the hula hoop, etc.<\/li>\n
  65. Teach the grandparents to\u00a0use<\/strong> a computer.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  66. Build a fort. <\/strong>Try pillows in the living room or cardboard boxes in the yard.<\/li>\n
  67. Make fairy houses. <\/strong>Use moss, bark and leaves in a dwelling fit for Thumbelina.<\/li>\n
  68. Write\/illustrate a comic book. <\/strong>Make it a group effort or let everyone do their own.<\/li>\n
  69. Oooh and ahh at fireworks. <\/strong>Might have to wait until July 4.<\/li>\n
  70. Find a free concert near you. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  71. Fly a kite. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  72. Run in the yard.<\/strong> Kickball, wiffleball, Frisbee and tag will keep you moving.<\/li>\n
  73. Visit a local farmers market. <\/strong>And feast on the fruits and veggies of the season.<\/li>\n
  74. Create art with beach items. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  75. Have breakfast in bed. <\/strong>Take turns being the server and the served.<\/li>\n
  76. Play with clay.<\/strong> Then bake your creations to make them permanent.<\/li>\n
  77. Make play dough creations.<\/strong> Then rip them up and do it again.<\/li>\n
  78. Make paper airplanes. <\/strong>See whose goes the farthest.<\/li>\n
  79. Join the library summer reading club. <\/strong>Parents can list all their books read over the summer too, but I doubt the library will give you a prize.<\/li>\n
  80. Keep a sketch diary. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  81. Write in a journal. <\/strong>At the end of the summer share selections with each other about the highlights of the season.<\/li>\n
  82. Teach the kids to skip stones. <\/strong><\/li>\n
  83. Make artwork using old photos. <\/strong>Grandma will love them.<\/li>\n
  84. Take lessons together. <\/strong>Cooking, yoga, tennis, music, etc.<\/li>\n
  85. Play croquet on the lawn. <\/strong>And try bocci too.<\/li>\n
  86. Set up a badminton net. <\/strong>You could use it for volleyball too.<\/li>\n
  87. Play HORSE. <\/strong>With little ones, set up a mini basketball net next to the real one.<\/li>\n
  88. Create a scavenger hunt. <\/strong>Do it on your own property or around town.<\/li>\n
  89. Erect a bird feeder. <\/strong>And then watch the show from your window.<\/li>\n
  90. Join a Junior Ranger program at a national park.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  91. See a dramatic performance together. <\/strong>Doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s a puppet show in the park or a touring Broadway show.<\/li>\n
  92. Put on your own dramatic performance. <\/strong>Write a script, sew costumes or just do a little improv.<\/li>\n
  93. Make music. <\/strong>Either make your own instruments or play traditional ones.<\/li>\n
  94. Play charades.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  95. Break out the family movies. <\/strong>And the popcorn too!<\/li>\n
  96. Go to a flea market or garage sale. <\/strong>See if the kids are better negotiators than you.<\/li>\n
  97. Have a garage sale. <\/strong>Kids can earn spending money by selling their old stuff.<\/li>\n
  98. Climb trees together. <\/strong>Of course, only if the kids are big enough, and you are brave enough.<\/li>\n
  99. Get a book a riddles. <\/strong>See if you can stump each other, then write your own.<\/li>\n
  100. Keep your kitchen cool.<\/strong> Find a recipe for no bake cookies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Make this a great Summer!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    100 summer activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1],"tags":[11,459],"class_list":["post-1674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kids","category-uncategorized","tag-activities","tag-summer"],"yoast_head":"\nFun Summer activities! - Fredericksburg Au Pair In America Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fun Summer activities! - Fredericksburg Au Pair In America Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"100 summer activities.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vas\/2013\/07\/26\/fun-summer-activities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fredericksburg Au Pair In America Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-07-26T18:59:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vaf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2010\/06\/schools-out-craft-photo-260-FF0608SCHOOLA01.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lissa Eaton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lissa Eaton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vas\/2013\/07\/26\/fun-summer-activities\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vas\/2013\/07\/26\/fun-summer-activities\/\",\"name\":\"Fun Summer activities! 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