The warm weather and longer days of summer are upon us, and if you’re like most parents, you want to pack in as much family fun as possible before your kids return to the classroom. Here are 50 ideas for summertime fun that will keep your family busy and making memories all season long. See how many you can check off the list!
1. Fly a kite
2. Go on a family bike ride
3. Get a treat at a local ice cream shop
4. Plan a beach day
5. Catch fireflies
6. Attend an outdoor concert
7. Visit one of the area’s many museums
8. Buy dinner ingredients at a farmers market and cook the meal together
9 .Plant flowers or a garden
10. Create a family book club or a shared reading nook
11. Camp out in the backyard (or the living room, if air conditioning is more your style)
12. Paint rocks and hide them for others to find
13. Make homemade popsicles
14. Stay in your PJs all day and have a movie marathon
15. Relax in a hammock
16. Learn something new: fishing, archery, knitting, etc.
17. Go for a hike
18. Have a picnic
19. Play yard games: tag, Simon says, red rover, corn hole, etc.
20. Attend a county fair
21. Watch a sunrise or sunset
22. Have a “screen-free” day, during which no one in the family uses electronics
23. Plan a backyard scavenger hunt
24. Feed ducks or fish at a local pond
25. Have a campfire and make s’mores
26. Create a chalk mural on the driveway
27. Have a family game night with special snacks and prizes
28. Eat at a food truck
29. Participate in your library’s summer reading program
30. Build a fort (boards, branches, blankets — you choose the materials)
31. Ride on a boat, even if it’s just a paddle boat or kayak rental
32. Volunteer somewhere or complete a 5K for charity
33. Spend a rainy day at an indoor play or jump center
34. Stay up late and go stargazing
35. Set up a lemonade stand, or support a neighborhood entrepreneur by buying from theirs
36. Play a family game of miniature golf
37. Lie on your backs and look for shapes in the clouds
38. Make a splash with hoses, water balloons, sprinklers or squirt guns
39. Roll down a hill (yes, this means mom and dad, too)
40. Pick up trash in your neighborhood or at the local park
41. Make and hang a bird feeder
42. Dance in the rain and jump in puddles
43. Go to the zoo or farm to get up-close with animals
44. Visit a new playground or park
45. Root for the home team at a local sporting event
46. Buy something from an ice cream truck
47. Visit a nearby water park or splash pad
48. Make a mess: head outside for finger painting, mud pies, slime or other gooey fun
49. Visit a farm that offers pick-your-own produce
50. Go to a drive-in movie theater, or borrow a projector and make your own outdoor screen