1. Volunteer
This can be such a fun and rewarding experience for both you and your children. There are always local organizations that could use your help so you won’t have a problem finding a place to give your time together.
2. Go hiking
This is one of our families all-time favorite activities to do. We always set out with a goal in mind and pray and encourage one another along the way. Our last hike was 11 miles on a small mountain in California and it was amazing!
3. Picnic lunch
This is such a fun way to enjoy time together outdoors (or indoors if you don’t like eating outside). Our family has had picnics together on our living room floor, back and front yards, on our trampoline, at the local park, at the lake, in the mountains, and at the beach. There is no limit to where you can take your picnic lunch. Just make sure it is a lot of fun, and tasty too!
4. Go bird-watching
Even if you don’t own a pair of binoculars, bird-watching is still a very fun thing to do. I’d suggest going to a place that has both trees and flowers as you will find a larger variety of birds. You can also find a unique set of birds at large bodies of water.
5. Go window shopping
I know some of you think I am crazy suggesting this one – especially with small children. However, I’ve found that this activity has taught our children a lot of patience and understanding what it means to set a goal, work hard, and save money for the things they desire. It is actually a lot of fun once everyone understands the concept!
6. Play board games
This is one thing that our family really enjoys. Over the past 15 years we have collected a lot of board games through garage sales and sales at local and online stores.
7. Read, read, read
This is another of our all-time favorite pastimes. If your child doesn’t like to read, then read to them. There are so many benefits that come from reading – analytical thinking skills, vocabulary expansion, stress reduction – just to name a few.
8. Visit a local historical site (a free one of course)
I have never been to a city that didn’t have some great free historical places to visit. From monuments to museums, you can find some really great places to see this summer and all year long.
9. Water gun fight
What summer would be complete without chasing one another around with water guns? We love to do this. As a matter of fact, my husband and I did this well before we had children. So. Much. Fun!
10. Pretend to be another person
We have done this on several occasions. We choose a historical figure or someone who is alive now and pretend to be them. This fun and free activity includes fake accents, lots of keen acting skills, and a lot of laughter. I did this with my own mother so it’s fun to see my children enjoy it as well!
11. Create a scavenger hunt
I have been doing some pretty elaborate scavenger hunts for our children for years.
What I love about scavenger hunts is that you can make them as easy or difficult as you want and there is no limit to the imagination that you can bring to it. My children look forward to mommy’s scavenger hunts throughout the year. And I love creating them!
12. Go flower picking
We all love to go out and find some beautiful wildflowers. It allows us to admire the beauty of God’s creation together. When we get home we stick our finds in some small vases and add instant color, beauty, and life to our home.
13. Have a tea party
This is not just limited to little girls. My sons both love tea parties as much as my daughter does. For our tea parties, we have tea and enjoy some fun treats together as well. It is a great way to work together in the kitchen and tickle our palettes with some yummy desserts!
14. Play flashlight tag under the stars
We love doing this. All you need is flash-light and the stars. This provides lots of fun on summer nights!
15. Draw self-portraits of one another
Just get paper and a pencil or crayons and have at it! I guarantee it will cause a lot of laughter and great memories!
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