102 Things to do this summer.

Busy day at the office. Quick Post, short and sweet. Think I'll have to try my hand at a few of these. :)


1. Attend free concerts in your local parks
2. Play hide and seek
3. Camp out in your backyard under the stars or in a tent
4. Write a story or poem
5. Go beach combing on low tide
6. Make a mini portable sand box
7. Go to the library and check out books and DVDs
8. Make green slime by BHG
9. Host a backyard water fun day – sprinklers, slip-n-slide, kiddies pool
10. Make homemade ice cream sandwiches
11. Have a backyard campfire – make s’mores
12. Make a Creepy Bug box by BHG
13. Make grasshopper pie - (while maintaining that its full of REAL grasshoppers for full effect)
14. Visit your local pet store and use the visit to talk about animals
15. Try a new kind of hunt with your GPS - geocaching
16. Bubble blowing – make your own with dish soap and water mixed together
17. Create chalk drawings outside or play hopscotch – have someone stand still and trace their shadow with chalk
18. Make snow cones
19. Host a neighborhood backyard Olympics – invite friends over
20. Watch the Animal Planet DVD on a rainy day
21. Have theme days: Cowboy Day, serve BBQ lunch; Circus Day; Backwards or Beach day
22. Hold a neighborhood talent show and challenge other families
23. Let your children finger paint with pudding in paper plates – and then eat their creations
24. Making homemade chocolate suckers…this is always a big hit and not as messy as it sounds
25. Have a garage sale
26. Make your own pet rock
27. Make homemade popsicles
28. Become a photographer with a cheap digital camera
29. Take a bike ride in your neighborhood or local public bike trails
30. Check out your local churches for camps that are running (some for free)
31. Create a treasure map for the kids to find some hidden treats
32. Discover a local landmark and learn the history
33. Going to a drive-in movie is a must for the summer
34. Find a pen-pal from overseas and see what they are doing
35. Find new parks in your area and explore them
36. Leave a message on your driveway for a special visitor with chalk-even for dad coming home!
37. Take a day hike on local trails
38. Go watch a youth baseball game – or play your own
39. Attend local art festivals
40. Check out local farmers’ markets
41. Go to the local water / sprinkler park
42. Visit your local parks – take along a picnic (and even teddy bears)
43. Visit your local school playgrounds – see how many you can go to
44. Go berry picking
45. Give the kids a spray bottle with a touch of vinegar and get them cleaning (worked for me for a few cents)
46. Go bird watching and learn about a new bird every day – google “birds in (your area)”
47. Go for a walk and count things such as squirrels, birds, cats, or dogs
48. Go to the book store and browse- if you buy a book, read it together and discuss it
49. Grilling at the lake – let the kids plan the menu
50. Swimming at the lake
51. Fishing – try different types of bait – marshmallows, bread, gummy worms
52. Tree climbing
53. Guitar playing out in the front yard
54. Have a bonfire (where permitted)
55. Ghost stories while walking on moon-lit nights
56. Looking for bugs in stumps – photograph or collect them
57. Playing in a pool
58. Start learning simple word or phrases from another language
59. Have a flash light game after dark in your yard
60. Have the kids sleep in the living room, while watching a movie and eating popcorn!
61. Attend free movie nights in your local parks
62. If you need new art, buy some canvas and have the kids paint masterpieces
63. Start an ant colony and learn how they work
64. Let the kids form a band – and listen to them
65. Learn about the stars; stay up late and count shooting stars
66. Go park near an airport and watch the planes take off and land
67. Let your kids get creative with a piece of aluminum foil
68. Make a Bead Drum by BHG
69. Go to the driving range
70. Make a fort with chairs and blankets (favorite for my kids)
71. Make BOX forts in the backyard out of appliance boxes
72. Make a pretend chirping cricket by BHG
73. Make a structure with marshmallows and toothpicks – have a family contest
74. Go to a fast food restaurant ( McDonald’s) for an ice cream or french fries
75. Go feed the ducks at a local pond
76. Go fly a kite
77. Go for an “adventure” walk and collect things
78. Go on a bug hunt (daddy’s job, that one, ha ha)
79. Have water fights – invite others over!
80. Create an outdoor treasure/scavenger hunt – in your yard, neighborhood or a park
81. Play “dress up” outside
82. Paint faces
83. Join a “flash” mob or create your own
84. Watch movies by theme (ie, villain week, cat week, comedy) and compare all the movies
85. Make a cel-phone movie and have the kids write the script.
86. Wash their bikes, decorate them and have a parade
87. Start your own book club with friends
88. Make your own friendly fireflies by BHG
89. Learn a new word everyday; spell it for extra fun!
90. Write their own lyrics for the band that they have created
91. Library events
92. Movie day where we spread a blanket on the floor and just chill out when it’s just too hot to be outside
93. Paint the driveway, fence or house with water
94. Wash your car
95. Make a new recipe and let the kids help
96. Let the kids pick toys and too-small clothes to donate
97. Set up a chart of daily chores expected from them
98. Summer lunch on the lawn
99. Visit a retirement home (phone first)
100. Visit garage sales for some cheap deals
101. Set up a sprinkler and run through it
102. Start a summer journal