When it comes to summer fun, it's always great to have inspiration and a plan. Today, I'm sharing both! You can pick one or two items off of my summer adventure checklist, or you can tackle all ten.
To download a copy of the list: click on the picture above, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photograph.
And... here are the details...
1) Eat ice cream – Make homemade ice cream, have ice
cream for supper, or try a NEW ice cream stand.
2) Do something good – Run a lemonade stand or yard sale for
charity, visit the grocery store and buy things to donate to a food bank, or
participating in a few random acts of kindness.
3) Buy a meal from a food
truck and eat outside – Grab burgers,
fries, fish, or pizza, and have a picnic in the park.
4) Visit a beach – Go for a swim, play catch on the shore,
collect sea glass and shells, fly a kite, or go on a scavenger hunt.
5) Cook on a campfire – Avoid dinner dishes by roasting hot dogs
over an open fire. Then, cook campfire treats for dessert.
6) Plan a theme day –Some options include: “spend gift cards
day”, “play board games day”, and “kids pick the meals day”.
7) Have an outdoor movie
night – Watch a movie under
the stars with blankets, pillows and treats.
8) Plan a parent / child
date – Parents pick the time frame and
budget, and the kids pick the activity.
9) Get creative – Make a craft, bake something, decorate
a cake, try a new recipe, or film a video. The only limit is your imagination.
10) Explore – Go on a hike, hunt for waterfalls, swim
somewhere new, or go a road trip.
Which of these summer adventures are you going to go on with your family? Let me know in the comments below.
Summer is definitely my favourite season. Who doesn't love decorating with cheerful colors, vacations, and warm temperatures? Today, I'm sharing a few genius ideas for summer... including food, decor, and more. I use a lot of dollar store supplies AND I have freebies too!
I even made a fun video with all the info you need!
1) Hand painted lemon slice coasters- I found a six pack of rounds at the dollar store, and I thought it would be fun to turn them into lemon slice coasters. They are super simple and fun to paint -- at any age. I'm not much of a painter, but I think they turned out really cute! You can find the full step-by-step instructions here.
2) Cheesecakes in jars - I love these individual cheesecakes. They are portable and perfect for camping, picnics, and bbqs. And... the best part is how easy they are to make. Find the instructions for these "no bake" cheesecakes here.
3) FREE Summer print - I love cute summer print, and this one is FREE and looks adorable in a dollar store frame.
To download the picture I designed:click on the picture you want (below), right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular photo.
4x6
5x7
8x10
4) Printable SUMMER Tic Tac Toe - I'm obsessed with these little games I designed. They are perfect for summer days, camping, and road trips. I love the bright colours and the fact that they are an activity AND a snack. Cute, right?
To download the games I designed for free:click on one of the photos below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regurlar 4x6 photo.
5) FREE Summer decor - I love inexpensive seasonal decor, and these summer prints are super-cute and FREE. Grab copies here, pop them in a dollar store frame, and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these budget-friendly ideas for summer. Let me know which one is your favourite in the comments below... and don't forget to watch my video for a closer look.
I love summer, and one of my favourite summer traditions is creating a summer checklist with my boys. We make a list of 50 fantastic summer activities, we print out a copy of the list, and we use it as a blueprint for summer fun! Today, I'm sharing my 2022 summer checklist... including a FREE copy you can printfor your own family. Fun, right?!?
Here are the items we have on this year's list:
1)
Celebrate Canada Day
2) Watch fireworks or play with sparklers
3) Have an outdoor picnic or BBQ
4) Swim in a pool, at a lake, or in the ocean
5) Buy a meal from a food truck or local restaurant
6) Paint a rock and leave it on a trail for someone to
find
7) Read a book outside
8) Have a water fight or NERF gun battle
9) Have a movie night outside or go to a drive in
10) Play a boardgame outside
11) Eat donuts from a string (with no hands)
12) Have a “one on one” date with mom (kid’s
choice… under $20 & less than 2 hours)
13) Have a “one on
one” date with dad (kid’s choice… under $20 & less than 2 hours)
14) Make a craft (design a t-shirt, personalize a water
bottle or have a "paint night")
15) Learn a new
dance move
16) Get ice cream in PJs (drive throughs are OK)
17) Play catch, basketball, tennis and street hockey
18) Make a homemade ice cream cake or milkshakes
19) Go for a bike ride
20) Decorate a cake or bake cookies
21) Spend time at a cottage, beach or park
22) Do a science experiment
23) Sing around a campfire
24) Go geo-caching
25) Have a "kids pick the meals" day
26)
Play chocolate bar BINGO (like regular BINGO, but with chocolate bar prizes)
27) Play golf or mini golf
28) Do a “trick shot” or learn a magic trick
29) Try a new food or a new recipe
30) Have a theme day ("spend
our gift cards" day is a fun one)
31) Camp at a campground, in the backyard or in the
living room
32) Spend an afternoon in PJs, eating snacks, and
watching a movie
33) Build a large puzzle
34) Make a video and post it on YouTube or Tik Tok
35) Fly a kite
36) Have a dance party or sing karaoke
37) Go on a scavenger hunt
38) Organize a drawer, closet or room
39) Play with water balloons
40) Do a good deed or raise money for charity
41) Go on a road trip to another city or town
42) Go on a hike or a short walk in the rain
43) Roast marshmallows, make s'mores or cook a different
campfire treat
44) Write and mail a letter or postcard
45) Visit at least 5 different ice cream stands
46) Go stargazing
47) Celebrate Owen and Jack's birthdays
48) Go to PEI
49) Go to Toronto
50) HAVE ICE CREAM FOR SUPPER!
To download a copy of the list for your family: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo
I also have a blank one you can print and add your own activities.
We put our summer checklist in a dollar store frame, and check off the items as we complete them.
Do you have a summer checklist / summer bucket list in your home? I hope our list inspires you to add a couple new things to your "to do" list this summer.
Organized sports, camps, scheduled vacations, and parent-organized playdates are great summer activities, but don't we all miss the slower, free-range summers of our childhoods?
The “lazy” days of summer provide the perfect opportunity for kids to assert their independence and engage in free play. Parents benefit from being able to take a break from planning and entertaining, and kids learn decision making skills, negotiating skills, how to build relationships, and how to use their imaginations and foster their creativity. An old-fashioned summer can be good for everyone’s physical and mental well-being.
Here are 50 “old school” 70s/80s summer ideas:
no schedule
neighbourhood
freedom
no electronics
play outside
spend time with cousins
swim
bike
play hide and seek until dusk
play flashlight tag
build forts
fish
dance in the rain in bathing suits
splash in puddles and plastic
pools
blow bubbles
make mud pies
read books outside
cloud watch
star gaze
hang out in someone’s shed / clubhouse
trade stickers
tent in the yard
catch fireflies
slip and slide in the backyard
roller skate
catch frogs
play old school lawn darts
play hop scotch
enjoy family meals
drink from
the hose
have watermelon seed spitting contests
eat boiled hot dogs
eat bologna or
PB&J sandwiches
make homemade ice cream and popsicles in plastic molds
make frozen
chocolate covered bananas
drink kool aid and tang
drink lemonade in Styrofoam cups
eat half
cooked cakes made in easy bake ovens
walk to the store and buy candy
eat rocket
popsicles
wash your hair with
shampoo in the lake (which totally counts as a bath)
have a bon fire
pick berries
learn jump rope rhymes
play with neighbourhood
kids
buy ice cream from a guy on a bike
play Red Rover
play Simon Says
listen to the radio on the back deck
play clapping games like “Miss Mary Mac”
parents holler when it's time to come home... when the street lights come on
Do any of these things remind you of your childhood? What would you add to my list?
Every year my family puts together a summer checklist of 50 of our favourite summer activities, and we spend our vacation checking items off the list. When my kids were small, we had a lot of simple crafts and low effort activities on our list... but as my boys got older, we started adding more sophisticated adventures. Below, you will find a FREE printable version of our 2021 summer checklist, as well as some really helpful links.
To download our 2021 checklist:click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.
Then, check out the links below for more helpful hints, tutorials, recipes, and ideas.
10) Do an “at home” escape room or play a boardgame outside - You can use store-bought games, or you can make your own inexpensive outdoor games like we did here.
11) Eat donuts from a string (with no hands) - My boys have been enjoying this activity since they were little, and they still think it's hilarious. I don't think they'll ever let me leave this activity off our summer list!
12) Have a “one on one” date with mom (kid’s choice… under $20 and 2 hours) - It doesn't need to be fancy. It's really about the time spent together. A lunch date and a walk is a fantastic option.
13) Have a “one on one” date with dad (kid’s choice… under $20 and 2 hours) - Again... it doesn't need to be fancy... it's about the time spent together. My boys enjoy a trip to the driving range or a round of mini golf with their dad.
14) Make a craft (design a t-shirt, personalize a water bottle, or have a "paint night" - Crafts aren't just for young kids. The key is to provide older kids with more sophisticated craft materials. If you need inspiration, check out my top craft ideas for tweens and teens here.
15) Plant something and watch it grow - My boys and I planted a garden all there favourite fruit and vegetable snacks... but planting flowers is fun too. You can even make this adorable planter using the tutorial you can find here.
16) Get ice cream in PJs - Drive throughs are OK!
17) Play catch, basketball or street hockey
18) Make homemade ice cream or make milkshakes - This is a fun way to get older kids into the kitchen. They'll love all the recipes here.
19) Go for a bike ride - My boys learned to ride bikes at an early age, and it's still one of their favourite activities. Older kids will enjoy packing a lunch and going on a long ride... or experimenting with riding on rougher terrain.
20) Decorate a cake or bake cookies - Allowing older kids to experiment in the kitchen is fun... but it also helps teach them an important life skill. Check out some of my family's favourite recipes for sweet treats here.
21) Spend time at a cottage, beach or park
22) Do a science experiment - Science experiments are fun and educational... the perfect way to spend a rainy summer afternoon. Find OVER 15 science experiments here.
25) Have a "kids pick the meals" day - We make the rule that everyone needs to agree on each meal, so I don't go crazy in the kitchen. I also let the kids pick one meal out. Fun, right?
26) Play chocolate bar BINGO(like regular BINGO, but with chocolate bar prizes) - You can do it for your family, or you can invite some friends to join in the fun.
27) Play golf or mini golf
28) Learn a “trick shot” or magic trick - You should check out a few examples below.
30) Have a theme day("spend our gift cards" day is a fun one)
31) Camp at a campground, in the backyard or in the living room
32) Have a PJ day - We started PJ days whem my kids were small, but there really is no age limit. Who doesn't want to spend a rainy summer day in their PJs, watching movies, and eating popcorn?
37) Go on a scavenger hunt - A simple scavenger hunt is a great way to get the kids outside and running around. Check out the one I put together for my boys here.
38) Organize a drawer, closet or room - Kids can learn the joy of being able to find their favourite shirt... and what could be better than that? lol
39) Play with water balloons - Everyone loves a water balloon on a hot day. There really is no age limit on water balloon fun.
40) Do a good deed or raise money for charity - A good deed is it's own reward, and kids will love the feeling they get from doing something to help others. Yard sales and lemonade stands are great options, but kids can use whatever talents they have.
44) Write and mail a letter or postcard - Writing old fashioned letters is becoming a lost art, so it's a great activity for kids.
45) Visit at least 5 different ice cream stands - The last couple of years, we have done an "ice cream stand challenge", and it's been a lot of fun. Summer and ice cream are the perfect match.
46) Go stargazing - Lay a blanket on the ground, stare up at the sky, and try and find constellations and shooting stars. It's a simple activity... and the perfect way to spend a quiet summer evening.
47) Pick your own
48) Pick your own
49) Pick your own
50) HAVE ICE CREAM FOR SUPPER! - This is the way we celebrate the completion of our checklist every year... and it is always a lot of fun. You can find some of our favourite ice cream recipes here.
Creating and completing a summer checklist really is one of my favourite family traditions. Does your family have a summer checklist? Are you planning to print mine? If you feel like 50 items is a lot, you can just choose your 10 or 20 of your favourites. Have fun!
♥ Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)
You might also be interested in the summer DIY decor ideas here.
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