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!
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5 Genius Budget-friendly Ideas for SUMMER... including FREE games and decor
Summer Checklist 2022 🌞 50 Fun Activites for Families
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 print for your own family. Fun, right?!?
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
50 Old Fashioned (1970s/80s) Summer Vacation 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
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)
Summer Checklist for Older Kids
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.
1) Celebrate Canada Day - Don't forget to plan a BBQ and a red and white dessert buffet. Full bellies make for happy tweens and teens!
2) Watch fireworks or play with sparklers - You're never too old for sparklers!
3) Have an outdoor picnic or BBQ - I highly recommend trying grilled donuts too. You can find the recipe here.
4) Swim in a pool, at a lake, or in the ocean - Try visiting a new location (or bringing along a paddle board or snorkeling gear) for added fun.
5) Buy a meal from a food truck or local restaurant - A take out picnic is a lot of fun... and there are no dishes to clean up. Win... win!
6) Paint a rock and leave it on a trail for someone to find - Painting rocks is fun for all ages. Search online for simple designs or check out the ones we made here.
7) Read a book outside - Reading outside is a wonderful (mom-approved) activity. You can find some great recommendations for older kids here.
8) Have a water fight or NERF gun battle - You are never too old for a good water fight on a hot day!
9) Have a movie night outside or go to a drive in
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.
23) Sing around a campfire
24) Go geo-caching
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.
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) 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?
34) Make a video and post it on YouTube or Tic Tok
35) Fly a kite
36) Have a dance party or sing karaoke
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.
41) Go on a road trip to another city or town
42) Go on a hike or go for a walk in the rain - Try a new trail or try to find a waterfall.
43) Roast marshmallows, make s'mores or cook a different campfire treat - You can find some of our favourite treats here.
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
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)