Happy Friday!

Am I the only parent who feels like every day of summer vacation should be filled with some sort of activity? This feeling for me is especially heightened this summer after spending the majority of last year stuck inside. After months (and months, and months…) of sitting around on the couch binge watching television I am simply craving some outdoor activity! Not to mention, I don’t know about anyone else’s kids, but our son sleeps better at night if we are busy during the day.

With all of that being said, I put this little summer bucket list of twenty activities together for my family to complete over the season. Some of these activities cost money, but a majority of them are free or cheap.

1. Visit a farmer’s market
   • I love farmer’s markets. Not only am I a fan of eating organically, but I love supporting local vendors and farmers. Plus, farmer’s markets are outside in the fresh air, usually take up a good portion of the day, and have a lot of new things for kids to marvel at. Some markets even have local petting zoos, which is super awesome!
2. Make a bonfire and s’mores
   • When I was a little kid I loved toasting marshmallows. Plus, who doesn’t love s’mores?! They are super easy and kid-friendly to make, pretty cheap, and absolutely delicious. Plus, bonfires are a great place to tell sPoOoOoOoKy stories with friends!
3. Backyard water activities
   • This is a pretty cheap realm of activities, which is awesome. Plus, many backyard water activities can be thrown together last minute on a hot day. We do not have a pool so we got a plastic kiddie pool from Target and our son will just sit in the water for hours just playing! If you have older kids, sprinklers and slip’n slides are great options, too.
4. Summer sensory bins
   • I love sensory bins for little kids. It really keeps them occupied for hours and are not hard to throw together. I usually get my materials from Dollar Tree and there you go! Cheap, easy, and fun for kids. Grab some felt shark cutouts, some sand, and a shovel and you’re in business.
5. Drawing with chalk outside
   • What kid in America didn’t get chalk in their Easter basket a few months ago? Put it to use and wait for the ice cream man on a hot day.
6. Beach day
   • We live on the Jersey Shore so we are at the beach quite frequently! (Bonus: even if you only go for a few hours, it’s a great way to tire kids out in preparation for a good night’s sleep!)
7. Plant herbs
   • I think our son is a little too young for this yet, but planting herbs can be a cool way to include some science-themed activities into your summer agenda. Plus, you can use the herbs in your kitchen. (You can make a lot of recipes with basil, parsley, cilantro, etc.! Like these, or this!)
8. Carnival or fair
   • This one probably costs more money than most of these activities. But the good news is that fairs or carnivals are usually once a summer!
9. Baseball game
   • Again, this one can be kind of expensive. A cheaper alternative that kids also like are minor league games.
10. Water balloon fight
    • Like with planting herbs, I think our son is a little too young for this yet. However, water balloon fights are so much fun! Even as an adult I would be interested in having one of these fights, haha! This can also be a cheaper activity.
11. Make a family time capsule
    • I actually think this can be a really interesting summer tradition for families. Each year the family can create a small time capsule and either wait years to open it, or open it the following year before making a new one. Each year the family can see how they’ve grown, changed, etc. I think that would be so fun!
12. Visit nearby parks
    • I feel super blessed to live in a town with multiple family parks because our kid really loves visiting them. We walk to the park, he plays for a few hours, and it’s completely free.
13. Bike rides
    • This is definitely an activity more geared towards older kids, unless you get an infant/toddler seat to attach to your bike. We have never gone on a bike ride with our son yet, but I always went on bike rides with my father growing up. My sister was younger and she would sit in her toddler seat and have a blast. (I am hoping Daniel is as exciting about this as his aunt was!)
14. Camp in your backyard and watch stars
    • This is an activity that could definitely be paired with the bonfire and s’mores.
15. Summer movie marathon
    • Let’s face it: at least one of these summer days is going to be rainy. I like spending rainy days inside watching movies, especially if they are themed for the season. Check out some of these titles! And make this while you’re at it!
16. Lemonade stand
    • This is another activity for older kids, but one that can be fun.
17. Backyard picnic
    • If you can’t tell, I am a proponent of outdoor activities (especially ones that can take place right in your backyard). Even if you’re not packing a whole meal, bringing some snacks outside while picking shapes out of the clouds is a decent way to eat up a few afternoon hours to spare.
18. Go fishing
    • Hello to the few dads who possibly read this blog!
19. Paint rocks
    • While this probably seems like of boring on the outside, I think painted rocks are kind of a cool addition to outdoor aesthetics. Plus, kids love getting messy (at least mine does, haha).
20. Scavenger hunt
    • This is another good activity to eat up some time either inside or outside!

What activities do you do with your children over the summer months? I would love to hear!