7 Tips on How to Create the Best Summer Ever

Weekends are meant for fun. However, it’s easy to fall into a weekend rut, even during the summer.

This is especially the case if you work all week and use the weekends to catch up on household chores and errands.

And if your budget is tight then weekend fun may seem impossible. Keep reading for seven ideas to have more family fun on the weekends!

Biggest Summer Tip: Protect Your Skin

BananaBoatSunScreen

I’m so excited to share you my  tips, ideas and strategies on maximizing your summer and weekend fun.

But it’s no fun if you’re sunburned.

Before we even set foot out of our door, we always make sure we’ve put on sunscreen.

Did you know you should apply a golf-ball size amount every two hours?

According to a survey by The Skin Cancer Foundation, men over 50 are more than twice as likely as women to develop skin cancer, but only 51% of men in the U.S. admitted to using sunscreen in the past 12 months. Yikes!

7 Tips to Make This the Best Summer Ever

7 Tips to Make This the Best Summer Ever

1. Get Outside

Getting out into the fresh air almost automatically puts a smile on everyone’s face. And guess what – nature is free. Walk to the park and play a game of Frisbee, football or baseball. Head to the beach or pool and splash around. Take a nature hike or explore a new outdoor area in your community. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it.

I put a bike trailer onto my bike last week so we could go biking as a family. My boys were so excited and couldn’t wait to take off!

2. Make a List

Make a list of the things that you want to do and can do on the weekends. This way, when you’re stumped for ideas you can simply turn to your list and make a choice. Need some inspiration, check out my 200 free things to do with kids.

3. Put It on the Calendar

Many museums, zoos and other community facilities offer discount days, free days, free concerts and special events. Make a list of these and put them on your calendar. Then when you’re trying to decide what to do this weekend you can see all of the possibilities and take advantage of local events.

I often put them in my online calendar so I can plan ahead and decide what we want to do, depending on the weather.

4. Fairs and Festivals

Most fairs and festivals are free to attend and can be a lot of fun. Add them to your calendar and choose one or two to attend. Set a budget in advance and pack your lunch so you stay on budget. It’s easy to spend a fortune on food and snacks.

5. Take Advantage of Short-Term Travel Packages

One of the best ways to see the world on a budget is to have an open schedule and open-minded approach to where you go. If you want to get away for a long weekend, visit the discount travel broker websites and review the last-minute packages. You can often save more than 50% on a trip and the spontaneity is fun.

And don’t forget to “shop” your local cities. We live near Chicago, so I’m often on the lookout for last minute deals. It can be fun to be a tourist in your own town. But I also look at places we could easily daytrip to that I wouldn’t necessarily think of, such as Milwaukee.

6. Imaginative Projects

What do your children love to do? Do they enjoy building things? Do they like putting on shows? Let their imaginations run free and spend a weekend with a creative project. Put on a play in the back yard and film it. Build a playhouse and paint it. If your children love volcanoes then have a science fair. If they love to cook then stage your very own Cupcake Wars in your kitchen and then invite the neighbors over to decide.

7. Try Something New

Have each family member make a list of something they want to learn or do this summer. Take a look at their list and then create a plan to address one item on each person’s list. You may find that you’re rock climbing one weekend and shopping for vintage clothing the next.

All work and no play makes weekends dull and the work week even harder. Teach your children to take time to have fun. And enjoy your family time together – it is precious.

2 Comments

  1. Great list of ideas. We spent time at church the past 5 nights, my older kids helped with VBS. My youngest got to attend VBS for the very first time and he loved it.

    We have also been to the library several times, to the swimming pool, and hopefully they will be able to do a few more things.

  2. This is a great many ideas for fun in the summer fun.

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