Summer Fun Ideas For The Whole Family

Vacations are great but they are also expensive and with gas prices climbing daily, maybe you'll be spending more time close to home this summer. That's okay, you can still have lots of fun! I've collected a list of ideas for fun things to do this summer that you probably wouldn't normally do :)

• Homemade Bubbles. There are all kinds of recipes for this on the internet and I have not tried doing this yet, but I have friends who have had good success with it!
  
• Picnic. You can make it as fancy or relaxed as you want. Try to include your kids in the making of the food or, if you're doing it with friends, have everyone bring something.
  
• Lemonade. Traditional lemonade is great, but if you want to get creative, try some of the combos in this post. Lavender lemonade is one of my favorite summer drinks now!
  
• Popsicles. I don't do this often enough but I love to make popsicles by freezing juice or lemonade or other drinks.
  
• S'mores bar. I've seen this idea at graduation parties but I think it would also be a great way to do something special at home. Get several kinds of graham crackers, a variety of marshmallows, and different chocolates (apparently now Snickers has joined Reese's as a candy option for the chocolate!). Mix it up and have fun!
  
• Chalk art gallery. If you live in an area with sidewalks, you can make an art gallery by drawing different things in each square. It's fun for you and will make everyone who is out for walks smile :)
  
• Slip 'n' slide. If you have a tarp, soap, and a sprinkler/hose, you can make your own slip 'n' slide. A hill is not necessary but does add to the fun.
  
• Ice cream bar. Similar idea to the s'mores bar. If it were me, I'd just get chocolate and vanilla ice cream and then have a TON of toppings. Candy, nuts, sauce, whipped cream, fruit... you can really go all out if you want to. Want to do this with friends? You provide the ice cream and have everyone else bring their favorite topping!
  
• Scavenger hunt. Some towns have scavenger hunts that they created but otherwise, you could just make a list of things you would expect to see and then go walk around and see how many you can find.
  
• Paint Twister. My friends and I did this a few years ago and it was so much fun! We bought a few cheap Twister mats and paint in the colors that are on the board. Make sure to wear junky clothes and then you play Twister but there is paint on the dots!
  
• Camp in your living room/backyard. Put up the tent, make a campfire, cook hot dogs and s'mores or whatever your favorite camping foods are. Play with sparklers and stay up to look at the stars (if you can).
  
• Go to a small, local ice cream place. There are so many non-chain ice cream places and it's so good to support small businesses. If you can walk or ride your bike, that adds to the experience and gets you some exercise :) A few friends and I have what has become sort of an annual tradition to go get ice cream and then walk around Downtown Plymouth.
  
• Go watch a local baseball game. There are always baseball games going on in the summer. From T-ball to adult leagues, you can find a game that you want to watch. The best part is, it's free! If you don't want to just watch strangers, see if anyone you know has a kid playing ball and go watch them!
  

If you are REALLY invested in doing things as a family this summer, you might want to check out these ideas.

• Family Adventure Challenge. This book is filled with things for you to do with your family. You're supposed to pick a challenge, scratch it off to reveal the details, and then DO IT! We have this book but life has been a bit crazy and we have not done it yet.
  
• Letterboxing/Geocaching. This is like a nation-wide, super organized scavenger hunt. With letterboxing, you're searching for ink stamps and leaving your own behind in the book that is there. Geocaching is done with GPS coordinates and is a "take one, leave one" with little trinkets like stickers.
  

I'd love to hear your ideas for fun things to do at home in the summer or maybe your experiences doing some of these things!!!