Family-Friendly Summer Fun

By: Courtney Johnson, LPC

Photo Courtesy of Ally_Costanzo, Creative Commons

School is out for the Summer! While that means slower schedules and longer days, it also means avoiding the phrase “I’m so bored! There’s nothing to do here!”.

Here are some ideas for fun, inexpensive summer activities that will keep your children entertained throughout the summer months.

1. At the beginning of summer, create “bored board”. Sit down with your children and work together to think of activities they could do when they feel bored. Children will love being involved in process and you will have something to direct them to if you begin to hear the “bored” word tossed around. Be sure to include indoor and outdoor activities.

2. Browse the clearance aisle at local craft stores. Usually, they have different kid-friendly crafts on sale. For example, a birdhouse to paint and decorate. Then the extra paint can be used for other crafts.

3. Create your own splash pad. You don’t need a pool to beat the summer heat. There are a ton of instructions online for how to make your own splash pad. Here is an article listing several different ideas.

4. Start new family traditions. Some ideas include designating a night to have a game night or going on an evening walk. Spending quality time as a family will help strengthen family relationships and create lasting memories.

5. Look at your local community’s calendar. Usually, the summer calendar is full of family friendly activities, which may include free concerts, museum activities, or events at local libraries. You can find Arlington’s calendar here.

This summer, I challenge you to think outside of the box for activities. Hopefully this will help you create a summer that you and your children will fondly remember in the years to come while making your parent-child relationship stronger than ever.

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