I decided that trying to make everyday wonderful would be a really ambitious goal, ha ha, and I probably would run out of ideas and not only fail my kids but I would feel I had failed myself as well, so I deemed every Friday this summer to be "Adventure Friday." (surely I can handle that, right?!)
Anyday I can sprinkle an "extra something" in, even something as simple as sidewalk chalk, makes my kids smile, which in turn makes me smile.
Our kids are young still and easy to please, so it's fun to do the little things with them. I live in Maine, so some of these things are Maine-related. Feel free to come up with your own local fun!
Here's my "Summer Survival with Kids" list. The red ones mark the fun we've had so far!
(If you have older kids, it may be harder to make these "simple little things" work. There has to be something "out there" that you can do with them to make memories. Any suggestions are welcome, please comment!)
- Set up a painting station outside. (painted rocks, scrap wood, firewood - my daughter painted a flag on the butt end of a piece of firewood - it turned out GREAT!)
- Go on a picnic somewhere. Basket, blanket and all! Bring a kite, some bubbles and a soccer ball.
- Take the kids to a camp on the lake for the day
- Write a letter and send stickers or something to a friend or family member
- Go on a moose hunt in Baxter State Park
- Take a drive to the Alagash and check it out
- Start reading a kids book series
- In the fall, visit a corn maze
- Make a trash can drum set out of 5 galon pails
- Yardsale
- Do something special for a friend
- Blow up balloons, put notes in them and give them to friends or neighbors
- Visit a zoo
- Make a treasure hunt
- Go Camping
- Take a Horse Carriage Ride
- Mini Golf
- Go to the movies
- Set up a sprinkler
- Build a tree house
- Family game night
- Go to a museum
- Plant flowers from seed
- Throw a party for no reason
- Tie dye t shirts
- Start a collection of something
- Go to uncle willys candy store
- Roast marshmallows on a campfire....even if it’s during the day!
- Redecorate bedrooms
- Homemade playdough
- Have a sleepover in the living room with a tent
- Water balloon fight
- Make something for a local charity
- Learn to facepaint
- Bird watch/feed birds
- Get a bike go for bike rides
- Legos or duplos or the other kind
- Sidewalk chalk grafiti
- Make some pintrest crafts
- Wash the car together
- Watch the clouds
- Crochet, knit or make braclets
- Star gazing
- Dress up fashion shoot/old time photo shoot
- Set up a progressive supper with other families
- Hang out in a hammock and laugh a little
- Get dollar store creepy crawlers and put in a sand box and have the kids be great explorers discovering fossils
- Put streamers on dowels and turn on dance music for the kids to dance to
- 7 day club with the kids?
If you are still wanting to go a a moose hike with your kids in Baxter State Park, there is a trail called the Sandy Stream Trail that is only 1.1 mile so it is easy for the kids. There has been at least one moose the six times I've been there!
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