Ah, summer. We began two months ago with such high hopes.. so many projects to tackle, fun days to plan. And yet, here we sit, just 18 days left, with a house full of closets who have yet to be organized, the mountain of school preparations staring us down, and once-bouncy kids who now know few phrases besides “Mom, I’m bored!”
No more! 18 days to go means 18 opportunities for fun! Still plenty of time to pack in some last minute activities, both classic and out of the box, and I’ve got a list ready to go! We have done many of these, and hope to do many more… nothing like wearing them out and then shipping them off to be someone else’s problem! 
1. Be a Local Tourist So you’ve lived in the same area for years, you think you know everything there is to see and do? Try seeing it again from the eyes of a visitor. Visit your local chamber of commerce (or even better, a rest stop!) and pick up some brochures for local attractions you might not even know exist! Be sure to take your camera, buy souvenirs, and act just like a silly, child-embarrassing tourist!
2. Make some Jello! Sounds simple, maybe silly, and it is both. But Bill Cosby’s classic dessert can also fill a whole afternoon of fun! The Kraft Foods website has about a million different ideas and recipes, but even just the original wiggly blocks are good for plenty of giggly kids!
3. Host a Movie Marathon A great option for either the rainy days we’ve had lately or the REALLY hot ones we have now.. movie marathons can be fun and peaceful! Spread some blankets on the floor, pile up the pillows, pop some popcorn, and chill out with some flicks! A good marathon has a theme, which can be one series of movies (Harry Potters, High School Musicals, etc) or subject matter (princess movies, car movies, alien movies). At our house we like to do 80s movie days, and I’m thrilled to have reintroduced some classics to my girls… Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Adventures in Babysitting, Princess Bride, Neverending Story… you get the idea! If you really want to get elaborate you could come up with snacks or craft activities that coordinate with the movies… make a time capsule and watch Back to the Future… eat hot dogs during Lassie.. etc.. the possibilities are endless!
4. Commit a Random Act of Kindness What better lesson to learn over the summer than love & compassion for others? Random acts of kindness can be big or small, and you’d be suprised at how easy (and fun!) they can be once you get started. Spend a whole day trying to do as many selfless good deeds as you can, even if that means driving around the grocery store looking for little old ladies who need help crossing the street! This site has some ideas to get the brainstorm going, but usually kids can think of plenty on their own if given the chance. Be sure to take pictures along the way, so you can record the moments. Keep a few of your favorite images on the fridge to remind the kids year round how great it feels to help someone else.
5. Go Green! Yes, it’s trendy.. but going green is one trend that will never go out of style! Spend a day with your kids looking for ways to “green” your life. From simple (start a recycling bin) to complex (plant a vegetable garden or build a compost), you can go as far as your family has in mind, but every little bit helps! You can also have your kids help make a list to hang on the fridge with things to do every day.. turn off lights, limit showers, use less disposable materials, etc… keep it fresh on the mind all the time and everyone benefits! Here’s a website with some more projects & ideas to go green with kids!
6. Have a Spa Day Granted, this one is mostly for the girls… but I know a few little boys who would have just as much fun with this one! Spa Days at home don’t have to be anything elaborate.. start with a bubble bath (which, for some reason are so much more fun in the morning!) and then some good smelling lotion (yes, mom, break out the good stuff and share it with your girlies!) and then take turns fixing each other’s hair, painting nails, and even playing with makeup if you are really brave! You can also get the dolls into the mix, and give your own scalp a break! If you want to go a little more elaborate, dim the lights and take turns giving massages, or soak in cucumber eye pads and mud masks. Turn off the tv, play relaxing music, and spend some time just chilling with your sweeties!
7. Welcome Home the Troops Did you know that over 100 troops pass through DFW airport every single day on their way home for two weeks of R&R? And did you also know that the public is invited (and encouraged!) to come to the airport and greet them? Click here for easy info on how you can come for one day, or more, and show a little patriotic pride! Let the kids make some posters, or bring water bottles or other goodies to give away.. this is a great activity for a scout troop, sports team, or even a birthday party! Yes, you have to wake up early… but considering the sacrifice they make for us… it’s nothing!
8. Learn Something New Summer is a perfect time to branch out.. more free time and flexible schedules to add in something new! It can be something complicated that you or our kids always been interested in (like cake decorating, or knitting) or some childhood milestone that is close and just needs some practice (riding a bike without training wheels was on our list!). Let everyone pick a goal and work on it a little every day.. or spend one day doing nothing but that… you’ll have a new skill in no time!
9. Have a Sprinkler Party Super easy, just as it sounds.. you don’t need a pool to beat the summer heat! Just don a swimsuit and turn on the sprinklers, the rest will happen naturally! If you have built in sprinklers just turn them on, or get a fun spraying one from Wal-Mart for very cheap. Regular kid games (tag, red rover) are twice as fun in the water, you can even turn it on a swingset or trampoline if you are really brave! Make some fun popsicles to really complete the party feel.. and enjoy!
10. Carve a Watermelon Sharpen your knives and your carving skills before that last end of summer picnic… this website has an impossible amount of really cool ways to carve a simple watermelon into the hit of any party! Sure, you’ll mess up quite a few times along the way… but the mistakes are so delicious!
11. Hold a School Day Fire Drill Few things are as painful as the first mornings back to school, getting everyone out of the lazy stay-in-jammies-till-noon habit and back into a good school day routine. This year, make the transition easier and more fun by making it a game! Start by sitting down with the kids and making a list of everything that needs to be done in the mornings.. from waking up to walking out the door. Give each kid their own special checklist and send them to “bed” to pretend it’s morning. Then just grab a stopwatch and yell go! Time them over and over as they run the routine.. they will be pros at getting dressed and brushing their teeth in no time! Obviously, waking up at 6am on the first day of school they won’t be moving quite so quickly but at least they’ll get into the groove a little easier… it’s like Starbucks for kids!
12. Write a Letter This one is completely simple.. and exactly as it sounds. Find someone and have your kids write them a letter. NOT an email.. a good old-fashioned letter! It can be grandparents, cousins, friends who have moved away, friends they haven’t seen since school let out, past or future teachers, or find a pen pal and make a new friend! To make it really special, let them pick out special stationary, or use markers and stickers to create your own! The real fun of a letter takes a few days to fully materialize… when they get a response in the mailbox addressed just for them!
13. Hold a Fashion Show This is a bi-annual event at our house and no, it isn’t just for girls. Every time the seasons change, we break out the stored away clothes and have to try everything on again to see what fits which kid, what can be passed down, and what needs to go to donations or little cousins. Rather than just putting them through endless clothing changes and inspections, I give the girls a stack of clothes and turn on some loud music and let them walk the catwalk that is our living room. Hello, clean closets!
14. Make a Scrapbook Okay, don’t laugh this one off and dismiss your abilities/time. Yes, you CAN make a scrapbook. It doesn’t have to be award winning, you don’t have to make it like the oh-so-perfect pages you see in the magazines. Scrapbooks have been around for over 100 years, long before fancy scissors and cute tags. Just get a book, fun paper or stickers, and a set of pictures and let your kids go crazy! They will have so much fun with the cutting and pasting, and you can let them! Part of the memory in the book will be the memory of making it together! They can write their own captions and memories of the event, making it that much more personal. It’s best to start with one event for the book.. a recent birthday or holiday, or a single vacation, so that you have a single focus and theme. But don’t laugh when you have so much fun with it that you want to do another!
15. Do Something Crafty Stuck inside for heat or rain? Kids all antsy from lack of stimulation? Click here for 50 fabulous craft ideas! Problem solved!
16. Make a Donation We all know our kids have too much stuff.. clothes, toys, books, you name it! But there are also lots of kids out there who don’t have enough, so cleaning out rooms can also be a good lesson in sharing and community service! Give each kid a trashbag or box, and ask that they reach for the goal of just filling that one container with things they no longer need and another child would enjoy. Often they get so excited by the prospect that they are happy to fill up two or three! Be sure to bring them with you to a local homeless shelter or Goodwill to drop off the items, so they can see their stuff put to good use.
17. Camp in the Backyard It’s a simple fact. Kids LOVE camping. But even parents who love camping don’t love the work involved to pack up, get all the supplies, take time off, drive to a location, etc. So don’t. Pitch a tent in your own backyard and have just as much fun! You can still sit around a campfire (if you have a little fire pit.. I don’t recommed setting your house on fire!) or in front of the fireplace to roast marshmallows, tell scary stories, etc. Anything outside the routine will be different and fun!
18. Plan a Boo Hoo Breakfast As in, “boo hoo! summer is over!” (which, for moms, could be called a “woo hoo! breakfast”) Coordinate a day to get all your buddies together for one last hurrah over pancakes and syrup… one last lazy breakfast before all the hustle and bustle of the school day morning! Go out together for waffles, drop in to Krispy Kreme for donuts, or have a potluck at somone’s house… either way, make it yummy.. and enjoy the last hours of summer together!
Good luck surviving the last few weeks… the fall madness will be here before we know it, enjoy the summer while you can!
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