Making summer memories with your kids each day is important. The memories will involve details that you may not have found important, but they did. Each time the kids’ tell a story it has something a little different in it. A new piece of information that makes it more intriguing, but I enjoy hearing those stories from my kids perspective.
When I get together with my cousins or other family members we go down memory lane with all of the adventures (both good and bad) that are dear to us. Some of the family will remember the event one way while another one’s memory is completely different. I can’t stress enough how important those memories are for kids. In my heart I do feel like as children grow up they will not feel resentment or anger if they can look back and laugh.
If people in general will cherish their past both good and bad then the future holds great things. I say this because holding on to memories has helped me to grow. As family members have passed from this world having fond memories of them helps to keep a small part of them with you each day. My pictures and cards are held dear to me in a special box and each time I open the box I go back in time. As I go back in time is was interesting to see how many of our wonderful memories were made in the summer.
Summer Movie Fun
Taking kids to see good movies is a lot of fun. Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Angry Birds, and Nemo are some of the movies that have seen together as a family or on special nights. Summertime and Christmas are the best times to go for the newest movies. One time while we were watching a movie they sent out a broadcast and we all had to pile into the bathrooms due to a tornado. My son NEVER forgot that night.
Aside from the tornado story above, which was a memorable event we love to go to outdoor movies that are free. There are many places that host them, and the best place to start is with your national park website. They host some in our local parks. Another idea is to create the outdoor movie setting in your backyard. See if this year you can get to know some of your neighbors by hosting some movie parties.
Special Outings on a Bucket List
Going to hit golf balls, or play at the local arcade can be special outings. Summer memories can also be made at a restaurant over a milkshake, a park playing catch, or ice cream at DQ. Special outings do not have to be expensive….just fun.
Other special outings include Chuck E Cheese, bowling, antiquing and much much more. Park days are fun too, we go to creek stomp in the morning because it gets really hot in the afternoon. Occasionally we go to an antique shop but that is only once a year. It is fun too look at all of the stuff from the past.
Camping to make Summer Memories
Camping in our RV is something we do almost every relevant. Unlimited bike riding, fishing, staying up late and no responsibilities are par for the camping course. Likewise, so are s’mores. Nothing is better than closing down a night around the fire and talking about all of the fun we had.
In the past few years’ we did upgrade to an RV. Before that we were tent camping, but that is not much fun when it rains and has caused us to cancel a few weekends. Growing up camping was something our entire family looked forward to each year. Therefore, that is why camping under the stars in our RV is on our summer bucket list.
Car Rides and Car Games
What can be fun about a long car ride home? Well, since we recently experienced a long car ride home some interesting memories were made like: we had to stop a million times, or almost hitting a deer. We had some great movies that we played on the way home so that kept the kids busy for awhile.
Drawing was an interesting time on the car ride home because my five year old drew a picture of the hotel. It was very detailed and took him awhile to create. This was great memory for him to look back on when I show him the family memory album of our trip. For an extra added touch I put where we were when he drew the picture.
Games are fun in the car. License plate games or bingo with road signs can be fun. Games that involve objects out of the car are not so much fun. Because the car is moving can cause the game to be over quickly. We tried Riddlee Riddlee Ree….but nobody could see anything for a long timg.
Photo Albums to Remember What we have Done
Photo albums are great for making summer memories, or reminiscing about past memories. If there is a box of photos’ put them in an album or have the kids’ help. Trying to remember stories of past relatives or friends can be great bonding time with your kids. Someday they will go through them with their kids’ and tell the same stories, or new ones’.
One of my favorite things to do is look through all of the old pictures of us growing up. It is nostalgic and fun to reminisce. Photos are a gentle tap on the shoulder to remind us that everyday counts and time is fleeting. Days are long, but they speed by faster and faster as you get older.
Picnics and Waterparks
Finally, it isn’t really a fun summer without some kind of picnic or water park adventure. There is one park in particular where they save a huge water slide. Now really I am not a huge fan of waterslides, but this one is just right. Not too big, and not too little.
The state park connected to the pool with the waterslide allows us to have a picnic, play some fun soccer games or lawn darts then go swim. It is a really fun day. My best advice is to write out a bucket list of the top 10 family fun activities you want to complete this summer, then switch up the locations. That is just enough for fun in the sun and memory making with the whole family.
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