Summer activities like big vacations happen this time of year. 
Vacations are relaxing and fun but can drain your wallet too. Summer activities don’t have to cost a lot of money. I’ve got a list of ideas for the rest of the season when you are not traveling to your away destination.
Summer Activities for Days at Home
Movie Night – Pick out a classic or new family friendly movie. Make the family room super cozy with extra blankets, pillows, and cushions. Take the time to make popcorn with your stovetop popper. Get the candy and drinks together. Now you’ve got your own comfy little theater at a fraction of the movie theater cost. You can even have an intermission for snack refills and potty breaks.
Stargaze – There are lots of apps like Star Rover or StarMap 3D+ Plus to help you navigate the heavens. Find a dark area of your yard or town and look up to find planets, stars, constellations, and more.
Ice Cream Social – Buy a few containers of ice cream. Then, get toppings like hot fudge, sprinkles, nuts, cherries, a couple of bananas and some whip cream. Next, make sundaes with the family, sit outside, and enjoy the evening. The cost difference between going out for ice cream and having it at home is that you can have 2 or 3 socials instead of one trip to the ice cream parlor.
Cook a Family Meal Together – Get in the kitchen and make dinner together as a family. Let Dad or Mom grill while the rest of the family helps with sides. My Flank Steak or Monterey Chicken are great for the grill. The side dish crew can make my Corn and Avocado Summer Salad.
Have a Luau – Pretend you’re in Hawaii and have a theme party. Pork, Pineapples, Grass Skirts, Leis and more. Save yourself a trip to the store and order the party supplies from DollarTree.com at a great cost. I bet you didn’t know you could shop Dollar Tree online did you? Dollar Tree offers In-Store Pickup (where available) for free if you don’t want to pay for shipping.
Backyard Camping – Put up a tent in the back yard or sleep under the stars on the back deck. You’ve got all the conveniences of home right inside the door if it rains or the kids get scared.
Game Night – Monopoly, Yahtzee, Candy Land, and Chess are just a few options for game night at the house. Grab some drinks and snacks and sit down with the family for a night of board games.
Water Balloon Fight – Fill a bunch of balloons for a water balloon fight. Kids of all ages have love a good water balloon fight. Get the Easy Fill Water Balloons. You won’t be making knots all day and can fill 100 at a time.
Summer Reading Program – Check out your local libraries for summer reading programs. It keeps everyone learning even when class is out. If you’re library doesn’t have a reading program, create one of your own. To motivate the kids, offer prizes like a pizza night or ice cream social as incentive for reading the decided number of books.
Summer Activities for Outings
Farmers Markets – Find fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables that are grown locally and support your farmers. After making your purchases head home and try out a new recipe with your fresh finds.
Go Camping – Camping is an inexpensive way to get away from home for a quick overnight trip. Find local camping grounds, grab your gear and get away for a Friday or Saturday night. Tent sites at campgrounds are affordable and you can also use those stargazing apps you downloaded.
Visit Museums – Don’t leave museum visits for the kid’s fieldtrips. Get out and explore museums in your area. They are free or inexpensive and perfect for an overly hot or rainy summer day.
Stay Cool at the Pool – Does your town have a public pool or a new splashpad? Both are great places to beat the heat.
Home Depot – Home depot hosts workshops for Dads, Moms, and the kids. Check out what projects are going on at the Home Depot near you by clicking HERE.
Lego Mini Model Build – If you have a Lego Store in your area they have a Monthly Mini Model Build for children 6-14 years old. Learn about how to register HERE.
Walk 10,000 Steps – Walking is a great low impact way to get some exercise into your routine. Before the heat of the day sets in or as the sun starts to set, challenge yourself to get extra steps in.
Go Bowling for FREE – With the Kids Bowl Free Program, registered kids can bowl 2 free games of bowling each day. Check out their website to see if it’s available in your area.
Be a Tourist in your Hometown – Where would you take friends and family if they came to visit? Be the tourist instead of the tour guide and see what your own town has to offer. We take for granted what our own home towns have and this is a great way to reconnect.
Be a Tourist in a Neighboring Town or City – Have you already visited everything in your town? Next on your list is to visit a town or city nearby. See what your neighboring towns have for their residents.
Get a History Lesson – Don’t just look for entertainment when being a tourist in your own town. Learn too! Find out the history of how your town was founded. Maybe an important event in American History happened near you. You’ll appreciate where you live even more when you learn how it came to be and what it has gone through.
Volunteer You Time – Non-Profit groups are always looking for people that have time to help. Meals on Wheels or Habitat for Humanity are just two of the many places that are looking for help from people like you.
As you can see, Summer Activities are fun, family oriented and fulfilling. Get out there and enjoy the summer!
