I'm so excited about today's post!  For a few reasons -- first, we had a great time creating it and second, it's a post about SUMMER!

For the past few weeks, we've been working on our Summer Adventure List - a.k.a. the summer bucket list. 

We've created a list of fun things to do during summer for the past 12 years.  Once my oldest turned 4, he had a lot of ideas for things he wanted to do and places to visit during summer vacation.  About the same time, my husband and I realized that we wanted to experience a variety of things with our kids while they were still young.  So, we started our annual tradition.

Most years, we just have a list, sometimes colorful or worthy of a place on the fridge, but mostly it's just a list of fun things we'd like to do (along with a few new things to learn too).

But this year, we got creative!

 

Summer is coming to an end and soon we'll be dealing with schedules, homework and early bedtimes.  Are you trying to squeeze in a few more fun activities before the kids go back to school?  Here are a few ideas for some quick get-out-and-do-something places:

 

  The Olympics are fun for everyone to watch - kids included!  Wouldn't your kids love to participate in their own Olympics?!

Thanks to Angie, a great mom & party planner, here's a fun way to get kids more involved in celebrating during the Olympic Games this summer!

Each year since my kids were young, we've celebrated 'Christmas in July'.  A fun little day when we forget about the heat of summer, spend some time together and make a memory or two.

You know how kids get so excited when you visit a new playgroud?  One that has 'monkey bars that are cooler than the ones at our old playgroud' or 'the biggest slide in the world', right? 

So, why not take them on a Playground Scavenger Hunt!

It seems that the summer heat is settling in for a while - and everyone knows that hot kids are not happy kids!  Here's some fun 'frozen' ideas to beat the heat with ice, cold snacks and cool activities.

In your car a lot during the summer?  I know I am!  So, our family started playing the License Plate game in our own hometown!  It's fun, there's some learning involved and we have a great time 'competing' to see who can find the most plates!

Heading to the beach this summer?  Or maybe you're planning a camp-out?  We've got some great reads for you to take along - explore a picture book, bring a chapter book to read aloud or grab a guide book for ideas on games and activities!

 

Looking for some memorable things to do this summer? Need some new ideas on easy & fun things to do with the kids?  Try a few of these quick, FREE or low-cost, have-fun-at-the-drop-of-a-hat ideas: