Attention Parents:  What do you do when you see something like this?

 

Do you send your kids over to play and explore?  Or do you pick up a mallet and make some music?

We love spending time outdoors during the summer!  Well, I LOVE to be outside no matter what!  The kids really enjoy it as long as there's something fun to do. 

During our Discover & Explore Backyard Games linky, we had some absolutely AWESOME ideas shared for how to make your backyard a creative fun zone this summer!

 

It's June, which means sunshine, swimming pools and a special day for Dad!

When is Father's Day this year?  Don't worry - you've still got time -- it's June 16th.  And for the record, my Dad's birthday is the same week so I've been browsing for some fun and unique gifts for a few of the special men in my life. 

Now, my husband will tell you that the best gift any man could get would be an unlimited supply of bacon (and who am I to argue) but I was thinking of something better than bacon.  I know, there's probably not much that's better than bacon but here are a few unique ideas that I think they may enjoy.

 

Summer’s here!  Those run-barefoot-read-in-the-hammock-eat-popsicles-outside kind of days that kids just love.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a little something too.

 

Summer is a great time to have kids master a new skill.  Most kids (and families) will have a lighter schedule now that school’s out.  And having a more laid-back schedule will allow the kids to focus on developing some new life skills or learning a skill they’ve shown interest in during the year.

 

Well, today's the day!  It's the last day of school for the kids here. 

As I put the finishing touches on this post, my oldest is completing his final exams and my youngest is enjoying the school talent show. 

They will both come home with light backpacks, a smile on their faces and to our familiar family tradition of yelling "We're on VA-CA-TION!" as they enter the door!

Summer is coming and the kids will be looking for fun things to do.  It's a great time to try out something new! 

There are a number of FREE and low-cost workshops & clinics where the kids can explore some great hands-on activities, master a skill and create something beautiful!  And many of these workshops have some great informal learning included too!

 

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: