After months of social distancing and being cooped up in the house, are you looking for some fun activities to do with your family this summer?
I’ve put together a list of inexpensive activities including: something to find, something to see, and something to create.
Each activity can be done while social distancing from other people, or these can be group activities your kids can do with their friends.
Geocaching
What is Geocaching? It’s like a modern day treasure hunt.
The definition of Geocaching is: “An outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches”, at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.”
Download the Geocaching app on your phone, and start looking for them with your kids. You usually don’t have to travel very far, although you could turn it into a day trip if you wanted.
It’s common for people to leave small trinkets behind in the geocache, it operates on a “take something, leave something” system. So you may want to buy small trinkets or inexpensive non perishable items to leave behind in the geocaches.
Star Gazing
Watch the Perseid meteor shower this August. The predicted peak of the meteor shower will be the night of August 11-12, but you can try the nights before or after, too.
It can be fun to talk to your kids about how the stars, especially the north star, were used by people for navigating the sea and for people lost at night. Helping your kids to find this important star can be a memory they have for the rest of their life.
Tell the kids ahead of time how exciting it will be to watch the meteors, but that they will need to be able to sit still for a few hours. To make things more enjoyable you can bring along everyone’s favorite snacks, bug spray, and a blanket or reclining camp chairs.
You’ll want to be somewhere that allows you to see as much sky as possible. Pick a place that is dark and free of light pollution. Like the countryside or the mountains. You’ll want to be somewhere where it’s comfortable to lay back so you don’t get a stiff neck from gazing upward.
There are also a few phone apps that help you locate constellations and planets. This can help engage the kid’s interest before it gets dark enough for the meteors.
Create a Fairy Garden
Imaginative kids of all ages will love creating a fairy garden. A fairy garden is a miniature place in your garden that entices fairies to come visit or live in your yard. This can be a little corner of your flower bed or a designated flower pot.
The building materials for creating the fairy garden can be organic items like sticks and stones. Another option is to purchase small homes online or little trinkets at a dollar store.
Encourage your kids to design a layout. Then paint some rocks and sticks and make your garden a welcoming place for magical visitors. This activity can keep your kids entertained throughout the summer.
I hope these fun and inexpensive family summer activities help you create lifelong memories with your kids.
Other summer activities for teens.
