10 Fun Ways to Send off the Summer With Your Family
The end of summer is a bittersweet time for families. Kids are heading back to school, which means fewer pool parties and picnics. Even though the last few weeks of summer are here, that doesn’t mean you need to stop having summer fun now! Savor this time with your family and make every moment count.
Use this time to plan a spectacular end-of-summer list of activities. This will get your kids ready and excited to head back to school. Plus, they’ll have tons of stories to tell their friends about how great their summer was! If you need some inspiration, check out these ten fun ways to send off the summer with your family.
1. Visit the Fair or Carnival
Near the end of summer, many counties and cities hold their annual fairs and carnivals. Have a carnival day or a couple of fair nights where your family can enjoy time together. Ride the rides, play some carnival games to win a prize, eat all of the yummy treats — like funnel cakes, hot dogs, candy apples and everything fried — and see all of the sights. Your family will love this time together, and it’s a big party in itself to celebrate the end of summer!
2. Take the Bicycles Out for a Ride
Fall is near, which means cooler temperatures and shorter days. Use these last weeks of summer to get the bicycles out one more time for a long ride. Find local trails or travel a few hours away to a state park and enjoy nature on your bicycles together. Make sure you pack plenty of trail snacks and water! If you live near a city, you could ride your bikes around there and visit local shops and restaurants for a tour.
3. Splash in the Water
Another way to send off the summer is to take a dip in the water. Head to the pool, beach, lake or even a water park and soak up the sun as you splash around with your family. The water will get colder as the days get shorter unless you know someone with a heated pool! Swimming is a great way to have fun, and it also alleviates stress, provides a full-body workout, and helps keep you fit.
4. Go Camping
Have you gone camping yet this summer? If not, take full advantage of it now before the summer is over. When you go camping, you have this unique opportunity to engage with your family in new ways. Camping involves teamwork, as someone needs to set up the tent, another prepares the meal, and the other builds a fire. Plus, camping areas tend to have limited service and internet, which means your family will rely on one another for entertainment.
5. Make an Extra-Special Meal
Do your kids have a meal that they absolutely love but maybe is a bit time-consuming? The end of summer is the perfect time to get out your cooking skills and make that extra-special meal. Sitting around a table with good food is one of the best ways to interact with your family. When you cook that meal, you’re showing your love to your kids. Take your time to prepare all of the ingredients. You can even have your kids help you cook for extra fun!
6. Find an Amusement Park
Amusement parks pack in entertainment for the whole family. If you have little ones, search for an amusement park catered towards them, with smaller rides and shows. For older kids, an amusement park with roller coasters and carnival games would be great. There’s something for everyone at amusement parks! Plus, many offer family package deals that include meals, so be on the lookout when you book your tickets.
7. Have a Picnic
A more old-school way to send off the summer with your family is to have a picnic. It’s a simple gesture, but they’re so much fun. Pack a big basket full of sandwiches, fruits, snacks, veggies and drinks. Head to a park or an open field, spread a blanket, and enjoy the picnic together. Bring some yard games, too. A newer trend is to have a luxury picnic where you can hire someone to set up a picnic for you if you want to go that route.
8. Watch a Movie Under the Stars
How long has it been since you’ve been to a drive-in movie? They’re rarer than they used to be, but they have made a comeback this past year. Gather the family for a movie under the stars at a drive-in theater. Be sure to grab a huge bucket of popcorn to share along with all of your kids’ favorite movie snacks. If you can’t find a drive-in theater near you, make your own. Borrow a projector, hang a white sheet off of the back of your house and set up some seats in your backyard for a perfect movie night.
9. Have a “Yes” Day
There’s a newer movie on Netflix called “Yes Day.” The idea is that you give your kids a day to plan whatever, whenever, for an entire day and you have to say yes to everything they ask for — within certain limits, of course. If your kids want to eat ice cream all day — yes! If they want to take a trip to the zoo — yes! They get to plan the day how they want. You’ll be the coolest parents ever, and your kids will thoroughly enjoy the end of summer.
10. Do a Fun Family Photoshoot
Finally, end the summer by having a fun family photo shoot. Bring in a bunch of summer props, like sliced watermelon, bubbles, crazy bright colors and anything else that screams summer. Set your phone’s camera on a self-timer, and you’ll have some great photos to share with family and friends. You could even hire a professional photographer if you want!
How Will You End Summer?
Make the most of the last days of summer before it’s back to school again. Your kids will love making memories with you with these fun activities!
