I was just as excited for the end of summer break as my kids were. We love the homeschool life but we are ready for another fun-filled summer with these memory making ideas together. Learning never stops because we have created a life of learning but there are some things we can’t do outside of summer.
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60 Summer Memory Making Ideas for Your Family
We are all about making memories with our kids. We only have so many years with them before they move on and start their lives, I want to give them memories to last a lifetime and a great foundation for learning. Summer is just one more time that we get to make great memories.
Creative Memory Making Ideas for Your Family
Make a memory book of everything you do this summer – Smash books are great for children to use to document creatively because there are no rules! Find inspiration for your book here!
Write a letter to a Pen Pal – This is almost a lost art, and many of our children may not even know what a Pen Pal is. Help your child find a Pen Pal and get started writing letters.
Become a photographer – Photography has become such a popular hobby and is a skill that can even potentially be used to build a career.
Bake some cookies – Let your kids help whip up some dessert with these cookie baking tips.
Sketch a picture of your house from the outside.
Go coding – Looking for a virtual camp experience? Take a coding class and see if you like it!
Make dinner for your family – There may be extra mess involved, but letting your kids join you in the kitchen makes for some great childhood memories.
Invent a new dance – If dancing or choreography is something your child is interested in, check out the Elements of Dance for tips on creating their own dance!
Make a collage from magazine words and pictures – Remember that big stack of magazines on a shelf you keep meaning to recycle? Pull some out on a rainy day and get creative!
Create a terrarium – It’s one thing to hear about or read books on the water cycle, but building a terrarium is a great way for your children to see and experience it for themselves!
Invent your own board game – If you have a child who loves board games and has a creative mind.
Build a time capsule – Take an afternoon and use this guide to put together a time capsule!
Cook a new meal from another culture – Sometimes we get so bogged down in our lives, that we can forget how big the world is. A good way to learn about other cultures with your children is with food.
Make a bird feeder – It’s always fun to watch different birds flitting about in the yard. Make a bird feeder with your children, and give the birds a reason to hang around!
Make something from recyclables – Maybe you’ve been saving your recyclables but haven’t made it to the drop-off center yet. Use some to create some recycled art.
Make homemade ice cream – What is summer without homemade ice cream? If your family doesn’t have an ice cream maker, fret not! Learn here how to make ice cream in a bag!
Paint or draw a portrait of your friend – Looking for ways to flex those creative muscles? Let your children get a group of friends together to be an artist and their muse.
Write a fairy tale – There’s something timeless about fairy tales that even adults can appreciate. Let your child’s creative mind run wild with this how-to guide for writing fairy tales.
Have a paper airplane contest – Paper isn’t just for writing! Get your family together and have a paper airplane contest.
Outside Memory Making Ideas
Take a walk and record the sounds – There are so many benefits to being out in nature. Check out this page with tips to help you and your children capitalize on those benefits!
Visit a farm – Visiting a working farm can be a wonderful family activity.
Have a picnic – Nothing screams “Summer!” quite like a nice shade tree, a blanket on the ground, and food from a basket.
Go backpacking – Getting outside and wandering around in the mountains or the wilderness may sound amazing, but it may also sound daunting if you aren’t sure where to begin.
Go camping – Whether you go to a campground or just to your backyard, find some inspiration here for great ways to take learning with you.
Build a Fairy Garden – Whether you want to get fancy and go shopping, or just use items you have on hand.
Take a boat ride – Spend a day out on the lake safely with these boating safety tips. You could even take a ferry and explore a new area.
Clean up a nature trail – Another place your family can volunteer is at a park.
Make an obstacle course in your backyard – Instantly become the coolest family in the neighborhood by building an American Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course.
Build a treehouse – A great way to spend some time this summer is by building a treehouse your children can enjoy for years to come.
Set up a lemonade stand – Take part in a great pastime of having a summertime lemonade stand.
Go canoeing – Getting out on the lake can be an exciting experience for your family, but only if done safely. Read here to learn tips for canoeing with children!
Plant something – Some people are blessed with green thumbs, while some of our thumbs tend toward brown, but no matter. Whether you’re looking to plant flowers or vegetables, check out these tips for gardening with children.
Make your own bubble solution – Kids of all ages love bubbles. Even if you have cool, older children, they can join in the fun by having a contest to see who can make the biggest bubble! Get a recipe for giant bubbles here!
Build a sandcastle – Whether you’re on a beach or in a sandbox, learn tips for building a sandcastle to be proud of here.
Fly a kite – There’s never a shortage of things to do on beautiful, sunny days in the summer, but select a free day, grab a kite, pack a picnic lunch, pull out the Mary Poppins soundtrack, and sing with the Banks family, “Let’s go fly a kite!”
Tie-dye some t-shirts – If you’re looking for a fun, messy, outdoor activity, try your hand at tie-dyeing. Your kids are sure to love making their shirts, and then proudly wearing their creations for all to see.
Take a dog for a walk – If you have a furry friend, check out these tips for enjoying a walk with your playful pooch!
Learn some new outdoor games – Sometimes we can play a game enough times that suddenly it’s no longer fun. If that happens to your children this summer, take a look at this list and choose some new games to get out and play.
Jump on a trampoline – I’ve never met a kid who didn’t love a trampoline. It’s great fun and great exercise.
Go swimming – Swimming is one of the most popular summer activities, and while it is a great way to spend a hot day, it is so important to take proper safety precautions. Learn more about swimming safety here!
Do some scientific experiments – Let your children unleash their inner mad scientist by doing some of these incredibly fun experiments!
Stargaze and track the moon phases – Warm, summer nights are ideal for stargazing! Grab a blanket and your kids, and spend an evening watching the sky! Before heading out, read more about astronomy here.
Roast marshmallows – Take a warm summer evening, build a campfire, and see who can make the most perfect s’more! This is a tasty experiment your children are sure to love!
Watch the birds – Bird watching is a great outdoor activity that kids of all ages can enjoy. Read here for tips on bird watching with children!
Paint and hide rocks – Join the Kindness Rock Project! Spend some time with your children painting rocks, then hide them around your community for others to find.
More Fun Things to Do this Summer
Summer Learning Resource Guide – Looking for ideas to keep the learning going this summer? Check out our Outdoor Games for Kids this Summer and 9 Summer Nature Study Ideas You Can Do Indoors for some great ideas!
Visit the “Night Zoo” – virtually of course! – Night zookeeper is a fun literary adventure for kids. Here, they can create animals, write stories, and have a go at the 1000+ curriculum-aligned educational challenges focused on improving literacy skills.
Hold your own summer camp – Get some of their friends together and have days or weeks of fun!
Learn a foreign language – Whether you are planning for an amazing vacation, just wanting to expand your skill set, or something in between.
Make a scavenger hunt – The great thing about scavenger hunts is that they can be tailored to any age. Whether you have little ones or older children, this list has a hunt for everyone!
Have a family game night – Spending an evening with the whole family together learning a new game are nights that can become happy childhood memories. Choose a game from this list for your next game night!
Discover a new favorite author or book series – As parents, it’s pretty safe to say that we all love to see our children reading. If you have a teen in your home, have them take this quiz to discover which series they should read next!
Tour a museum – There are so many museums in the world filled with amazing pieces of art from our history.
Fun and free stay-at-home activities for kids – Looking for a few ideas for slow, rainy days? Look no further than this list of stay-at-home activities!
Visit a tourist spot near your home – Many of us tend to avoid tourist attractions in our area because of crowds, but they draw crowds for a reason.
Weekend ideas for family fun – Family weekend activities can be some of the best opportunities for creating cherished memories together.
Go without TV for a day (or longer!) – It’s hard to admit, but many of us spend more time than we should in front of a television screen. This can be especially true of our children.!
Sign up for a Summer Reading Program – Looking to get your child reading more? Many kids thrive with friendly competition. Libraries offer great programs.
Turn TV time into learning time – Entertainment can also educate! Here are some great ideas to help make tv time work for your children!
Learn to play chess – Want to work those brain muscles and learn a new skill? Put down the checkers and pick up chess!
Keep your brain going – Do your children love jokes and riddles? If so, they will love these 17 fun brain teasers for kids!
More Summer Fun and Learning
Taking Homeschool Outside this Spring and Summer