101 Ways to Embrace Summer

source: whatever.

Summertime is here! Many kids are already out of school while others are counting down the last days, and the blogosphere and Pinterest (my newest addiction!) are buzzing with summer activities, foods and ideas for embracing summer.

I’ve compiled a list of 101 of my favorite ideas here to inspire you to make this summer a memorable one.

However, the danger of the blogosphere is feeling like you need to do every good idea you come across, and I hope this list doesn’t make you feel that way. Rather than trying to do everything halfheartedly, pick your favorites and  make the most of them!

Intentional Summer {7}

• Summer Memory Box
• Summer Treasure Board
• Summer Bucket List
• Summer Chalkboard List
• Summer in a Jar
• Stories of Summer Mini Album
• Summer Tub o’ Fun

DIY Craft Supplies {14}

• Shiny Syrup Paint
• DIY Bubbles
• Giant Bubbles
• Kool-Aid Playdough
• Scratch-and-Sniff Paint
• Colored Cereal Sand
• Driveway Graffiti
• Colored Rice
• Peanut Butter Playdough
• Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
• Bath Crayons
• DIY Window Paint
• Colored Noodles
• Cornstarch Sidewalk Paint

Activities {5}

• Marble Racetrack
• Water Bombs
• Flower Frisbee Toss
• Tube & Funnel Peg Board
• Hunt for Ice Treasures

To Do {14}

• Camp Inside
• Go on a Nature Walk
• Have a Family Movie Night
• Have a Family Game Night
• Read Together
• Look at the Stars
• Catch Fireflies
• Have a Picnic
• Play in the Rain
• Go on a Toad Hunt
• Plan a Staycation
• Host a Tea Party
• Eat Ice Cream Sundaes for Dinner
• Have a Water Balloon Fight

source: eighteen25

Crafts {12}

• Twirling Paper Lady Bugs
• Bug Catching Jar
  *cute kit, but I think you could easily do it without one!
• Clothespin Dolls
• Handmade Paper
• Egg Carton Insects
• Hot Rocks
• Plastic Egg Snake
• Garden Lanterns
• Funny Face Pots
• Homemade Kaleidoscope
• Pinwheels
• Biodegradable Bird Feeder

Things to Learn {6}

• To Sew
• To Cook
• To Speak Another Language
• To Knit
• To Can
• To Garden

Places to Go {12}

• Retirement Community (with cookies or crafts or just to say hi!)
• Library (your own or when traveling)
• Children’s Museums (consider a reciprocal pass if you plan to visit multiple museums)
• Zoo or Aquarium
• Farmer’s Market or Roadside Stand
• U-Pick Farm
• Pool or Splash Park
• Camping or Hiking
• State Fair
• Baseball Game
• Geocaching
• Firehouse

source: Babble's Family Kitchen

Cool Treats {11}

• Puddin’head
• One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
• Hand-Tossed Ice Cream
• Watermelon Pie
• Frozen Banana Bites
• Mix & Match Fruit Smoothies
• Frozen Grape Pops
• Frozen Watermelon Pops
• Striped Popsicles
• Rainbow Popsicles
• Easy Yogurt Pops

Fun Food {12}

• Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups
• Fruit Salad in an Ice Cream Cone
• Sticky-Stacky Sandwiches
• Apple Sandwiches with Granola and Peanut Butter
• Rainbow Fruit Kabobs
• Smore Pops
• Summer Fruit Salad
• Muffin Tin Snacks
• Veggie Flowers
• Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
• Watermelon Waffles
• Apple Nachos

More Resources {8}

• Life as Mom’s Summer Survival Guide
• Confident Mom’s Summer Survival Calendar
• Mom Advice’s 100 Days of Summer on Pinterest
• Whipup’s Great Outdoors Action Pack for Kids
• HomeSpun Threads’ Summer Soiree
• Rhythm of the Home’s Summer Edition
• Amanda Soule’s The Creative Family
• Jennifer Ward’s I Love Dirt

What’s on your summer list?