Creative Summer Ideas

Ideas for Creating Summer Memories

(I know there are tons more that you can find on Pinterest and other resources, but these are some of our all-time favorites, tried and true.)

1. Summer vacation trip. This is a big one. If it’s something you can do, go for it. Most of our family summer trips involve going to the beach with family. We are fortunate to have family who live in Charleston, so since I was a young girl we have made the trek to Charleston for many years creating countless memories. Since this was a “tradition” for me growing up, it was one I wanted to continue with my own family. It wasn’t “the beach” that made it special, but the family.  Now when I take my family (and mind you, it’s not consistently every year), we still do some of the same traditions I did as kid on vacation there, from crabbing, to eating at the same restaurant, to touring the city. We have also begun some of our own traditions. By far, going to the beach is one of our favorite summer memories.

2. Barbarian Night: This is an all time favorite that the kids still talk about. Before I explain this one, remember the “O” Optimize the yes, because Barbarian night entails pretty much what it sounds like. You will eat like barbarians…no plate, no utensils, just serve the supper up on the on table. You may want to invest in a cheap disposable plastic table cloth. Dig in and enjoy as you and the kids get to eat hog wild! I promise it did not ruin them of their manners.

3. Slip N Slide (or Redneck Water Park): This one we still do. Go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and purchase the contractor’s plastic sheeting. Let it out as long as you have room, preferably down a hill. Then lather it up with soap and get your hose spraying water on the sheeting and start sliding! This plastic sheeting will last a long time, but if you do get a rip or tear duct tape on the back works great!

4. Summer Scavenger Hunt: This can be done anywhere, but we did ours around downtown Chattanooga, the North Shore area, and Coolidge Park. You will begin at your house and have a certain amount of envelopes numbered. The kids will open the first envelope with a catchy or rhyming clue. They will guess where that clue is and you will drive them there and do the activity that was mentioned in the clue. For example, It’s a place where many a fish you see, find some running water down steps, go splash and say “Wee!” (For those not from Chattanooga, that would be our Aquarium.)

Once they’ve completed clue #1 give them clue #2, and so on it continues with as many clues as you see fit. Your final clue could involve the other parent or another adult being at the ending point with a picnic. This one is really endless on how many different things you could do around Chattanooga and even in your own neighborhood.

5. Tour Chattanooga! Don’t forget what all is around us to enjoy. We do live in the Scenic City and there are lots of things to do with little to minimal cost. You can drive up Signal Mountain to Point Park or ride the Incline up and walk to Point Park. Take a hike at Raccoon Mountain (they have easy to difficult trails.) Visit again for the first time, Rock City, Ruby Falls, The Aquarium, try a Duck tour, or check out the art district. Also, check out some places in Georgia, for example the town of Chickamauga and the battlefields.

6. Make a picnic table. This was a fun project we did with our kids. They got to help build the table then enjoy eating many a meal outside on “their” table they made. To this day, our kids love to eat outside. (Check Lowe’s and Home Depot, they used to have kits. Ours could be used as both a picnic table and or benches!)

7. Take a walk or bike ride on the Greenway. You can make the route as short or as long as you would like. When we had yearly passes to the Aquarium we would park the van along the Greenway and ride our bikes on the Greenway into downtown to the Aquarium. We would go in just to see our favorite exhibits and get cooled off then ride back to the car. We would also ride to Coolidge Park and play in the fountain and then ride back. I won’t lie, some trips were more challenging than others with 6 of us being on bikes! Still worth the memory.

8. Pick Blackberries. Sometimes we combined this with our bike rides when we lived in Nashville and there were blackberry bushes along the Greenway trail. We would tie a plastic grocery bag to their handlebars and they would fill them up with blackberries, then we would ride back and go make a blackberry cobbler. (Just did this one this morning!)

9. Go to the Farmer’s Market: Find a Farmer’s Market near you, and before you go let the kids pick a recipe to make with vegetables and or fruit. Allow the kids to pick out the produce, then go back home and make the recipe.

10. Themed Dinners: Get the kids involved to help plan a themed dinner night, from Italian to Chinese. Cook that type of food, decorate the kitchen in that theme, and even allow them to dress the part. Don’t worry about making this perfect, it’s more about the kids taking a part and being creative in their own way. It’s so much fun to see what they come up with on their own.

11. Take Your Pick Jar (or the I am Bored Jar): Decorate a jar and place in it simple things to do around the house or things to go do. You can write them on strips of colorful paper or use craft sticks. This is especially good when the inevitable “I’m bored” begins to be said. For example; go get ice cream, go play in the sprinkler, build a fort, have a water balloon fight, go to a movie. The ideas are endless! Have a stash of things from the Dollar Tree you can pull out and use that would be new to them. Such as water guns for water gun fight, or art supplies for craft projects. You can also have Mom’s pick or kids pick, whoever’s name is on the stick they get to decide what to go do.

12. Dinner Table “Dish” from the Day: This is a great way to get conversation going at the table, while giving everyone a chance to talk!  Everyone gets to tell about their day. Typically, my husband, Bill, would say this “corny,” yet cute, catchy saying…”whoever I point to has to tell me their favorite thing they did today.” When the kids were younger, they couldn’t wait to be chosen. And yes, we still do this one today…with lots of laughs as Bill uses his corny saying (I want to say rhyme…but obviously nothing rhymes!)

13. Display the Immeasurably More: Write down the “immeasurably more” God is doing on one sheet of paper with the Ephesians 3:20 verse “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” at top, and on the other sheet of paper for prayer requests, write Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Place in a visible spot, mine is on the refrigerator. Let all the family members write down the immeasurably more they see God providing. One the other sheet, to help all Make the Most of the Moment and not worry about what’s next or tomorrow, write their prayer requests. It’s a great way to see how God can take the requests and give the immeasurably more.

It is my prayer that you allow God to help you make the MOST of your summer memories.