Gearing Up for Summer Nature Fun

The Big Explorer is out of school in just 6 short weeks. And unlike last year, I’m not waiting until the first day of summer vacation to get ready. There’s plenty I can do now to prepare – which appeals quite nicely to my inner planning freak.

Here’s what’s on my summer to-do list:

Start inside – in the closets, to be precise.
Does everyone have shorts, shirts and shoes that fit? How about bathing suits, water sandals and hats? Gather coupons and seek out sales to purchase what you need to be ready for summer before it gets here.

Update your adventuring supplies.
In the past, I carried all our goodies around in an adventure bag. These days, The Explorers carry a lot of their own tools. Check to see if you need to update the kids’ water bottles, sunglasses, backpacks, cameras, flashlights and magnifying glasses.

We’re also planning a weeklong road trip this summer, so I’m evaluating our camping supplies and gathering road trip goodies for the kids (like car games, glow sticks, books and such) as I come across them.

Prep the backyard for outdoor play.
Is your backyard summer ready? Give the backyard toys a once over, dust off outdoor tables and chairs, get ready for water play and stockpile on summer basics (think bubbles, sidewalk chalk, sand toys and the like).

Create a summer fun list.
We had a ton of fun putting together our summer fun list, which serves as our go-to guide for making the most of the summer. If you need some ideas for your own list, you might find some inspiration on a post I put together last summer, your a-to-z guide to summer backyard nature fun.

Map out your summer schedule.
I know, I know, this sounds horribly unfun. But I promise it helps. Get the big picture of your summer by writing down any summer camps, vacations, family reunions or other special events on your calendar. Compare this to your summer fun list so you can gauge how much down time you actually have.

You can even “schedule in” some of the items on your list – like a backyard campout or an outdoor movie night. This is one of the best ways to ensure you actually follow through on all of those creative ideas you put on your summer fun list.

How are you getting ready for outdoor summer fun?