Last week in my post on gearing up for summer nature fun, I mentioned we were putting the finishing touches on our summer fun list. And since I suspect some of you might be interested in what we’ll be up to in the coming months, I figured I might as well share our list here.
Three things I want to point out first. About 95 percent of the items on this list were kid generated. That’s mostly due to the fact that The Big Explorer (now 7.5) has tons of ideas. And The Little Explorer (at 4) is still happy enough to oblige.
The second thing is that we’ve made this list very visible in our home. The Big Explorer wrote each of the items on this list on a poster-sized piece of butcher paper, which we then hung on a wall in a high-traffic area in our home. You can’t miss it.
Which is precisely the idea. After all, we’re not just creating a wish list; this is our go-to guide for making the most of our summer.
And we’re turning these ideas into reality. We’ve already planned to do several of the items on this list – something that I doubt would have happened if we hadn’t put our dreams down on paper.
Backyard Nature Fun
- Build a fort
- Learn to use a microscope
- Decorate a cardboard box fort
- Wash outside toys with soap & water
- Set up a weather station
- Run through the sprinklers
- Watch a sunrise
- Make ice cream floats
- Host a lemonade stand (or at least sell something)
- Have a water gun fight
- Watch a movie in the backyard
- Play on the slip & slide
- Do the Mentos & Diet Coke Geyser experiment again (because once was not enough)
- Build a Pinewood Derby racer (The Big Explorer is a car fanatic, after all)
L.A.-Area Day Trips
- Go fishing (for the first time!)
- Go swimming at grandma’s
- Play at the Adventure Playground in Huntington Beach
- Roll down a really big hill (probably at the La Brea Tar Pits)
- Visit the Autry
- Visit a tide pool
- Visit the Peterson Automotive Museum (refer to kid car fanatic above)
- Visit the Skirball Cultural Center
- Eat chicken from Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant (it’s good stuff, I promise)
Nature Travels
- Take a road trip (oh yes, we are!)
- Go camping
- Go rock hunting
- Hike to the bridge at the base of Vernal Falls (during our annual vacation in Yosemite)
- Visit Glacier Point (during the same trip to Yosemite)
- Explore a cave at Lava Beds National Monument (on our summer road trip)
Have you created your summer fun list yet?
That does sound good, doesn't it? Soon enough, friend. 🙂
What a fun summer you have planned. Can't wait to read all about it. I only wished you had scheduled a road trip to Montana….
Yes, our list last summer was unrealistic. That's why this summer, we'll be taking this list & putting it into action by actually scheduling in some of the items each week. Of course, we'll also be leaving in lots of unscheduled time! :-)<br /><br />Here's hoping you get a chance to try the Diet Coke & Mentos experiment.
Yes, Barb, I was surprised to see how simple ideas topped the list. (The Big Explorer also carefully thought out which activities were best suited to summer & which could wait.) I agree that this process helped us to connect & discuss what each of us wanted from our summer. <br /><br />Here's wishing you & your family a wonderful summer! 🙂
I so want to try the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment! My problem with summer lists is that I always put way more on there than we can accomplish–and so does my daughter. It's great!
Our tradition was that each child made their own list of things to do over the summer. It has always made sure we fit in all the things that were special to each of them. It surprised me to see how simple some of the ideas were that they came up with. As they grew older, it kept summer fun and we stayed more connected. <br />Going to miss those summer lists…<br />Great post and example!
Yay, Steph – glad to be able to help inspire some serious outdoor adventuring this summer! 🙂
We're definitely excited, Mary, and looking forward to a wonderful summer. Can't wait to see what fun you all have planned, too!
This is awesome! I want to start a list like this too, and I will definitely steal some of your ideas. 😉
Looks like a busy and very eventful summer ahead for the explorers. I love this idea of writing the ideas down. It gives the kids something to look forward to and a great overview of a fun summer. Looking forward to reading about your summer adventures especially your road trip.
Last year we wrote down all our great ideas & put them in a jar. We promptly forgot about most. Hoping this year goes better. Plus, the anticipation of all that summer fun is almost unbearable! 🙂
Love that you posted it in a high traffic area! I find that when I write down my goals and share them with others, I am more likely to do them. Can't wait to read about your summer fun in the coming months!