Summer Fun

There’s something about summer. I don’t know if it’s the long daylight hours, or the fact that all the kids are out of school, or the excitement that snowball season is finally here again, or maybe it’s just the warm weather. But there is something about summer that makes us slow down a bit, forget about that to-do list for a little while and just savor life. Summer is a great time to have fun and create lasting memories with your family and friends. Here are some of our family’s favorite ways to have fun in the summer:

Splash pads! Summer heat + energetic kids + water. It’s a match made in heaven. Our favorite is Coquille (it’s close and they have bathrooms!) This is a great place to meet other moms in the community or a great place to “host” a super simple play date to connect deeper with a mom you already know.
Zoo/aquarium – If you have a membership, summer is a great time to use it! It’s a great opportunity to invite one or two other moms to go with you and really engage in good conversation with them. Bonus – it’s also a great opportunity for your kids to learn some new things while school is out.
Backyard play dates – Are my kids the only ones who LOVE being in the water? One of our favorite things to do in the summer is to put out a pool or slip n slide, slice up a watermelon, and invite some friends over to play.
Summer Reading Program – Our library system does a great job providing summer programming for kids. They have programs for each age group with lots of activities all summer long. There are also incentives for the kids to keep reading over summer break.
Cheap movies! My kids love going to the movie theater, and during the summer, it is a very affordable outing! Regal Cinemas has $1 kids movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10am and Movie Tavern has $4 kids movies (small popcorn included) every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am.
Blueberry picking – The kids love it because they can eat as much as they want while they pick. I love it because we stock the freezer and have blueberries all summer long! There are several farms in the area, but our favorite is Loblolly Farm. The best time to go is early June.
Bowling – Admittedly, we haven’t really tried this one yet, but I’m optimistic it will be a new family favorite. Tangi Lanes in Hammond is participating in the Kids Bowl Free program this summer.

Since it seems that everyone is looking to have fun during the summer, there are also tons of community events that you can attend and meet other families in your area. Here are a few examples, but there are really tons out there!