3. Have an outdoor movie night. Bring your television and Blu Ray player onto your porch, deck, or back yard to make great summer memories! Pop in a good movie, light a citronella candle, and create your own drive-in movie of sorts. Make it epic by putting together this impressive (but cheap at under $20) outdoor movie screen. We’ve done this just after dark a few times and it’s absolutely a wonderful memory maker!
4. Catch the Perseid meteor showers on the night of August 12. One of our family’s fondest memories is of lying on the trampoline under the stars and counting the number of meteors we saw streak across the sky. It really is kind of magical. Make it epic by taking a few sleeping bags and some pre-made S’mores for the show.
5. Go to a free outdoor concert. Our town has free concerts every Friday night through the summer. Google your town or state with “free outdoor concerts” and I’ll bet you’ll be surprised at what you find! Make it epic by keeping shush about it until you arrive. Most kids love surprises!
6. Build an outdoor blanket fort and create a special, secret hideaway! Google some images for inspiration and grab some old sheets. Children love special spaces like these to play, read, or relax in. Make it epic by telling stories inside the fort with a flashlight after dark or by listening to an audiobook together inside.
7. Give them freedom. As parents, we don’t need to orchestrate our kids’ entire summer. We don’t have to pressure ourselves to entertain them every moment, and we don’t have to feel responsible for making epic memories for them. The truth is, given freedom and space to create and play, children will make their own epic memories. How many of us grew up with weekly science experiments, tiger-shaped sandwiches with broccoli forests, craft kits, and bucket lists to check off? I know I didn’t! I had a bike, a yard, and lots of free time. It’s great to facilitate some great memories with numbers 1-6, but remember to give them the freedom to make their own epic summer memories.
