

Whatever works with your family and feels a little special. You can eat dinner in a local park or even in your yard. I’m not looking to create more work for myself! It’s fun to relocate dinner and he sleeps like a rock after evening swimming.

Our “picnic” often consists of Chipotle eaten poolside. My son’s favorite is when we take a picnic dinner to the pool. Since the weather is nice, and not usually as hot in the evening, I like to take our dinner outdoors. Here are 5 tips I use to create fun summer moments during the week: However I still love summer and I'm determined that we enjoy the slower pace as a family, and not just when we go on vacation. Should I hire a summer babysitter? Will this tennis camp actually have tennis or will it mostly be teenagers texting while my son hangs out somewhere near a tennis court? What is his "swimming ability"? The whole thing can be overwhelming. I have to figure out week by week activities that my son will enjoy and that fit (both in location and length) with my work schedule. Summer takes an ungodly amount of planning for working moms. The long days, sunshine and lack of homework bring me tremendous joy. Planning an excursion to some place new-a nature preserve, a historical location, a state park or fair-can offer a shared experience that builds lasting memories that we and our children can share.Īnd it only takes a day, though the memories last far longer.Summer…just the word makes me happy. It can help to save the summer from long, still days when our kids complain about having little to do. And as we walk together through the summer, I want to remember that planning a day away with our family can help make the most of the time and resources we have. The important thing is not where you go or what activity you pursue, but taking the time to invest in God and in one another. Explore a new path on a bike ride or nature hike.Plan a camping trip in your own backyard.
MAKING SUMMER MEMORIES FREE
Check out the free days at your area museums.Explore activities at your local library or community center.Watch your paper for local festivals and activities.What might be ways for your family to spend time away enjoying each other?

God gave us our families as a gift to treasure and care for. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves." Time away is important to revive our spirits. And he said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. Mark 6:30-32 says, "The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. We found time to learn and share and create a memory that was affordable and accessible to us. We found time to be together and time to discover more about God’s world. We carried them inside and put them to bed and while we did not sleep even one night away, it felt like we experienced so much. Listen to GodĪs we drove home, we read devotions together and listened to some Christian music and our children relaxed until they fell asleep. And the memory of it all remains a part of our journey together. We lived a lot of life on that day together. This is the wonderful thing about kids it is not so much the hours they count as the life you lived within them. To hear them describe our trip, you would think we had enjoyed an easy week away. We rode carnival rides and saw a life-size cow made of butter and discovered many things about farming and animals that are not a part of our daily lives. Our kids still talk about the state fair with enthusiasm and joy. They tell about the park we stumbled upon that not only gave us a relaxing place to rest and eat but helped us to learn more about what has happened in our state in decades past. They remember each thing we saw and what we discussed together. They have held tight to the lessons learned in locations rich with history. When we remember that trip together, our children tell tales that make us smile. Day trips rescued our summer from boredom and complaints by adding some adventure throughout those months. While all of it happened in one whirl-wind day, the memories we made are rich. Lasting summer memories are a precious gift for kids, so off we were headed to someplace new! This day trip would incorporate historical sites, a picnic lunch, and a couple of hours at our state fair. However, putting together a day trip was well within our means. With a tight budget, our family could not plan long weeks away together. Three hours on the road, and our adventures would begin. We began driving and the day began slowly and still. Loading into the van, our kids were sleepy and dazed. We got up early in the morning and packed a lunch.
