10 Fun Ways to Spend Time With Your Family Before Labor Day
Summer may be winding down, but there is still plenty of time to make memories together. Here are 10 fun ways to spend time with your family before Labor Day arrives and those school bells ring.
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CanCan Mom’s creative routines and schedules make motherhood easier and more fun. Interact with love and laughter more often than impatience by incorporating my unique Quick Steps into your daily family life!
-CanCan Mom, Cheryl L. Butler
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Here are 10 local summer fun ideas:
- Plan a “Mystery Day Trip” for your kids
- Catch fireflies
- Have an outside bedtime story night
- Take your kids to the local farmers’ market
- Hit the library for DVDs or creative craft books
- Make a bird feeder
- Go to a drive-in movie
- Have an outdoor movie night
- Make homemade popsicles
- Take your holiday family photos
Last-Minute Family Fun Before Labor Day
The summer is more than halfway over, but there’s still time for fun and exciting summer adventures with your family before Labor Day. Some activities can stretch the summer vibe past the opening of the new school year!
Tip 1: Plan a “Mystery Day Trip” for your kids
Think of a place you’ve all talked about going—maybe an amusement park you’ve never visited or a cool lake nearby. Create little “mystery bags” for each child that give a few clues, then whisk them away. You can even surprise your spouse as well.
Tip 2: Catch fireflies
Fireflies come out at dusk and like to hang out near tall grasses and around your fruit or flower gardens. Turn off as many lights as your children will allow, and then flash a flashlight’s beam up and down to attract fireflies. Let the kids try to catch them in nets and have a clear jar with a vented lid waiting nearby. Of course, always let them go before bedtime.
Tip 3: Have an outside bedtime story night
Read by the light of the moon, a lantern, a flashlight, or a campfire. Gather a cozy blanket, a flashlight, a fun snack, and a book to share with your child. Recommended: The Knight Owl by Christopher Denise for children ages 3-6 or Night in the City by Julie Downing for ages 4-8. See Book Recommendations on web site for other choices.
Tip 4: Take your kids to the local farmers’ market
There are so many local treasures to enjoy—not just fruits and veggies of every color—but fresh bread, local honey, gorgeous flowers, and more. You might be surprised how the kids react when they see where produce really comes from! You can usually get tips or recipes on how to cook items new to you.
Tip 5: Hit the library for DVDs or creative craft books
The library doesn’t have to be for summer reading. This year we picked up some baking cookbooks, and once a week throughout the summer, my family tried a new cookie or cake recipe that we made together. Get great ideas for crafts or interior decorating if you want to update a bedroom or family room or set up a reading nook.
Tip 6: Make a bird feeder
If you’ve ever taken the time to watch the birds in your yard, you know it can be fascinating. Gather the kids, pine cones, butter knives, peanut butter, birdseed (black oil sunflower seeds are the most widely liked), and long pieces of string. Tie a sturdy string around the top of the pine cone, leaving about a foot extra to hang it 5 or 6 feet high in a tree. Have your children spread the peanut butter all over the pine cone, then roll the cone in the seeds. My family makes a few each summer and through the fall and winter.
Tip 7: Go to a drive-in movie
Dress the kids in their PJs and bring blankets and pillows to snuggle with. Pack your own snacks to save on concession stand costs. We grab frozen yogurts at a local shop next to our drive-in.
Tip 8: Have an outdoor movie night
Along with or instead of Tip 7, you can create your own outdoor movie experience: Rent (or buy) a projector and screen and watch it anywhere your family would enjoy a movie or make it a neighborhood party. Our neighbor has a pool, so we put up a sheet on the fence behind the pool, and the kids swim and watch the movie all at once.
Tip 9: Make homemade popsicles
Popsicle molds are inexpensive and easy to find. Once you see how much the kids love them (and how easy it is to whip up healthy frozen treats), they’ll become a regular in your snack rotation. You can fill the molds with your favorite fruit juice and add cut-up fruit or peruse the thousands of easy or fancy frozen recipes available online, including creamsicles—equal amounts of OJ and plain or vanilla yogurt. Mix and pour into molds, then freeze and serve.
Tip 10: Take your holiday family photos
Families are usually more relaxed during the summer. The kids will be laughing at wearing holiday outfits in the summer. Just take the photos quickly on a cooler morning or in air conditioning before anyone gets hot. Then you won’t have to stress over getting a “formal” pose when the holidays roll into town. You could even make holiday-themed popsicles or favorite holiday cookies or treats as a reward for the untimely photoshoot.
How do you wind down summer with your family? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment selection below or email me at cheryl@cancanmom.com. You can also visit me on Instagram at CanCanMomCB or on Pinterest at theCanCanMom.
