7 Almost Free Ways to Spend Your Summer Days!
1. Game night! Nothing is more exciting then spending a Friday night with your family playing games. It is also a great way for you to reach out to others and invite them to be a part of a your family for the night. Add snacks and decorations and it’s a night to celebrate!
2. Summer is a great time to clean out the old. Share and discuss Acts 20:35 with your kids. Then Help them fill a box of toys that they have outgrown and choose a family or organization in need. This is also a great way for your kids to reach out to friends and neighbors. Let them decorate the box of toys, displaying God’s love through verses, pictures, stickers and anything that the imagination brings!
3. Support a missionary by having a family garage sale, bake sale and/or lemonade stand. Invite your family and friends, post signs and add a donation box with a picture and description of the missionary you are raising funds for. When you select a missionary, find out if they have any specific needs and share those needs with others. Give your kids the opportunity to send a letter along with their donation and let me suggest adding pictures of your family and the event.
4. Get out the camping gear because we are going camping… in the backyard! Set up tents, lay out the sleeping bags, put on the bug spray and don’t forget the marshmallows! This is a great time to share stories with your kids, laugh, sing fun songs and enjoy the simple moments. Popping popcorn is always fun over a fire and smores are always a hit! Keep it simple and care free!
5. Show your kids first hand what God’s love is by doing something extraordinary for an elder in your family or neighborhood, whether it be something as simple as helping them in their home, to cooking them a warm meal, or picking them up for church. Build meaningful memories that will impact your kids in the years to come. It’s the simple and ordinary things we do that become extraordinary to those around you.
6. Make up a family holiday that you can celebrate every summer throughout the years. Your kids will have fun making up a silly name and theme for the special day. Make a menu, construct placemats and hang decorations. Include grandparents and cousins if they live close by. After the celebration is over, put everything your family crafted in a box and store it for the years to come, adding something new every year.
7. Take your kids on a nature walk at a local park, bring a bucket for those fossils, leaves, and gems that your kids collect. At home, help your kids build a collage with their treasures. Read the Genesis Creation, or even better- act it out with your kids, reminding them that God created all things for our enjoyment. Go a step further and make a fresh fruit salad for everyone to enjoy together after you explore.