Making summer memories at home

Summer is right around the corner and I don’t know about you, but I am making a mega list of things we want to do this year. Frugal things. Things that don’t involve very much travel (we may go away once).

We want to make as many summer memories at home as possible.

After doing some research and talking it over with my husband (and our 3-year-old!), I have a pretty substantial list of summer activities that we plan to do this year. Here are a few of the things I am looking forward to the most:

Picnics

I am obsessed with picnics. I want to have a picnic every single day. The kids and I often picnic on the porch at lunchtime, while my husband is at work.

Elliott loves eating outside just as much as me, so this is a frequent activity around here, especially now that the weather is so nice all the time. We often have picnics at the park on the weekends, as well.

Barbecues

I think barbecues are pretty much mandatory during the summer months – don’t you? We have a list of things we want to make on the barbecue this year. Some we have never made before, but sound delicious!

– Portobello Mushrooms (Instead of burgers)
– Grilled Fruits (Pineapple, peaches, pears)
– Many Different Chicken Recipes
– Pork Back Ribs
– Pizza

We plan to eat many barbecued meals out on our front porch this summer.

Water play

Sprinklers, kiddie pools, playing with the hose. If there’s water in it – we’re interested! I think we may even have a water balloon fight for Elliott’s 3rd birthday in July!

I’ve also been told about a new splash pad a few blocks from our home, so we will check that out as well.

Go outside

My main goal for summer this year is to go outside more often. The sunshine always puts me in a good mood and I know Elliott just loves being outdoors. We’re going to go on many, many park trips and have some fun with bubbles, chalk and of course – water.

I think we may even go outside when it’s raining sometimes. What kid doesn’t love to jump in puddles and splash around?

Library trips

Our library always has such great summer programs for little kids, and this year we plan to take advantage of them as much as we can. I’d like to make sure we visit the library at least once per week for an activity and to check out a few new books to read.

We want Elliott to start practicing his letters and words some more, so I really think frequent trips to the library to look at books will be helpful.

Frozen treats

I want to try a bunch of new frozen recipes this year. Ice cream sandwiches, homemade popsicles made only with fruit, chocolate covered bananas… the list goes on and on.

It would be great if we always had some kind of frozen treat waiting for us in the freezer after a long, hot summer day.

This is just a small sampling of the things our family has planned for summer this year.

There are so many ways to enjoy summer at home. You don’t have to go on fancy vacations to make great memories. Memories can just as easily be made right there in your own home and city.

How do you plan to make summer memories at home this year?