Today I’m sharing with you some great activities you can do with your kids and teens this summer so you can spend some quality time with them. Whether it’s in between summer vacations or you are using these ideas for “staycations”, I think you’ll really like these ideas, and better yet, so will your kids!

I love to get the kids outside and enjoying nature in the summer time.

That’s what summer is made for. Getting outside and enjoying this beautiful world! But I also know that sometimes it’s hard to get the older kids to want to hang out with the family. So I’ve made sure to include activities they would like too. Along with a weekly plan to get your own brainstorming going.

Let’s start with the fun printable I’ve made to get your own creative juices flowing.

You can print this for yourself by right clicking it, choosing “save as”, then saving it to your computer. Then print it on 8.5×11 paper and you’re all set!

I love “STAYCATIONS”. Just because you can’t afford to take the family on an expensive trip every year, doesn’t mean that you have to stay home and be bored every day.

I’ve put together a few ideas to get you started. Every day of the week can focus on something different. Here is how I’ve determined what we will be doing each day.

• Make it Monday is a day for making things that your family loves. If you like to try new foods, try making some new recipes. If you like to do crafts, pull out all the craft supplies and have fun.
• Try It Tuesday is a day for trying new things. It could be a new hiking trail, a new park, or a new swimming pool. Or head to your local Asian or Mexican food market and find new foods to try.
• Water Wednesday is pretty self explanatory. Find a creative way to work water into your day. You could go do a pool or a splash pad, or get some fun water toys. Or you could make calming sensory bottles.
• Thoughtful Thursday is a day you do things for others. Go and serve at a retirement home, write a letter or an email to a friend, find an ROAK to do for a stranger, etc. There are so many ideas for Thursdays.
• Fun Friday is a day where the family can vote on a list of fun things to do. The kids love these days.
• Simplify Saturday is a day where we go through our belongings and find things that can be given to a charity like Good Will or Deseret Industries. We also just simplify, clean the house, play with neighborhood friends and make it a day to get ready for Sunday.
• Sleepy Sunday is a day of rest. If you are religious, it’s a day of worship and a time to rejuvenate. We love to have quality family time on Sunday. Holding family counsels and just enjoying each others company.

Here are some things we really enjoy as a family that you could add to any of these Summer Days.

1. Grandparents Day: Spend the day with grandma or grandpa outside playing or inside helping them with chores around their house.

2. Learn a new sport or outside game with the family. Or playing “Night Games” with the kids in the summer time is also a blast!

3. Go camping with the family. It’s fun to sleep outside away from home and eat food cooked over the campfire. It’s also amazing to be in a place where there are no screens to distract from conversation.

4. Find new and cool hikes close to your area and get outside with the family. These are fun because you can bring your dog along too!

5. Go on a “Selfie Scavenger Hunt”. Make a list of things the family has to find and take a selfie with it. But the rule is EVERYONE in the family has to be in the picture.

6. Find a place to have the kids take swimming lessons and then have them teach you what they learned that day in the pool. This is really fun and the kids love teaching parents how to do things!

7. Go fly a kite, or play with a pin wheel, or ride a bike, but just get outside and active!

Whatever you choose to do this summer, just make sure it’s time well spent with family. They are the most important thing. And you’ll be amazed at how much your relationship with your kids changes for the better.

What are some of your family’s favorite Summer activities?

I have a bunch of other fun summer family ideas on the blog. Check them out below . . .

1. Free Family Summer Printables
2. Tips and Tricks for Traveling with Toddlers
3. How to Care for Your Family’s Pool Towels
4. 9 Games for Kids to Play in Your Pool
5. 10 Things a Busy Mom Needs In Her Pool Bag
6. Outdoor Summer Art Play for Kids
7. Outdoor Summer Night Games for Kids