When our six kids were younger and at home, we would sit together as the end of a school year came and talked about what we wanted to do in the summer. I would write everyone’s ideas and from there we started with the most mentioned and worked our way down to the least likely to happen. Then I would work on putting them on the calendar.
Summer time is very short. If it’s not on the calendar, the chances of us getting to do a particular thing becomes less likely. So don’t forget to make that list soon. Here are a few ideas we always thought were fun.
*Visit the zoo. Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo are both fun. Brookfield is a little expensive, so if we went there, I usually got a membership, since by the time we paid for the whole family, we were paying a membership amount. Lincoln Park has a very nice play area for the kids and plenty of things to do as well, so if you live in the city or go there often, this may be the place for you.
*Go to the beach. Lake Michigan has plenty of beaches and lake fronts to go to and you can take something to eat. We always enjoyed a good grilling, so going to the beach has always been a whole thing. We are there for the entire day!
-Silver Lake in Wisconsin
-North Avenue Beach in Chicago
-Montrose Beach in Chicago
-Most villages in the suburbs have beaches, but you need to be a resident of that town or pay a non-resident fee
*Go to a park district pool.
*Read a book together throughout the summer. At the park, in the yard, before bed, etc.
*Visit a forest preserve. Have lunch there. Again, a cookout is fun there too. In fact, if you invite extended family and friends, pick a forest preserve that has several things to do and bring a soccer ball!
*Visit the city. If you have little ones, Maggie Daley is a great place to spend the day.
*Backyard camping
*Camping
*Visit a county fair. This was one of our favorites! There are so many throughout the summer.
*Visit farmer’s markets near you. One of our favorites is only on Saturdays in Kenosha, WI.
*Plant a vegetable garden together
Every summer is different. Some years are more challenging than others, but that doesn’t mean we have to skip it. Make the most of your summer. Think about what you want to do, put it on the calendar and make space for it. When summer is over, you’ll be glad you did.