Summer is winding down. For many families, school begins in just three weeks. How will you spend those last precious days together?
“What have you enjoyed most over the past year? “ Our family ponders this question every New Year’s Eve. A few years ago Mike and I were quite surprised by our children's answer. Though we typically don’t travel much, we had enjoyed the good fortune of a variety of big trips—Washington, D.C., the Florida coast, and the west.
The unanimous chorus of our children on the favorite event of the year? A tiny camping trip we had taken to a local state park. Though our children enjoyed the bigger trips, they cherished the downtime of being together and simply fishing a quiet lake, meandering through the woods, and telling stories around the campfire.
Whether your children head off to school or you homeschool, there is very little summer left. What great family moments still wait for you? It doesn’t have to be big. As the little boy in the movie, Up, declares, it’s the “boring” stuff that children often most enjoy.
Have you?
- Watched clouds in the sky
- Had a picnic in the park
- Caught lightning bugs
- Run through a sprinkler
- Enjoyed a drive-in movie
- Camped in the backyard
- Raced your child down a slide
- Played an all-night card tournament
- Gone fishing
- Attended an ethnic festival
- Watched a parade
- Enjoyed an free movie/play/concert at the park
- Roasted marshmallows over a fire
- Played flashlight tag
Between camps, sports training, large vacations, and outdoor chores—the fun of summer can get lost. Don’t let this one get away without enjoying some of the “boring stuff” that builds lifelong memories.
This month’s topic: What are your best memories of past summers?
