Sweet Summertime

With summer nearing an end, it feels bitter-sweet to reflect on the many adventures we've been through. Our California vacation was the kicked of the summer with a bang. But each trip to the farmer's market, fair or park hold sentimental memories themselves. Many activities can be expensive, but I've found that the most meaningful were the most simple.

T​rips to the Splash Pad

O​ne of the cheapest activities that our little girl enjoyed the most was each trip we took to play at the local splash pads. Even if we went by ourselves, it was fun to watch her run through the water and learn to make friends. One hack that I've learned is to bring along a bucket or some sort of water toy along. Simple toys seem to launch Charly into her own make believe world and it's the most precious thing to watch.

Local Movies in the Park

O​ne activity that we've started enjoying are the movies in the park hosted by the city. Now that our toddler has reached the age where she can enjoy certain animated movies, these events are exciting and special to her. I'd recommend bringing along some glow sticks for little ones when the sun goes down and, of course, lots of snacks! Another big tip would be to invest in some simple beach chairs that are low to the ground. This makes sitting in the grass much more comfortable for an extended period. We found some cheap ones at Target near the beginning of the summer but I haven't been able to find them on their site recently, but I'll link some that I found online that are similar here.

S​peaking of city hosted events, always try checking out the local carnivals that come to town! Our city brought the Carnival in for the 4th of July, so we decided to go and ride a few of the rides (tickets are pretty pricey these days). We finished the evening off with some ice cream, and it was a big success. If you want to save a few bucks, taking time to walk around and look at all the exciting games is still a fun family activity.

Visit State or National Parks near You

N​ear the end of spring semester, dad decided to take our little girl on a date to Zion National Park. While sitting in class, he began sending me the sweetest pictures and videos I've ever seen. We knew we would be moving away soon, so I was so happy that he decided to take her out to the park for one more trip. She loved riding the free shuttle and walking through the park. And if you live near any parks, considering buying an annual pass. Investing in one will open opportunities for fun family adventures any time, and they are typically much more worth it than purchasing a single day pass.

W​e also spent some time as a family at a lake near our home. All the beach accessories we bought for California were able to come out of retirement, and it was nice to spend extra time swimming around in the sun. So if you live near any outdoor parks, take the time to bring the kids out! They'll always remember how new and exciting locations like that can be.

G​o on a Picnic!

O​ne of my favorite memories of this summer was the simple little picnics we took together. Finding a beautiful, quiet place to lay out a blanket and share a meal is a great bonding activity with your little one. Take some time to disconnect from noise and busy life and have a quiet lunch together. We recently bought an expandable cooler lunch box from Costco and it has been perfect for these outings. I'll post a link to it here, in case you'd like to invest in one. After some food, snacks and chatting, we always end up laying on the blanket and looking up at the trees to talk about what we can see in the sky. It's really just a simple way to let your little one do the talking and discovering. I highly recommend it.

W​e still have a few more adventures we want to experience before the end of the summer, but we're pretty happy at all the simple events that have happened so far. Some days it can be hard to get out and going, but the days that I do are always the best. Hopefully these ideas give some inspiration for your next fun outing.

Happy Summer!