7 Fun, Summer Activities To Do With Your Kids

Foods such as hot dogs, pb&j, spaghetti and grilled cheese all make suitable entrees. It can be a picnic-style outside, around the kitchen table or on the floor in the basement. It's all about creating a memory and a sense of accomplishment for your children. The kids will love to feel so "grown up" and "in charge".

Taking on these kinds of tasks give kids confidence, a sense of mastery and works to enhance the socialization process. Plus, it will be tons of fun for them! 

3. Go fruit picking. Whether it's apples or cherries, find a farm that grows them and allows you to come pick them. This is a perfect summer activity; you'll be outdoors all day, "working" in the fields and it will include a lot of family fun and bonding time. It's also a time to impart some information about how food grows, how hard people work to grow it for us and how some people don't have enough of it. 

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Then, take your bundle of fruit home and make some delicious pies or jam. Then, go to a homeless shelter or food bank within the next few days and donate some food. This will expose your kids to the fact that some people are less fortunate than themselves, and make them realize how lucky they are to be able to help.  Instilling a sense of community service at a young age can yield a very empathetic and active adult. 10 Parenting Secrets To Empower Kids

4. Have a family picnic. Load the kids up in the car and drive to the beach or a park. If that's not accessible to you, head straight out to your backyard or front lawn. Have the kids get involved in planning a day of picnic activities.

What do they want to eat? What games do they want to play? What things do they want to talk about? Use this time to have them pick a topic or two that they want to talk about or ask questions about. If they don't have any ideas, you pick them. 

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Topics could be extra curricular activities, movies, music, or making friends. Just share your insights with each other. Even when kids act like they aren't listening, they usually are. This is another fun-filled, bonding experience that doesn't cost much money at all. You can even bring your bikes to save gas money!