August is Family Fun Month

As parents prepare to send the kids back to school, make time to enjoy some family time together during August, celebrated as Family Fun Month. Enjoy backyard kickball or pull out the sprinkler for some family water fun. These 10 suggestions will help you celebrate Family Fun Month with your little ones.

Go Fishing. Grab your fishing poles, head to the nearest lake or river and spend a lazy day fishing together. It doesn't matter if you catch anything or not -- it's all about making memories.

Take a family bike ride. Check the air in the tires and hit your favorite bike trail. Don't forget to wear helmets for protection.

Visit a children's museum. Hands-on fun and learning go together at children's museums. Your kids will love being able to touch everything. You'll love to see them learn as they play.

Bake cookies or cupcakes. A little treat now and then is fun for all ages. Find a kid-friendly recipe on my Pinterest Cupcakes board or pick up a box mix.

Play a board game. It may be old school, but the kids will love playing a family game of Monopoly, Life, Candy Land or Chutes & Ladders. Begin a game night tradition in your family.

Go camping. Head to your nearest state park for a camping adventure. All you need is a tent, sleeping bags and a cooler filled with food. Add a lantern and deck of cards for fun after dark.

Visit a park or playground. It's free to enjoy your local park or playground. See who can swing the highest, slide down the slides together and enjoy fresh air family fun.

Go skating. Many skating rinks offer beginner classes for all ages. Our local skating rink also rents Skate Mates that make it easy for the little ones to skate "all by myself."

Enjoy a last blast of summer water fun. Head to the beach and bring the buckets. Visit the ocean or a nearby lake. Spending a day at the beach is a great way to bid summer farewell.

Take a family road trip. Visit your favorite amusement park, your state's capital, a nearby zoo or relatives who live out of town. Bring along some kid music to listen to in the car and play travel games while you're on the road.

Whether you hit the road or stay close to home, enjoy family fun with your little ones during August and celebrate Family Fun Month.

Summer Fun for Kids of All Ages

 

As the days of summer slide by, take time to make summertime memories with your family before school time rolls around. Whether you enjoy a morning walk on the beach, a picnic lunch at your favorite local park or an afternoon hike in the mountains, spending time together can be as much fun for mom and dad as it is for the kids.

These fun summertime ideas will help you with your late summer family fun planning.

Hit the pool. Spend a hot summer day at your favorite municipal swimming pool. Relive your glory days by jumping off the diving board. Teach your kids to swim underwater or show the little ones how to dog paddle. After a day in the sun, be sure to enjoy a frozen treat before you head home.

Blow bubbles. Pick up a few bottles of bubbles and spend some quality time in your own backyard. See who can blow the biggest bubble, the smallest bubble and the bubble with the most parts. Let mom and dad take a turn too.

Play at the park. It may be hot outdoors, but your kids will still enjoy time at their favorite local park. If it's really hot out, visit the park early in the morning to beat the summer heat or wait until later in the day.

Cool down inside. Visit your nearest children's museum and enjoy the AC on a hot summer day. Kids love hands-on fun and they're learning as they play.

Take a hike. It's cooler under the trees out in the woods. Grab hiking sticks and hit the trail. Enjoy nature and see what interesting things you can find.

Go fishing. Head to the nearest lake or river and teach your kids how to catch the big ones. If there's a fish hatchery near you, take the time to learn how rangers supply local fishing spots with fish to catch. Many fishing sites have catch and release programs if you don't want to take your catch home.

Hit the road. Take a family road trip to somewhere you've never been. Whether you visit a historic site, explore your state or head to the beach, mountains or lake, spending time together is priceless.

Celebrate summer with ice cream. Visit your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt shop or make your own ice cream cones at home. Ice cream treats will light up your child's eyes and make happy memories of summertime fun.

Summer will be over before you know it. Gather the kids, make a list and get out to enjoy some late summer family time together this week.

Old School Road Trip Fun for Kids

Summertime's all about making memories with your little ones. Road trips offer a chance to spend time together -- but they can also be stressful. Everyone cooped up in a small space can lead to cries of "He's touching me" and "She's looking out my window."

Enjoy some old school road trip fun with your family this summer. Whether you're a DIY fan or would rather shop for travel games, these 15 games will help you make summertime memories.

The Alphabet Game. The youngest player starts off the game. Each player in turn uses a consecutive letter of the alphabet to create a funny story. Example: Annie is going to Alabama and she's bringing apples. As play continues, each player has to repeat all previous stories and add their own.

I Spy. Pick out an object inside or outside the vehicle and describe it. Use color, size, location and other clues. The winner chooses the next object.

The Billboard Game. Look for words starting with each letter of the alphabet in consecutive order on signs and billboards. The real challenge comes with Q, X, V and Z.

The License Plate Game. Type a list of all 50 states. Print and laminate copies for each family member. Using dry erase markers, players mark each state as they find a car from that state. The winner's the first one to find license plates from all 50 states.

Mad Libs. You remember playing this game in the '80s. You'll find updated versions of Mad Libs at Cracker Barrel or make up your own version.

String Games. Maybe you were a champ at creating Jacob's Ladder. Teach the kids mad string skills with Cat's Cradle and other fun string games. Don't remember how? Check out Kidlantis.

Thumb Wrestling. Two players join their fingers together into fists with thumbs up. Each player tries to pin the other player's thumb for five seconds. No arms allowed.

Rock Paper Scissors. At the count of three, two players use their hands to display rock (fist), paper (flattened palm) or scissors (two fingers spread out like scissors). Rock crushes scissors. Scissors cut paper. Paper wraps rock.

Where Are We? Make copies of road maps of your trip for each child and laminate. Let the kids keep track of where you are by looking for road signs, exit signs and other landmarks. Your little ones can also use dry erase markers to follow along on the trip.

Lines and Dots. Why play Dots and Boxes on your mobile device when you can go old school with a DIY version of Lines and Dots. Download the free printable from MomsMinivan or make your own by filling half of a sheet of notebook paper with dots spaced evenly about 1/2 inch apart. Players take turns connecting dots by drawing lines between two dots. When a player completes a full square, he writes his initials in the box and takes another turn. The game ends when all boxes are filled.

Build a Story. Mom or Dad starts the story with a few sentences. Each family member in turn adds a few sentences. Make your story silly, funny or just plain crazy.

Silly Sing-Alongs. Pick up a CD with silly kid songs. See who can sing the loudest. Your kids will learn fun new songs in no time at all. Find printable silly song lyrics on MomsMiniVan.

Tic-Tac-Toe. No kids, it's not a hashtag even though the Tic-Tac-Toe board looks like one. Draw tic-tac-toe boards or download a free printable. This classic game is played with two players, one making Xs and the other making Os in the nine spaces of the tic-tac-toe board. Three in a row wins the game.

Spot It! on the Road. The newest in the Spot It! games is perfect for road trip fun. There's only one matching symbol on each pair of cards. Players try to be the first to find their match. Find the game on Amazon or at your favorite toy shop.

Travel Bingo. Pick up old school travel bingo cards at OldTimeCandy or make your own. Players cover each picture as they see the object and try to be the first to get five in a row.

Pack your bags with old school fun as you hit the road this summer and show your kids all of the fun games you can't play on a tablet or phone.

Summertime is the Best Time of the Year

Summertime is the best time of year,

Seeing the sunshine fills me with cheer,

Fresh mowed grass and scent of grilling,

Cookouts and ice cold drinks that are chilling.

No school to fill the time with homework, 

Time to ride bikes and enjoy the perks, 

Honeysuckle wafting through the air, 

Flowers blooming everywhere.

Whether as a child or as a mother, 

I enjoy time with sisters and brothers, 

Laughing and going here and there, 

More food to eat, less clothes to wear.

We fix meals together, focused on sweets, 

Choosing dessert before thinking about meats, 

To the store we go over and over each day, 

For things we forgot like chocolate, YAY!

But the best thing of all about summer's long days, 

Are the trips that we take to the ocean's big waves, 

Watching the sun rise at the start of the day, 

Riding the waves, up, up, up, and away.

When the sun goes down as the day is all done, 

We know that we've had a full day of fun, 

Tomorrow brings a new day with sun shining bright, 

To fill each moment with every delight.

So come on summer, you're almost here, 

So close I can almost smell the summertime cheer, 

The beach is calling and I must go, 

Oh sweet summertime, I love you so!

- Originally published June 6, 2012 on Yahoo! Voices by Sandy Wallace