Creating Family Traditions & Connections this Summer

By Lucia Ferrara

It is never too late to think about innovative ideas to bring families together during these sweltering summer months.

Creating fun activities during the summer months can be challenging for some parents. While kids are out of school during the summer, most parents and caregivers are still working. I know, too, from experience that there were summers when we just could not afford or fit in a vacation during the summer.

Family time does not always mean going to Florida every summer; it means creating traditions and making connections that create lasting memories. And that can be done with your family with limited time and without breaking the bank.

What we did was to come up with other ways to enjoy the summer. We came up with ideas to explore the community around us. We planned small “staycations” that were just as entertaining and educational.

Let me share with you some great experiences we had with our children growing up. This may interest you as well.

Family Game Nights. At least once a week during the summer, we would eat dinner together and then go outside for the rest of the evening and play games. One of my favorite nights was playing “old fashioned games” like TV tag, hide and seek, and red light/green light in the front or back yard. Outdoor activities also included basketball, riding bikes and walking to the neighborhood swimming pool. We stayed outside until the streetlights came on. That meant it was time for ice cream or popsicles on the front porch!

Day Trips. Visiting destinations that we could reach and return in a day was always a hit with my family. We would take a Saturday when we did not have to work and go to various places. One place we enjoyed was driving up to Atchinson, Kansas, where the Amelia Earhart Museum is. We not only went to Earhart’s house and museum but also explored the small town and had lunch at a small diner in its historic downtown. It was a fun and educational experience for the kids but also my husband and me.

The Shatto Milk Company, a family-owned dairy farm located north of Kansas City, was another day trip we took. We toured the milking plant and saw the animals that provide the milk and cheese to local grocers in the Metro area. We drank milk, ate cheese and ice cream for the rest of the day. The highlight of that day was watching my kids learn to milk cows.

DIY Projects. There is a plethora of resources you can find for craft projects with your kids, no matter what the age. Here’s just a few: Summer Time Crafts For Kids, A Collection of Summer Craft Ideas and 30 Summer Crafts For Kids [With Instructions]. Painting rocks, or making tie-dye butterflies, windchimes or pasta jewelry are a few examples of projects appropriate for nearly all age levels. And you probably have most the materials already at home. Older kids can try more engaging activities, like cooking and baking, or tending a garden.

These are just a few examples of what my family did to get together and create lasting memories during the summer. I hope you can do the same this summer. I would love to hear how you and your families spent time together this summer!

I hope you have a safe and memorable summer with family and friends.

All the articles in the Family Matters series are available here.

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[Lucia Ferrara is the Director of Hospitality at Precious Blood Renewal Center and the lead organizer here of Parent Cafes. Share your thoughts with Lucia or ask her questions by using the form below or sending an email to info@pbrenewalcenter.org. Read more about the Parent Café here.]

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