100 Days of Summer Fun

Lesli Peterson

Summer time means the kids are home, the daylight hours are extended, and the demand for more fun things to do goes up a notch or two.  In this family, we are all about exploring and taking adventures.  But, if I am honest, even our chaotic household delivers a lull in the afternoon hours during summer.
Every year I make a list of summer things to do.  This year, we have the opportunity to share it with you!  We hope you will join us on our summer expeditions, and augment your days with some of the fun filled activities you find here.  As you can imagine, it is difficult to find activities that fit every age group.  These might not all fit all your kiddos, but we offer some notes and tips as to accommodate older and younger sets (see the Mommy Notes). 
The first attachment is a list of 100 Summer Activities ready for printing or using as you like.  The second attachment is a list of Mommy Notes, complete with supplies list, links, and notes for applicable activities – hopefully helpful in easing your preparations.  Finally, your going to want to follow Expedition Mom on Pinterest and check out the associated 100 Days of Summer board (referenced in the Mommy Notes). 
My plan was to list each activity on a paper strip, add it to a jar, and have Cooper pick one each day.  I even cut all the strips and added them to a jar.  But I realized that this just wouldn't work for us.  We are going on vacation several times - I want to continue this over vacation, but need them to be specific to our location.  Also, some things we want to do with Daddy (on weekends) and some things are more fun when his older brother and sister are around (every other weekend).  So, in the end, I decided to "plan" each Activity on our calendar.  I put "plan" in quotes because we are REALLY flexible - and an electronic calendar (Google) lets me arrange and rearrange as needed ("Oh, it's raining - let's change birdhouse painting to puddle jumping today!").  Also, I like to "plan" our adventures - we have tons of memberships and putting everything on a calendar ensures we use them to their maximum value.  Having adventures and activities on the same calendar ensures they complement each other and work together. For example, if we are going to spend all day at the Aquarium one day, we don't want to associate the activity of the day to be bike riding - we'd be to tuckered out, so I can associate that day with something less stressful, like making fireflies that evening (which could turn into "watching" fireflies if we are super tired).We have a third Pinterest board called 100 MORE Days of Summer where we are constantly adding new ideas to pull from if you need to substitute an idea from the main list (or you need more than 100 things).  We don’t YET have 100 additional ideas, but that is the idea, so be sure to follow us there for a growing list of ideas.
Hope you have as much fun doing these as we did putting the list together.  We’ll be featuring some of our activities on Facebook during the summer, and hope that you too will share pictures of your adventures!
--Lesli

 UPDATE (5/24/2012)

We've heard from you that you would like to see a list of the 100 items in the blog post BEFORE you download the files. Well, we're listening.  Below is a complete list of the 100 Days of Summer activities. If you like them, be sure to download the list, the Mommy Notes, and follow our 100 Days board on Pinterest!!

1. Blow bubbles. Lots of bubbles. Use as many different tools as possible!
2. Bring out a magnifying glass and use it to explore the miniatures in yard.
3. Build a fort outside. Depending on your environment, this could be made of natural materials, or some deck chairs and blankets.
4. Build a nature mobile. String sticks and seedpod and leaves onto some large sticks. You'll have to make it, but they can collect the items and see it hanging in their bedroom.
5. Camp outside.  We don't get to campsites much, but we still love camping in the back yard. Complete with campfire, hotdogs and smores.
6. Collect leaves or rocks, etc Whatever your little one is in to.  Carry a bucket or bag and see how many things you can find.
7. Create a balance beam from an old 2x4 and some bricks for stability. How high can you go?
8. Take your dog (or someone else’s) to a do-it-yourself doggie wash.
9. Check out a flick at the dollar movie.
10. Draw with sidewalk chalk in the driveway.
11. Eat ice cream. Eat it out, go buy some at the store, make it yourself....whatever it takes!!
12. Find a nearby pond and feed the ducks.  Take a loaf of stale bread. The ducks and the kiddos will love it.
13. Find a new playground.  Go to one you have never been to before but have been meaning to get to.
14. Find all the colors of the rainbow on a hike, at the grocery store, or wherever you need to be. Talk about rainbows and their colors and see if you can find something in every color of the rainbow. Line them all up in the right order.
15. Finger-paint and foot-paint outside. Get a roll of craft paper so you can make a very long fun walk!
16. Fly a kite. Always fun!
17. Go berry picking. Strawberry picking is over, but blueberry picking is just around the corner.
18. Go bowling (low on funds? Set up bowling at home)
19. Go for a bike ride. Either take your little one on your bike, or take him out on his own trike.
20. Go geocaching (check out our blog for lots of cool places).
21. Go horseback riding. Call ahead, depending on your child's age. Some places let them ride with you; some places offer pony rides.
22. Go on a hike. We love our North Georgia Hiking Trail books. There are also some great websites with hikes for kids.
23. Go see an outdoor movie.
24. Go to a parade. 4th of July parades are just so fun!  Better than watching one? March in it!
25. Go to an outdoor fountain play. There are concerts in the park at the fountain downtown, a playground next to the one in Duluth, and a group of them at the Spraygrounds in Roswell and surrounding areas.
26. Go to city pool!
27. Go to nature center.  Chattahoochee is always a winner, but why not try some of the others around Atlanta as well.
28. Have a backyard scavenger hunt.  Or even do a nature trail scavenger hunt.
29. Have a picnic. If you can't make it to a park, just have one in the back yard.
30. Have a water-balloon toss.
31. Go see the Hot Air Balloons in Helen.
32. Photo Booth! Use props, backgrounds and lots of laughs!
33. Jump in puddles. One day, at least one day, there will be rain.  Don't let this keep you inside (unless there is lightening).
34. Jump on a trampoline - don't have one? Check out SkyZone!
35. Jump rope.
36. Visit a lake; play in the dirt and water!
37. Lawn games (crochet, golf, baseball, bocce ball, boingo ball)
38. Look for animal tracks.  Public hiking trails are great places to do this. Maybe bring pictures of dog tracks, raccoon tracks, coyote tracks, etc.. to match up with what you find.
39. Make a bird bath. Birds need water more this time of year when rainfall stops. Use a terra cotta dish. Paint it pretty, and cover with a non-toxic sealer.
40. Make a nature frame. Purchase a bare wood frame at Michaels. Glue objects you find on a walk or in the yard.
41. Make a bird feeder from peanut butter or honey and birdseed.  Maybe buy a birdfeeder that you can hang by the window for all seasons.
42. Make and run in an obstacle course.  Crawl through hoops, duck under yarn tied to two chair backs, run across a balance beam...let the course take you over the entire yard (into the front?).
43. Make fancy popsicles with fruit and fruit juice.
44. Make garden stepping stones using marbles, glass, and other finds in the yard.
45. Make lemonade with fresh lemons. Older kids can even make a lemonade stand.  Something fun? Add strawberries!
46. Make long winding road for matchbox cards (take it outside??)
47. Make milkshakes – chocolate? Peanut butter?
48. Make paper boats and send them down a creek. Which ones go farther?
49. Make play dough of different colors and create a play dough masterpiece.
50. Make puppets (paper bags? Socks?) and have a puppet show – maybe use a large box for a puppet theater.
51. Attend an outdoor concert. You don’t have to know the band; just enjoy the music.
52. Paint a birdhouse. They have cute bare wood ones at the dollar store. You can use them as gifts, or clear coat them and hang them near a window.
53. Paint a rock. Get some smooth flat stones (I once went to a landscape supply place and they gave me a bag of them for free) and wash them.  Paint designs on them and then display them in the flower bed.
54. Plant seeds in a veggie garden. Peas and melons come up pretty fast! Help him water it every day and read The Carrot Seed in the mean time.
55. Play "Simon Says", and call things like "crawl like a turtle" or "fly like a butterfly"
56. Play chase/tag.  An old-time favorite that guarantees a nap for you both!
57. Play hide and seek outside.  The possibilities are endless.
58. Play in the sprinkler. Enough said.
59. Play red light, green light around the yard.
60. Play some mini-golf. Inside or outside, depending on the weather.
61. Play with worms. If you are not lucky enough to have some in your compost bin then you can order them on line.  After you play with them, set up a worming factory or drop them in your garden.
62. Pretend to be the birds flying over head.  Fly like birds, tweet like birds. Find the birds you hear singing. How many different ones can you find?
63. Purchase and release ladybugs into a flowerbed. Examine them, let them crawl on you.
64. Put ice cubes in the kiddie pool and watch them melt. Want even more fun? Color them different colors with food coloring before freezing - then watch the colors blend together.
65. Raise Butterflies.  You can order a kit over the internet.  What a fun long-term project.
66. Read books in the hammock under a shade tree.
67. Ride a carousel.
68. Roast marshmallows with a bonfire.
69. Try your hand at roller skating (we'll use the PVC holders that the rinks are offering now)
70. Take a mat outside and practice some yoga moved in the grass.
71. Pack a picnic lunch for Daddy and surprise him at work.
72. Take pictures of your favorite things – make a book to commemorate this summer’s favorites!
73. There are some great fish and release ponds around. Places like Rainbow Trout Ranch guarantee that every time a line is dropped, a fish is caught. Perfect for small guys.
74. Try tubing down the river!
75. Visit a dog park.  Even if you don't have a dog to take there, chances are you will make some new friends if you go.
76. Visit a farmers market. There are some great ones in almost every town.  Love the one at Marietta square, because Cooper adores playing in the train and at the fountain afterwards.
77. Visit a lighthouse – climb to the top!
78. Visit a planetarium.  There are over 20 in Georgia.
79. Visit a state park. Take a hike!
80. Visit a story time (library, book store, etc)
81. Make mosaic artwork – This project can work for toddlers to teens – just vary the medium, the intricacy and the picture!
82. Visit a waterfall. Again, use the internet to find several waterfalls in the not-too-remote N. Georgia Mountians.
83. Play hopscotch! If it’s too hot you can make an indoor one with masking tape.
84. Walk the dogs - if you don't have any, borrow some.
85. Wash our bikes – water hose, suds and all!
86. Make a piñata.
87. Watch fireworks or get some sparklers and enjoy them in your own yard.
88. Make dog biscuits – use the cookie cutters.
89. Make masking tape paintings! Use a canvas, mask off a design, paint the canvas and peel the masking tape.
90. Random Act of Kindness – pick from 35 – maybe do 1 per month?
91. People Pictures - Trace your outline and decorate. Great with chalk on the driveway too.
92. Make crowns or Tiaras – decorate to the nine’s and have a photo shoot
93. Build a Fairy House!
94. Make wind socks and hang from trees you can see out the window.
95. Frisbee Golf – go to a park or make your own
96. Grow your name (hope it isn’t too long!)
97. Make Sun prints
98. Make a Paper City complete with buildings, people, cars and more.
99. Diet Coke and Mentos. You’ve seen the You Tube video – you know you want to try it!
100. Make Fireflies and watch fireflies outdoors!

By Lesli Peterson

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Comments

[Alana]

Love all of these. Thanks for taking the time to put together the list of mommy notes!! You always outdo yourself. :)

[Cobb Tots & Kids]

This is AWESOME! Your 100 Days of Summer Fun wil definitely become a "go-to plan" for many mommies!

[Expedition Mom]

So glad everyone likes it! Lesli is a guru at fun lists and ideas! --Lori

[kathy balman]

Sounds like lots of fun!!!!!! Cannot wait to see your posts.