A few years ago, a fellow mom asked me what we were planning to do for summer break. I replied, “I’m not too sure.” She gave me a puzzled look, and then she added, “Well, you only have five more summers with all of them living in your home.” I probably looked like that shocked emoji. “Five more summers?” She was right. My oldest was thirteen, and I only had five more summers to make memories and do the things that we want to do together before graduation. Before I became overwhelmed with sadness, I began thinking of ways to design an epic summer break on a budget. These times began with planning and being intentional about creating memories while we were still all living at home together.
Some summer plans can be expensive — like going to Universal Studios in Florida — but designing an epic summer break on a budget doesn’t have to be. There are lots of fun activities that your city has for FREE this summer along with loads of outdoor adventures that await you. The key is that you must DESIGN your summer break. A special summer with your children isn’t just going to happen by chance. Yes, there are those unexpected times that memories happen without planning, but to truly have a summer filled with the kind of special memory making that you want as you countdown college, you must deign it with intentionality. Follow along for some things to consider as you design your summer holiday and then ideas to get you started.
Three things to consider:
1. Get a master calendar of events.
Find a blank calendar or print one from online. This will be a working calendar to build your summer of fun. Using a pen, start by adding to this calendar the events that you already have scheduled. Add the weddings, Camps, VBS at church, baseball games, church picnic, and other events that you know about. Then think about what days you want to have reoccurring playdates or activities. Plan for these reoccurring events and put them on the calendar IN PENCIL, but make sure that you also plan for days at home. Days to relax in your home and get housework done. The calendar will help you to see the time you have and then plan accordingly. I have found that if I don’t plan for fun activities a whole week will go by and I got distracted doing deep cleaning, laundry and redecorating. While those things need to get done, they can take away from some intentional time with my kids, so schedule home days into your summer schedule.
2. Build a master list of ideas and ask your children for suggestions
When you ask your children for ideas, be ready for Disney World or a vacation in Egypt to see the pyramids. Remind them that you have a budget and want to do things that are around here. Put down all the ideas that your family can come up with. You want them to have a little buy in, so try your best to look at your calendar and make those things happen. After your family has listed their ideas, add other things that you have always wanted to do in your area. Some families like to list all of the ideas, rank them, and then find ways to make the top ideas fit into their summer break.
Here are some ideas to design an epic summer break on a budget:
1. Plan weekly field trips to places in your area
Go to the zoo, dig for fossils by the river, visit the fire station, or tour the museum. Many libraries will have passes that you can use to get into these places at a discount or for free. Ask them. Picking only one or two events that you have to pay for this summer will be easier on your budget. Strategically place the events that you have to pay for so they are spread throughout the summer and give you time to save up money to pay for them in cash.
2. List all the playgrounds in your city or county.
Make a plan to visit all of them during the summer break. Wouldn’t that be a fun goal for you and your family? Invite friends to meet you at these parks. Rate the playgrounds as a family in different categories that you create. Take pictures at each one so you can remember what they were like. Post your results for your friends to see and ask them to rate the parks too! And this idea is all FREE!
3. Purchase a lake pass, pool pass, and/or a state park pass
Make an investment this summer by purchasing a pass. If you think that you will plan to be there at least once a week, it will probably be worth it. There is something special about having the passes and really getting to know the ins and outs of a place. Make this summer “the summer we swam everyday”! This can be the main activity that you do each day or several times a week. Mix it up by inviting friends, getting floatie toys from the Dollar Tree and making picnic lunches to be budget friendly.
4. Take a class together.
Have you ever wanted to learn how to make pottery, paint with watercolors, act in a show, or work metal? Many local communities will offer workshops during the summer to teach amateurs. Some of the classes will cost a little money, but there are also ones that don’t cost a thing. If you know a friend who is crafty or handy in one area, why not ask her or him to teach you in exchange for a meal you make or watching their kids while they go out on a date. Bartering is always a good money move!
5. Go to the library, participate in their summer reading challenge, and attend their activities.
The library is a perfect place for a family to find great activities for free. The library isn’t just good for books (even though my kids take a large stack home each week). You can check out DVDs and magazines and even other things. Ask the front office for a list of things that your library system checks out. You may be surprised. I have heard of some libraries loaning sewing machines! The library is also a great place for activities – STEAM challenges, story times, Teen craft times, family movie nights, and more! See what your library has planned for the summer for some free fun! Free fits into everyone’s budget!
6. Attend (and serve) at the Vacation Bible School at your church
These week-long events are perfect for families. Your church would love to have you volunteer to serve the days of VBS and your children will love the activities with friends. If your friends go to a different church than you do, invite them to yours and you can attend theirs! These are free fun events for your kids while they learn about God and the Bible with their friends! What could be better than that!
8. Institute Fun Fridays
I don’t know what Fun Fridays would look like in your home, but we always loved keeping Fridays for friends. We scheduled Friday afternoons for friends to come over to swim. Some weeks we had six families while other weeks it was only two. But that didn’t matter. Families brought their own towels, a snack to share with the group, and the fun happened each week. My kids looked forward to these special days, and so did the moms as we got to chaperone and chat poolside. Your Fun Fridays could include drinks from your local filling station, popcorn parties with friends, sleeping out in the tent in the yard, or water balloon fights with friends!
9. Build a Firepit in your yard… and Use It!
My husband is an Eagle Scout, aka a pyromaniac. He has also taught our children to love a good fire. That’s why we made a firepit for him for his birthday this year. It wasn’t a hard project, but we know that we will use it over and over again. We love roasting marshmallows for s’mores and cooking dinners over the open fire. You can do this too. Without having to spend a lot of money on supplies, designate a part of your yard for a fire pit by purchasing some bricks. Lay them in a circle shape and then stock up on some wood and marshmallows. Every night can be a special one under the stars because the new firepit will call you to come over and use it! (Have you ever tried trading the traditional Hersheys chocolate with other chocolate candy bars to make s’mores? I think a Snickers S’mores is my favorite! Yum!)
10. Become an expert in making frozen popsicles.
Those frozen treats can be super expensive to buy, especially when everyone wants a frozen snack in the summer every morning and afternoon. Search Pinterest and get recipes for all kinds of frozen treats to make at home – and they will probably be a lot healthier as well. You may only need to get some popsicle molds. (I recommend silicone ones, like these.) Chocolate covered frozen bananas, frozen pudding pops, frozen yogurt pops, frozen lemonade.. there are so many easy options.
11. Set goals for the summer.
For years I have had our children set goals for themselves for the summer. What do they want to learn about? What do they wish they had more time to do during the school year? I ask them to set an educational goal, physical goal, spiritual goal, reading goal, and personal goal. These have been anything from lift weights three times per week to memorizing a chapter in the Bible. Some of my children have use this time to explore a new hobby only to find that it just wasn’t for them, while others found a new passion! One of my children learned magic tricks and another read through a few series that she had heard were fantastic! (Get encouragement to set a Summer Reading Goal — Bible Edition — HERE!)
12. Go for bike rides.
When we lived in Des Moines, Iowa with our small children, we challenged ourselves to hookup the bike trailer and get out there with the kids more. One Saturday morning we even rode our bikes downtown to the farmers market… from our house! It was such a delightful experience. Can you challenge your family do something like that? Plan a trip to an ice cream shop or bike all the way to a park on the other side of town or see if you can bike all the way to your friends’ house (to their pool, perhaps?). I know families who make a goal and then track the miles that they ride on their bikes. They will reward themselves when they complete their goal!
13. Start the 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge.
Have you heard of this challenge? What a great idea to get your family outside more… go for hikes, make mud pies, go camping, plant flowers, play basketball, collect minnows, etc. and keep track of your hours using one of their trackers. See how many hours your family can log this summer by spending more time outside! Find out more at 1000 Hours Outside. (Her podcast is one of my favorites too!)
14. Plant flowers and a garden.
Making a garden and filling it with flowers or vegetables has never been easier thanks to raised beds and container gardening. You can pretty easily take an unused space in your yard and grow things. Make this summer the year that you grow some of your own food or make a pretty garden with flowers. This can be a way for you to learn new skills together and teach responsibility, while enjoying the fruits of your labor by eating them or enjoying their beauty in a vase. You don’t have to create a huge garden to be successful. Just try growing one vegetable that your whole family likes and see if you all can get it to grow! Buy some seeds or seedlings and start today!
15. Have a rainy-day contingency plan.
It is inevitable that you will have a day in the summer that it rains. It may ruin your plans but it doesn’t have to ruin your day! Have an idea of what you and your kids can do if it rains. Know where you can go or what you can do before this happens so all isn’t lost when the rain is forecasted. Trying having a movie marathon with popcorn and junk food or head to the bowling alley or visit a nursing home in your area and make crafts with the residents or have YouTube videos on watercolor painting bookmarked and waiting for their debut. Having an alternative can turn the rain into a blessed day!
16. Serve others.
There is just something extra special when you can serve others as a family. Whether you take a meal to a friend, visit someone in the Nursing Home, wash your neighbor’s car, collect trash at a park, volunteer at VBS at church, or babysit a friend’s children, build service into your summer fun! Why not make it a goal to see how many service hours you can get as a family this summer?
While it is not possible to do everything on this list, I am sure that this has triggered some thinking about adding more than just one to your schedule for the summer. The goal? Be intentional this summer about the activities that you add to your schedule. You don’t want too many, but it is wise to make sure you add experiences and memories into this time of the year with less rigidity. These summer memories will be cherished for years to come. So get your calendar, make your lists, and see how your family can design an epic summer break on a budget!
Have you tried to design an epic summer break on a budget? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments below.
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