Tag: Making memories

Low Cost (or Free) Activities for Family Summer Fun

The school year is finally winding down. Warmer weather is the perfect time to engage in family activities. Do you need ideas for summer family fun for both sunny and rainy days? Check out the following list.

Rainy Day Activity Ideas

Rainy days do not need to be boring. Checking the weather ahead of time will help you plan for your rainy day fun.

  • Family Movie Night: Pick a movie, make pizza, or make popcorn.
  • Board Game Night: Video games are fun. But for a night, unplug from technology and host a board game night. Make snacks, make root beer floats, and enjoy each others’ conversation as you play games.
  • Go to Your Local Library: Check out the latest summer books, movies or other media. Most libraries host summer reading clubs or other events. Participating in a group is the perfect way to meet new friends while learning.
  • Craft Day: Check out Pinterest for summer craft ideas. Many craft supplies may be found at your local dollar store. Picking up a wide variety of craft items is a low-cost alternative for a rainy day.
  • Summer Journal: Summers go by fast. Set aside time to write. Even a local stop can easily turn into a page in your scrapbook. Jot down information about the place. Add pictures, stickers, and other memorabilia to your summer scrapbook. On a rainy day, relax and relieve the memory.
  • Summer Bucket List: Create a summer bucket list. Write down all the activities for you and family to enjoy over the warmer months.

Outdoor Activities 

Unplugging from your electrical devices may be necessary to recharge. Keep in mind; switching your mobile device is advisable. You may never know when an emergency may arise.

  • Nature Walk: Go for a nature walk. Look for summer birds, flowers blooming, and other wildlife. Take pictures. Just simply enjoy the sights and sounds of being outdoors.
  • Go Hiking: State and national parks have hiking trails available for the beginner to the expert hiker. Many trails are pet-friendly. Your dog will enjoy the change of scenery.
  • Go Geocaching: Geocaching is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors.
  • Host a BBQ: Invite friends or extended family members to a BBQ.
  • Bonfire Night: Sitting around a bonfire is a great way to spend a summer evening. Make s’mores. Look at the stars. Chase fireflies.
  • Go Dog Walking: Walking your dog is a perfect exercise for both of you. If you do not have a dog of your own, many local dog rescues or shelters need volunteers to walk adoptable dogs. Who knows maybe you will find your new best friend.
  • Local Tourist: Be a hometown tourist for a day. When was the last time, you visited your local museum, art gallery, or other tourist sites?
  • Go to the Splash Park:  Splash parks or splash pads are a great activity to beat the summer heat. Pack a lunch and enjoy an afternoon outdoors.
  • Attend a Free Outdoor Concert/Movie Night: Many communities host numerous community events in the summer. Make an outdoor concert or a movie in the park part of your weekend fun.

Summertime activities can easily turn into long-lasting memories for your family or friends. Enjoy your time together.

 

Journal Prompts for June

Are you keeping a journal? Or do you want to start writing in a journal on a daily basis? Journals are a great activity. Record your memories or daily events. Looking back on journal entries are a way to learn and understand yourself.

June Journal Prompts

  1. What are your summer plans?
  2. What are you grateful for on this day?
  3. What new activities would you like to try this summer? As a family or by yourself?
  4. Describe your family’s day? Or your day? Did the day go as planned?
  5. What can you do to help the environment?
  6. What are your personal goals for June?
  7. If you could do anything this summer, where would you go? Or what activity would you like to try?
  8. Interview your children or grandchildren?
  9. List 5 things to accomplish this upcoming week? List 5 things to accomplish this month. What steps do you need to take to finish your list?
  10. If you could interview anyone in the world, who would you pick? Why is this person so special to you?
  11. Write about your family’s history.
  12. What challenges did you overcome in the last six months? Last year?
  13. Married? Write about your first date with your partner. Single? Write about your ideal date.
  14. Flag Day in the U.S. What does the flag mean to you?
  15. What are your pet peeves?
  16. Father’s Day in the U.S. Write your favorite memory with your father or father figure.
  17. What is your favorite song? Why?
  18. How do you like to relax with your family or friends? When was the last time you participated in this activity?
  19. What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Why?
  20. What is your favorite book? Why?
  21. Summer official begins. What is your favorite childhood memory of summer? Why is this memory important to you?
  22. What is your favorite memory of the beach? Swimming pool? Why is this memory so important to you?
  23. Describe your life 5 years ago.
  24. Where would you like to be in the next year? Next five years? How can you make these goals a reality?
  25. Who is your current role model? Why?
  26. Describe in detail your dream home or summer vacation home.
  27. If you could spend an entire day alone, doing only what you want, what would you do? Why?
  28. What is your favorite summer movie? Why?
  29. What are your current feelings or mood?
  30. June marks the halfway point for the year. What are you looking forward to in the next six months? What activities would you like to accomplish?

Writing in a journal every day is a fulfilling personal activity. The journal does not need to be anything fancy. Pick up a spiral notebook or composition book to record your thoughts. Do not limit yourself to just words. Draw pictures, add memorabilia or photos, personalize your journal each day.

Journal Writing Prompts for April

Writing in a journal is a creative endeavor. Each passage provides you with a chance to express your own personal feelings and wishes. April’s warmer weather is a new beginning toward sunnier days after a long winter. Each day provides you with a chance to connect with your inner self.

  1. 5 goals for the month of April
  2. If you could change one aspect of your life, what would it be? What steps do you need to take to make this change a reality?
  3. What is your favorite movie (or book)? Why?
  4. What new skill would you like to learn? How do you achieve it?
  5. How would you like others to describe you?
  6. What is your favorite smell? Why?
  7. What was your first job? Describe your typical workday.
  8. If you could write, email or call anyone in the world, past or present, who would you pick? Why?
  9. Start a bucket list. Make one for your family and yourself.
  10. What are five things that currently bring you joy?
  11. What is your favorite inspirational quote? Why does the quote inspire you so much?
  12. What was your typical Friday night as a teenager?
  13. Write a letter to yourself. Describe your accomplishments. Be positive.
  14. What new activity would you like to try this summer for yourself or your family? Why?
  15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
  16. What brings you peace?
  17. What was your favorite pet as a child? Why?
  18. What are you planning for your Easter weekend with your family or friends?
  19. Write your childhood memories of Good Friday and the Easter weekend. What one is your favorite?
  20. Describe coloring Easter eggs with your family. What did you talk about? Do you have a favorite moment from the activity?
  21. Did your Easter Sunday go according to plan? Why or why not?
  22. Today is Earth Day. How do you plan to celebrate? What can you do to help the Earth?
  23. Write about 3 of your friends. How did you meet? Do you still stay in contact?
  24. How would you describe your first date?
  25. Who was your favorite teacher in grade school, junior high, and high school? Why do these teachers stand out over the others?
  26. What annoys you about your family, your life, or the world?
  27. Write about your favorite family outing as a child?
  28. What are your feelings on this Sunday?
  29. Write about the world’s current events. How do they make you feel?
  30. What are you looking forward to accomplishing in May?

Have fun writing in April. Remember a journal does not need to be fancy. A composition book or a spiral notebook is perfect for containing your thoughts.

Creating Traditions for the Holiday Season

Are you looking to start a new family or friends’ Christmas tradition? From volunteering to outdoor fun, creating new traditions is a great way to celebrate the holiday season. Call a family meeting or text your friends to find your next tradition. Who knows maybe you will find more than one.

Ideas for Creating New Traditions for the Christmas Season

Before starting a new tradition, ask your friends or family members’ input. Use the following ideas as inspiration to find the perfect new tradition for the Christmas season.

Family Night or Friend Gatherings

Work, school, and other commitments take up a lot of your valuable time. Making the time to spend with family and friends is important to your well-being.

  • Board game night
  • Make homemade hot cocoa
  • Christmas movie night
  • Host a Christmas craft day
  • Christmas cartoon movie night
  • Dress up and go out to eat at a fancy restaurant
  • Bake cookies and other goodies
  • Make homemade ornaments
  • Make Christmas crafts
  • Pack some snacks and go look for Christmas light displays

Volunteer

Giving back to your community is a wonderful contribution at Christmas.

  • Volunteer at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen or other community non-profit organizations
  • Adopt a Family in need
  • Visit a nursing home
  • Collect can goods and other non-perishable items for a local food pantry
  • Buy toys for community programs

Attend Community Events

Search your city’s website or other hosting pages to find different Christmas themed events in your area. Along with community events, churches offer a wide array of Christmas concerts, plays, pageants, and other activities. Even if you are not a member, most events are free or require a minimum donation to attend.

  • Attend a live Nativity
  • Go to a community Christmas concert
  • Go to Christmas church service or midnight mass
  • Attend a Santa Parade
  • Attend a tree lighting ceremony
  • Go to a Festival of Trees event

Host a Holiday Party     

Hosting a holiday party is a great way to gather friends and family under one roof.

  • An Ugly Sweater Party
  • A Harry Potter themed Christmas Party/Yule Ball
  • A birthday celebration for Jesus
  • Christmas party for your children and their friends
  • Ornament swap party
  • A Grinch themed party
  • A Christmas tea

Go Outdoors

Being outdoors allows you and your loved ones a chance to get away of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

  • Go sledding
  • Go skiing
  • Go hiking

Gathering friends and family together is part of the Christmas season. Creating new traditions or expanding on old ones provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy activities year after year.

25 Days of Celebrating Christmas

The 1st of December means the holiday season is officially here. Celebrating 25 Days of Christmas is the perfect way to ring in the festivities. Gather your family and friends for a memorable Christmas time.

Ideas for Celebrating the 25 Days of Christmas

  1. Put up Christmas tree and other holiday decorations
  2. Address and send out Christmas cards
  3. Go to the local bookstore or library for holiday books
  4. Start a new tradition and make homemade Christmas ornaments (Pinterest is a great resource for finding ideas)
  5. Try a new holiday-themed recipe
  6. Attend a local Christmas concert or play
  7. Get a professional Christmas portrait done
  8. Host a Christmas party for your family or friends
  9. Host a Sunday Christmas Tea
  10. Attend a live nativity
  11. Go caroling
  12. Build a snowman/go sledding
  13. Write letters to Santa
  14. Volunteer your time/donate to a toy charity
  15. Host a Christmas themed craft day
  16. Ride around and look at Christmas lights
  17. Visit Santa
  18. Make gingerbread houses
  19. Christmas themed movie night
  20. Fill Christmas stockings or baskets to hand out to friends, family, or neighbors
  21. Celebrate the 1st day of winter, make cut out snowflakes to decorate windows
  22. Bake Christmas cookies
  23. Host a family or friends’ night with games and other activities
  24. Celebrate Christmas Eve
  25. Christmas Day dinner with family and friend

Planning and hosting different events is a great way to celebrate the Christmas season with family and friends.

December Photo Prompt Ideas

Kicking off the holiday season, December provides numerous opportunities for photos. Whether you use your phone or a camera, capture the holiday spirit that surrounds you on a daily basis.

Photo Inspiration Prompts for December

  1. Christmas Tree
  2. Ornaments
  3. Christmas Lights
  4. Landscape or Skyscape
  5. Something Old
  6. Outdoor Decorations
  7. Candy Canes
  8. Glitter
  9. Red/Green
  10. Shopping
  11. Traditions
  12. Santa
  13. Favorite Warm Beverage
  14. Baking Fun
  15. Stockings
  16. Festive/Joy
  17. Black and White
  18. Holiday Fun
  19. Toys
  20. Peace
  21. Christmas Wrap or Wrapping Presents
  22. Bells
  23. Candles
  24. Christmas Eve/Holiday Food
  25. Christmas Day Fun
  26. The day after Christmas/Messy
  27. Snow/Snow Globe
  28. Morning
  29. Scarf/Mittens/Warmth
  30. Snowman
  31. Last Photo of 2018—Your Choice

Photos are a great way to explore your environment. Encourage your family or friends to take daily photos. Create a Facebook group to share or tag your photos for others to view.  After the month is over, print the photos for a scrapbook.

November Photo Prompt Ideas

Do you need some photo inspiration for the month of November? Photo prompts are small ideas to jump-start your imagination. Have fun, take photos, and make memories. Consider making monthly photo prompts a family project. The different perspectives are a great way to learn and share.

  1. Selfie (always take a selfie at the beginning of the month)
  2. Breakfast
  3. Art
  4. Seasonal
  5. Memories
  6. Landscape/Skyscape/Waterscape
  7. Local Fun
  8. Current Mood
  9. Current Reading Material
  10. Handmade
  11. Dinner Time
  12. View Out Your Window
  13. Favorite Snack
  14. Calm
  15. Blessings
  16. Close Up
  17. Black and White
  18. Through Glass
  19. Thanksgiving Decorations
  20. Thankful For…
  21. Pumpkin Pie
  22. Thanksgiving Fun
  23. Family
  24. Leftovers
  25. Low Angle
  26. Favorite Colors
  27. Shapes
  28. Cheerful
  29. Warmth
  30. Preparing For The Holidays

When the month is finished, consider printing your photos.  Making a scrapbook is a wonderful way to add notes or other tidbits to remind you of your inspiration.

Tips for Throwing a Last Minute Halloween Party for Kids

Are you considering hosting a Halloween party for your kids? Do you fear you do not have enough time to plan one? Kids like dressing up and being with friends on Halloween. A last-minute Halloween party for kids is simple with a little planning. Grab your favorite pen to begin making a list.

Invites

Mailing invites at this time may not be the best option. Thankfully, advanced technology provides alternatives for last minute Halloween party invites.

  • Call: A quick phone call explaining the last minute idea is a great way to include everyone on your list.
  • Text: Send out a text with all the details of the party.
  • Email: Sending invites via email results in instant deliver.
  • Social Media: Millions of people log into social media accounts every day. Facebook provides the option of creating event pages which are perfect for last minute invites. Or take advantage of the group option. Forming a group for an event is perfect for communicating with other parents. Providing security, users may set the privacy setting to closed or secret.

Menu

Create a food and beverage list. The list does not need to be extensive. Cake and ice cream are always two favorites among children.

  • Create a Sundae Bar: Set out bowls of different flavor ice creams or sherbet (for children who cannot have milk products). With adult supervision, allow children to add toppings including candy pumpkins, gummy worms, marshmallow ghosts, chocolate or caramel toppings.
  • Chips: Provide different varieties including plain, BBQ or cheddar.
  • Popcorn: Set out small bags of popcorn mixed with candy corn, pumpkins, or chocolate pieces.

If you set up a Facebook group, post a comment asking parents about food allergies. Provide alternatives to the main choices.

Many parents will ask to bring a snack or other type of party treat. When you keep all the information in one place, you will be able to keep track of the types of snacks or treats being brought to the Halloween party.

Decorations

Do not spend a large portion of your Halloween party budget on decorations.

  • Local Dollar Stores: Dollar stores are a great place to find decorations for lower costs. Make the Halloween party more festive by adding cobwebs, hanging bats, skeletons, witches and pumpkins.
  • Thrift Stores: Many people donate unused Halloween items to local thrift stores. Helping you save money, the slightly used decorations come at a reduced price.
  • Make Your Own: Creating your own Halloween decorations is perfect for family fun. Consider the endless possibilities including stuffing old clothing for a scarecrow, ghosts from white sheets, use poster board for signs, and more.

Activities

Offering a variety of activities or games is a great way to keep children engaged at your Halloween party.

  • Games: Finding the perfect Halloween themed games will depend on the ages of the children. Examples include creating a scavenger hunt, Halloween bingo, Pumpkin piñata, Lollipop ghost hunt, and more.
  • Craft Table: Setting up a Halloween craft table provides children the opportunity to make individual items to take home. For example, pumpkins, pumpkin-shaped gourds or Styrofoam pumpkins are ideal for decorating with googly eyes, yarn, sequins, glitter, buttons, markers or paint.
  • Trick-or-Treating: If your party falls on Halloween, take a walk around the block to participate in trick-or-treating at nearby homes.
  • Haunted Houses: If you have older children, visiting the local haunted house provides scares and memories.

Photos

In the years to come, photos will provide you with the opportunity to remember the past.

  • Party Photos: Ask someone to take photos throughout the party.
  • Photo Backdrop and Props: Design an area just for fun photos. Encourage selfies. Add a box of props to help encourage imagination.
  • Group Photo: Prior to the kids (and adults) leaving take a group photo.

If you created a Facebook group, sharing the photos with guests is simple. For extra fun, after the Halloween party, provide each child with a printed group photo.

Throwing a Halloween party is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday. Simple gatherings will create lasting memories for your family and the rest of the party guests. As the children start to head home, hand them a loot bag filled with Halloween surprises.

September Photo Challenge Prompts

September brings numerous fall activities. Participating in a daily photo challenge can help you focus on the world around you.

Here are some prompts for daily inspiration:

  1. Selfie
  2. Harvest
  3. Labor Day
  4. Back to School
  5. Softness
  6. Favorite Book
  7. Pet or Animal
  8. Bonfire
  9. Favorite Quote
  10. Favorite Beverage
  11. Landscape/Skyscape
  12. View Out Your Window
  13. Favorite Color
  14. Nature
  15. Close-up
  16. Collection
  17. Food
  18. Black and White
  19. Upside Down
  20. Football
  21. Silhouette
  22. Something Vintage
  23. Patterns
  24. Natural Light
  25. What’s on Your Feet?
  26. Clouds
  27. Quiet Time/Relaxation
  28. Fall Leaves
  29. Guilty Pleasures
  30. Something New

After you finish the month of September, print your photos and place them in an album for instant inspiration. For added fun, have your family or friends participate in the photo challenge. Cell phone use makes the challenge easy for everyone to join in the fun. Write a description under each photo. Years down the road, you may find the descriptions interesting, especially from younger children. Gathering the photos at the end of the month will bring a unique perspective on how each person views the world.

Boredom Busters: Creating a Summer Bucket List

School’s out! Now, what is the first thing you hear –“I’m bored.” Consider creating a summer bucket list with your children to help chase away the boredom. Keep in mind, the list should be ideas you are willing or able to do.

Creating the Bucket List

Make the summer bucket list a family project. Use a notebook or purchase a poster board to write out your ideas. Consider using a different colored marker for each child. Allow each family member to come up with different activities. Of course, younger children may need help with the writing part of the project.

Summer Bucket List Ideas

Summer bucket lists can be simple everyday items to planned vacation adventures. The choice is up to you.

  • Have a bonfire
  • Make S’mores
  • Have a water balloon fight
  • Go to the zoo
  • Ride in a canoe
  • Have a slumber party
  • Get an ice cream cone
  • Go hiking
  • Have a pool party
  • Sleep in a tent
  • Listen to music in the park
  • Go to an amusement park
  • Go to the library
  • Volunteer
  • Ride a roller coaster
  • Go for a bike ride
  • Go skateboarding
  • Make root beer floats
  • Bake cookies
  • Paint rocks
  • Have an arts and crafts day
  • Have a Harry Potter movie marathon
  • Pick strawberries
  • Go to a lake
  • Go for a walk
  • Make art with sidewalk chalk
  • Go swimming
  • Visit grandma and grandpa
  • Day road trips
  • Visit an art gallery
  • Go to a museum
  • Go to a sporting event
  • Go to a splash park
  • Go to a fair or festival
  • Make homemade popsicles
  • Make a fort
  • Go fishing
  • Go to petting zoo or local farm
  • Have a family game night
  • Cook a meal together
  • Take swimming lessons

If you are uncertain on the type of activities, become a tourist in your town or surrounding towns. Use an Internet search. Local activities often get overlooked. Providing you a chance to join in on the fun on a weekly basis, community activities are free or minimal costs to participate.