Meaningful Summer Activities for the Entire Family

Warm weather. Pool days. Ice Cream. These are just a few staples that let us know summer is on the way. Soon, schools across the country will be letting out for a few months. There are only so many days before you hear the inevitable from your kids or family during the hot summer—”I’m bored!” It’s not from a lack of you trying to keep everybody entertained. It’s just a fact of the season!

Luckily, there are some ways you can keep everybody busy this summer with meaningful activities. Check out our examples below, then come up with your own ideas to add meaning to time off this summer.

Summer is the perfect time to show your kids that giving back can be fun. Choose an organization that has a shared interest among your family and ask about volunteer opportunities. Make sure to talk about what they can expect before you arrive to volunteer at an organization of your choice and then discuss how they felt afterward. You and the family will leave feeling good about the people you’ve helped and the work you’ve done.

School lunches are a vital meal for many children across the country who may not otherwise get a meal that day. When school lets out for the summer, that means many kids who rely on school lunches are sadly left without. Ask your kids to help you start a summer food drive where they go door to door to stock pantries for those in need. Partner with a local food bank to find out what specific items they are lacking and advocate for the most needed items. Plus, mobilizing your kids to help you collect items means you get to do good and get your exercise in for the day.

A lemonade stand is the ultimate beginning for an entrepreneur, and it has ties to the ultimate summer activity. Many entrepreneurs embarked on their first adventure with a lemonade stand to charge money for delicious lemonade. As a nod to your inner child, host a lemonade stand on a hot day where the proceeds are donated to your favorite organization. Set up at a local parade or outdoor event during the summer and advertise where the proceeds will go!

Set a goal for good! You can come up with your own fundraiser that ties getting active to raising money for charity. Set a goal of miles you want to run, and get sponsors to match up to a certain dollar amount if you achieve your goal. Commit to jump roping a certain amount every day, and get people to donate along the way as you reach your goal. No matter what activity you decide to do, tie it to your fundraising efforts!