With summer in full swing, now is a great time to spend some quality time with your family and create new memories together! Whether you are looking for truly unique activities to do at home or are looking to explore somewhere new, this list is full of unique ideas for all ages and interests, including some you’ve probably never thought of before. Make this summer an outstanding one with this great list of bonding experiences so you and your little ones can fill the summer with fun and memories! What are you waiting for? Start reading!
Exploring Together
Kick off the summer with a bang by getting the kids outside and taking a golf cart ride with family! A surprising experience, right? Whether you take a trip down to the beach, up to the mountains, or even a National Park, there is a surprising number of places where you can rent a golf cart. You can take a drive through nature and have the kids identify plants and animals they may see or drive through town to scope out fun local spots for your trip. If you’re city-bound, check out your local golf course; you’ll be able to play a round while the kids enjoy riding around in the golf cart in between holes! You could also pack a picnic and take a golf cart to your local park to get the kids out of the house and take in some sunshine or even just drive around the neighborhood. No matter where you drive to, what a unique bonding experience!
Green Thumb
Time to get your hands dirty and test your green thumb! Growing a small garden is fun, rewarding, and a great way to teach the kids about the science of plants! It’ll keep their minds stimulated and their hands moving! Plus, what kid doesn’t love digging in the dirt? Depending on your children’s age, use this as a bonding experience and let them help pick out a plant to grow and even research how much water and sunlight it will need, as well as the kind of top soil for gardens, so your plant will live a long and healthy life! Growing plants is surprisingly easy and only requires a few supplies to get started. You’ll need a pot, some soil, and either a plant or seeds, plus lots of love and patience! When it comes to choosing a plant, try something that will yield a fruit or vegetable that the kids love. This way they’ll be able to see the direct reward of their hard work and get a treat!
Growing and Nurturing
As an extension of your previous planting endeavors, keep the kids engaged with the growth process as they help to care for your new plant! Let them help with watering and pruning (if age appropriate) as well as applying plant nutrition and growth stimulants. Adding plant nutrition to the soil is like feeding the plant, while growth stimulants are a little boosting treat! Helping to care for the plants teaches kids responsibility in a low-stakes environment as well as the payoff of the hard work of planting and tending to a plant, not to mention it is a great long-term bonding experience for the whole family! Take a trip to your local garden center and talk to an expert about how to best help your plant grow. Let the kids come up with some questions for the expert and even ask them themselves! This will help kids develop critical thinking as well as social skills, plus you’ll be doing it as a family!
Cozy Bonfire
S’mores are the definition of summer, so why not huddle around a cozy bonfire to roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories? Take a camping trip, enjoy the fire under a bright canopy of stars, and take in the sights and sounds of nature. Or have a big beach bonfire with family and friends! Bonus points if you went fishing earlier in the day and use the bonfire to roast your catch for dinner. If you’re not interested in the wild outdoors, look into getting a self-contained firepit for the backyard. You’ll still have all the fun of roasting marshmallows and a crackling fire but with the comforts of home! So, grab some skewers and get roasting! If you’re not quite sure what you’ll need, here’s a quick list: Somewhere to set up your bonfire (either in an approved firepit or in your backyard), firewood, kindling (newspaper or dried sticks and leaves), skewers, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. You could also have some fun constructing specialty s’mores with flavored marshmallows or different candy! Not sure where to find wood appropriate for a bonfire? You can find firewood for sale at most grocery stores with no problem! Not keen on sugaring up the kids? Try roasting hotdogs instead! Either way, what a fun bonding experience for the family and memorable activity for the kids!
Go For a Dip
It’s almost a requirement in the summertime to go swimming, so grab your floaties and head for the water! With the summer heating up, a great way to cool down and soak up some sun is to go for a dip in some cool water. Whether diving into an in ground pool in your backyard or neighborhood, a water park, a lake, or the ocean, swimming is always a fun bonding experience for the whole family that lets you get outside. Play classic pool games like Marco Polo or chicken, or grab some innertubes and have a pool race! You could also grab a ball and a net and play pool volleyball or basketball if you’re really feeling competitive. If your family is looking for a more relaxing experience, try floating down a river or just hanging out on some floaties. If your family is more adventurous and looking to explore, try kayaking or paddleboarding to enjoy nature and explore. And, of course, don’t forget the sunscreen! Safety first!
Dancing
Turn the lights low and the tunes up and have a dance party! Create a fun bonding experience with the kids by introducing them to some of your favorite songs from your childhood and play a few of their favorites too! Teach them some old-school dance moves (does anyone remember the sprinkler?) or a group dance like the electric slide! Or turn the tables and have the kids teach the grownups! With the rise of TikTok, many older kids and teens enjoy learning dances from the platform and recording them to post online. Get in the fun and learn a quick routine with them and record it for posterity. If you’re looking for a more structured experience, learn to dance at a dance studio! Enroll the whole family in lessons to learn to dance. You’ll all get some exercise, get out of the house, and have a truly unique experience. Many studios offer a variety of different dance classes, so check out one in your neighborhood and start boogying!
Relaxation at Home
Who doesn’t love a good spa day? Indulge in some simple facial treatments and at-home mani-pedis to leave the whole family feeling pampered and relaxed! If the weather is bad or you’re just tuckered out, a relaxing day at home is always appreciated. Sheet masks are fun and easy to find either in-store or online. You can even find ones with animal faces for the kids! Or create a quick homemade mask if you want to get some hands-on relaxation. While your skin soaks in all the good stuff, help the kids with manicures and/or pedicures. It may seem silly, but it will help kids to learn personal hygiene and will turn it into a treat they’ll look forward to in the future! Let the kids pick out some fun-colored nail polish to finish off the relaxation session. If the kids are old enough, let them apply nail polish to you as well! It’s a fun bonding experience and they’ll appreciate the chance to try something new and express their creative side! Not to mention they’ll appreciate getting to be in charge. Want to extend the experience? Learn how to do facial massages to help everyone really lean into relaxation. You can easily find videos online, including ones suitable for children.
Creating Greenery
If your family spends a lot of time in the backyard, this activity is for you! With the weather getting warmer, you’re more likely to spend more time outside. So why not beautify your space by adding some greenery? By creating a green space in your backyard, you can actually lower the temperature, making it more comfortable in the height of the summer heat! Try planting a lemon tree to provide some shade and supply you with ample lemonade ingredients! Vine plants such as honeysuckle or bougainvillea love to climb up walls and trellises, plus they smell great! Interested in putting in a lawn? Try terra seeding to add some nutrients to your grass to kick start its growth process and leave you with a luscious lawn. If the kids loved growing a plant from earlier, create a raised garden and grow fruits and vegetables to harvest!
Preserving Beauty
This next activity is truly unique! Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing and cultivating a miniature tree in order to replicate the beauty of nature on a small scale. Did you know bonsai aren’t genetically smaller? It’s all in how you grow them! Technically any tree can be a bonsai though some of the most popular are juniper, Japanese maple, pine, and azalea. Involve the whole family in helping to cultivate the tree, including potting, shaping, watering, and tree trimming! Similar to the gardening activity above, everyone will gain a sense of success through tending to the plant, but you can use the bonsai as a cultural experience. Talk about how traditionally, bonsai was considered an art form and the cultural impact they have had throughout the years. There are even bonsai exhibits all over the country if you want to learn more, have a unique bonding experience, and appreciate the art of bonsai!
Home Makeover
Big or small, kids always love a craft project. Create a sense of ownership in the house for everyone by undergoing a home makeover project together! Painting the house? Let the kids help! If they’re a little too young to be using paint, let them take off the painter’s tape once the project is done so they feel involved. Want to bring a little more character to their rooms? Have the kids choose a theme and use stencils and shaped sponges to create their own artwork! They’ll have a great time finally being allowed to draw on the walls and create their own art unique to their room! Ok with a little mess? Use small paint brushes to fling some paint on the wall to create wall splatters! In need of inspiration? Check out some local home renovations in your area to see all the possibilities! If you’re not sure about letting the kids use paint, try a smaller craft that will help to beautify the house. Help the kids make banners or decorations for upcoming holidays, or even create seasonal wreaths together to switch out throughout the year. If you’re unsure how to get started, there are tons of videos online that will talk you through the process step by step so your family can create your own unique work of art.
We hope you enjoyed this list of unique bonding experiences and got a few ideas on how to create fun summer memories for the whole family and bring you all closer together! Did you enjoy this list or try any of the suggestions? Do you have any unique bonding experiences that you would like to share with others? Let us know!
