7 Fun Kid Friendly Ways To Celebrate Summer

As the long school year finally wraps to a close, the excitement of summer is hard to avoid. Summer camps, beach trips, boat trips, family vacations and (Yay!) no school drop off line! Here’s a few creative and fun ways to celebrate summer with your kids. Some of these ideas might even become summertime traditions in your house!

7 Kid Friendly Ways To Celebrate Summer

1. Wake Up To A Party: Use colorful paper streamers and balloons to decorate their bedroom doors while they are sleeping. Start their morning with a colorful party!

2. Summer Scavenger Hunt: Put them on a mission to find summer fun. I made this quick printable with a list of things I thought would be easy to find both inside and outside. Of course, you could adapt this idea for older kids and make it more challenging. By the way, this Summer Scavenger Hunt is totally printable, just click here and print!

3. Pack ‘Em Up: You’re going to have to go shopping anyways to pick up all the stuff they’re going to need for summer camp, so why not make it look like a gift? Get a new day pack filled with a new swimsuit, towel, water bottle and the other goodies they will need for camp. Here’s a cute Summer Camp Ready Checklist for you here.

4. Make It A (Summer) Movie Night. There’s no school tomorrow, so why not a late night movie watching fest complete with popcorn, and their favorite treats.

5. Read All About It: Take them to your nearest bookstore and let them pick out two or three new books to start their summer book reading with. Sit down with them and create a Summer Reading log. Include little incentives for constancy: For example, read and log 7 days in a row, earn a trip to the movies, or some other treat.

6. Get Artsy: Pick up some puffy paints and plain t-shirts and let them go to town. If you’re feeling extra creative, let the kiddos wrap them up in rubber bands and tie-die them the day before you decorate them.

7. Start A “Sweet” Summer Tradition: Here’s a fun idea, let them have dessert FIRST! Make a new family tradition of eating dessert first on the first day of summer or the last day of school. Watch their eyes light up when you tell them they can order dessert first before they order their food. Psst! Did you know that at Denny’s, Kids Eat Free On Tuesdays?* Yup it’s true! So take them on a Tuesday and save some money too! And after they get that yummy dessert out of the way, Denny’s has plenty of dining options for even the pickiest eaters to choose from.

*Guests can receive up to two free kids meals from Denny’s Kid Menu for children 10 and under with the purchase of an adult entrée of $4.00 or more. Denny’s Kids Eat Free offer is available on Tuesdays at participating locations from 4pm – 10pm, menu items and prices may vary.