The summer solstice, also known as the longest day of the year, falls on June 20 this year. This is often considered to be the first official day of summer. This year, where I live, daylight will be 15 hours and 8 minutes. What are parents supposed to do with kids for all those hours of daylight?
Afraid of hearing the dreaded summer, “I’m bored!” Fear not! Instead, look forward to all that beautiful daylight and spend it wisely doing something awesome as a family. These days may seem long and monotonous but, as much as I hate to admit it, the years are fleeting so try to embrace the longest days having the best day ever. We've got 20 ways to tire kids out on the longest day of the year.
Rollerblading or Roller Skating
Roller skating is making a comeback, once again. Rollerblading and roller skating are both great exercise and fun for the entire family. It gets the family outside together and it’s a great cardio workout that is sure to wear the kids out. Don’t forget the helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads!
Day at the Farmers Market
Who doesn't love a lap or two around the farmers market on weekends? As long as families socially distance, there is really no reason we can't safely enjoy stimulating the local economy, eating all the delicious local foods, and walking the legs off those kiddos.
Berry Picking
Nothing tires kids out like hard work disguised as fun and fooling around. Spending the day in the hot sun, bending over picking blueberries or strawberries not only provides super delicious fruit and a great workout for your biceps and glutes, the kids will fall asleep as soon as their precious little heads hit their pillows.
Take a Family Bike Ride
Think of all the fun you had as a kid exploring the neighborhood and hanging out with friends all day. Why not go bike riding with the family? It's the perfect chance to get out of the house with the kids, have some fun, and burn off some calories while making amazing memories. Great talks happen during long bike rides.
Kayaking or Boating
Kayaking or taking the boat out on a lake, river, or in the ocean as a family can be a lot of exercise and a lot of fun. Kayaking is entertaining for a little together apart time, but for the ultimate day of togetherness on the water, a boat and some tubes are summer perfection.
Family Hike
Hiking has been a favorite hobby of mine since I was a kid and now, I love doing it with my girls. There is nothing like fresh air and the great outdoors. Make a list of nearby hiking trails, pack plenty of snacks and water, and enjoy exploring nature with your kids all day long.
Spa Day
Sounds like relaxation, right? But anyone who has had one knows that a spa day can be simultaneously relaxing and exhausting. Block out a day, do some yoga, take a hot bath with essential oils followed by a mani-pedi and a face mask. The kids will love it and so will you.
Day at the Beach
A day at the beach playing in the water is the epitome of summer fun, and it is also especially exhausting. Beaches are the perfect place to lounge in the sun and get some fresh air while playing in the water. It’s a great workout and your kids won’t even realize how tired they are getting.
Camping
A family camping trip is always a good time. A camping trip can be anything from a tent in a national park to a cabin in the mountains or an RV parked at the beach. The only limitation is your family's imagination. All the s’mores, singing around a campfire, and hiking bring on those magical family moments.
Day at the Park
Parks are filled with swings, jungle gyms, and slides. Kids can run, jump, swing, scream and laugh to their little hearts’ content. It’s the perfect place to get their fill of vitamin D, have a picnic, and burn off all that excess summer solstice energy. Did I mention there are benches for parents to sit on and relax?
Puddle Jumping
Sometimes the longest day of summer is a rainy one, and that can be a bummer or it can be the best day ever. As parents, we spend so much time telling our kids to be safe and avoid life's storms, but other times, they need to put on those boots and jump in the puddles. It's so much fun and a great way to release tension.
Bubble Chasing
Don't overthink it. Grab those bubbles, we all have them in the house, go outside and start making bubbles. Kids of all ages love them. What's not to love about floating, iridescent bubbles that bring pure joy? Bubbles can keep kids entertained and chasing for hours on end. Do yourself a favor and by a bubble machine.
Backyard Destination Imagination
Who says you have to travel for an adventure? All you need is a little room and a lot of imagination. There's no place we can't go when we let our imagination go free. Little ones can use their imagination to travel to another city, state, country, or even planet. For a little extra magic, decorate the house or yard, dress in traditional clothing, listen to the music, and cook the food for an immersive experience. All that imagining will be exhaustingly fun.
Kite Flying
Go fly a kite and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Lazy Sundays and picnics go hand in hand with kites in wide open spaces like fields and beaches. We’ve spent countless weekends flying kites with our girls when they were little. The days spent laughing and cheering one another on as we ran with our rainbow kites are some of the best memories made.
Explore a National Park
There is something majestic about standing in the beauty that is nature. Exploring a national park can be satisfying on many different levels and the together time outside, unplugged is priceless. It's easy to grab a tent, load an RV, or rent a cabin or yurt and have a memorable summer solstice that they'll never forget.
Backyard Dance Party
Who doesn't love random dance parties? But for the summer solstice, why not a backyard dance party for all ages, friends and family alike. Why not put on your own backyard Coachella? No one's "too old" or "too young." Put on festival attire, spread out in the yard, turn on the speaker, blast all the favorite summer tunes, and dance like nobody's watching. It's a great stress reliever and soon, everyone will be laughing and raising their foam glow wands.
Pool Party
Whether you have a backyard saltwater pool or just a $25 blow-up pool, if it cools the kids down and splashing and giant mermaid floaties are involved, that'll do. The "Life is a Beach" mentality is bigger than saltwater and sunshine — it’s about forgetting obligations, unplugging, and letting go. That's it. Enjoy!
Family Picnic
Picnics are so simple but something we seldom slow down long enough to do. Eating outside always feels special, and whether it takes place in a meadow, in the backyard, or on a beach, it's fun to eat in the sunshine. Picnics lead to a day of outdoor fun like bocce, croquet, badminton, and kite flying.
Backyard Obstacle Course
There’s nothing like cardio to tire children out. I know it seems like they have endless energy, but cardio can burn a lot of it. Consider a backyard zip line, trampoline, slackline, pogo stick, or obstacle course. We did, and I promise you, there will be an early bedtime that night.
In-Person Peopling
After this past year of the health crisis and lockdowns, we are all a little worse for the wear. None of us have been around many people and now, when we are … it’s exhausting. So if you really want to tire your kids out, let them have a socially distant outdoor playdate.
