This summer is going to be a little different this year, to say the least.

Before you worry about going bald from pulling your hair out or wonder how you’re going to survive and stay sane this summer, allow me to offer you some ideas and a new perspective.

Perhaps the summer of 2020 will be the best summer yet. Could we trade in the rushing and running around from activity to activity, and return to the days of old – those carefree, unforgettable summer so many of us experienced as kids who grew up in the ’70s?

We did it, right? We rode our bikes all around town meeting new kids, finding hidden spots to just hang out, and stayed out all day long.

Maybe it’s time for us to take the lead and teach the kids some of the fun games we played in the ’70s and ’80s when our parents kicked us out of the house and didn’t expect to see us until dinner.

Remember Kick the Can, Ghost in the Graveyard, and getting grass burns from the Slip N’ Slide?

Here are some ideas we have to make the summer of 2020 memorable not for the bad stuff but for the fun:

Build a treehouse
Camp in the backyard
Have a blast on a super slip ‘n slide (big enough for mom and dad)
Get an outdoor trampoline
Organize a rapid-filling water balloon fight
Install a zip line, red swing saucer or tire swing
Bike ride to a cool destination
Learn to Skateboard
Find a rock climbing wall or create one
Play glow in the dark capture the flag
Make homemade slushies
Have a watergun fight
Play outdoor ping pong
Launch bottle rockets
Create the biggest bubbles ever
Make homemade paper airplanes that fly hundreds of feet
Search YouTube for video tutorials on how to draw, learn a foreign language, or how to make those repairs you have been putting off
Play backyard games: spike ball, cornhole, 4 sided volleyball, badminton, croquet, softball or frisbee
Make everyday objects do amazing things with THIS
Create an obstacle course with toys and stuff in your garage
Reminisce with old family movies and photo albums
Shoot water bottles up to 350 feet in the air
Learn how to play the ukulele with THIS
Plant a garden
Call a nursing home and see if you can go have a window visit with the elderly
Virtually visit one of these 12 famous museums
Laugh until your sides ache with “The Try Not to Laugh Challenge Joke Book Teen Edition” – Jokes, Riddles, & Brain Teasers for Teens
Make your own ice cream sandwiches
Take on a jigsaw puzzle challenge
Create magnetic masterpieces
Have a karaoke night with THIS
Have a backyard carnival with your own family dunk tank
Play music, dance, and videotape each other—(only be aware, they might find it so funny that they Snapchat it to their friends, just like my daughter did!)
Play cards or board games
Create Vision Boards (cut images from magazines that you like and paste to poster board, then share them with each other)
Watch a TV series
Run or walk a virtual race
Go Fishing
Make handmade DIY bracelets
Play tennis
Go hiking on the best hiking trails near you
Cookout or go camping
Stargaze (make it really fun and download the Star Walk app)
Swim in a lake or go to the beach
Have a backyard or beach bonfire with s’mores
Make a picnic and watch the sunset
Fly a kite
Have your kids take turns and pick a country, have them plan the menu and cook the meal together. You can even play music from that country while you cook the meal together!
Go kayaking, canoeing, or sailing
Learn to do something new together

Make a list of a few things you would like to do with your teen and as a family. Be intentional to schedule ahead of time and include your teen in the decision-making process. Word of caution, remember that creating family fun is a time for us moms to relax, enjoy, and not feel the need to make “fun” happen which I have been known to do on occasion. It’s also not a time to bring up their grades or your concerns. Go with the flow, have fun and remember to laugh often.

Don’t forget your Coppertone, Nair and