Late-Summer Family Fun Activities: Making the Most of August

We parents often panic at the thought of keeping the kids busy during the long, long summer, but when summer finally arrives, it seems to fly by! If, like me, you are starting to worry that summer is half over and you haven't even begun to do all the things you'd planned to do, here are some late-summer fun ideas for your family to try!

Have a family campout in your backyard! Pitch a tent and enjoy the stars even if you end up sleeping in your beds in the end. Catch some fireflies and roast some marshmallows while you're at it!

Spend a late afternoon and early evening at the beach or lake. Is there anything better than being on the beach with the setting sun, after the throngs have gone and everything is bathed in that orangy glow? You'll take some of your best family pictures in this late afternoon sun too!

Take a little trip. Summer is about travel to many of us! If you weren't able to enjoy a week or more away this year, take a minivacation one weekend. Go to a state park that rents cabins. Stay at a local campground. Visit that cute local town you haven't been to in a while. See some historic sites.

Be a tourist in your town. It's funny how you can live in an area full of interesting places to visit and, yet, you avoid them - the crowds, the noise, and the traffic are our excuses. Just for a day, be a tourist in your town. Visit historic monuments, go to the amusement park, stroll along the boardwalk or in the city center, buy a tacky souvenir to remember the day, and have dinner at a place that you would recommend to an out-of-town tourist! You might just see your surroundings in a different way, having savored all there is to do there.

Commune with nature. Do you ever drive by the same city park day in and day out without ever having been there? Are there local natural places that you've always meant to visit but never have? Enjoy the rest of summer and the warm weather by getting out in the fresh air, packing a backpack with snacks, taking your camera, and getting some exercise! Make it an adventure for the family! Give the little ones a compass and some binoculars to add to the fun!

Whatever you choose to do in August, make it fun, relaxing family time. Summer is special and, by the end, we tend to take it for granted! Make this one the best yet - until the very end! And remember, just because school starts in September doesn't mean you can't enjoy summer activities throughout September and even October, depending on where you live!