Here are some fun things to do in the summer with family that are sure to make some memories!
Hey there momma! Are you looking for some fun things to do this summer with family outside after the sun goes down?
Hhhhh right now the sun goes down after 10:00 p.m. in my neck of the woods… I just can’t stay up late enough to see it! 😆
But it starts going down earlier towards the end of the summer, and I absolutely love staying up a bit later and playing outside with the boys in the dark!
If they want to play something wild and crazy, I usually sit on the deck and watch them. I’m exhausted at the end of the day! I don’t have the energy to run around in the dark! 😆
But I used to. Some of my best memories, momma, are sneaking outside after my shower, in my p.j.’s, and playing in the dark! Did you ever do that? I absolutely loved it!
So, when my boys want to do that, I try to find quiet activities to do with them outside. Then I can participate too. 😁
But just in case you have more energy than I do at the end of the day, this list has a great mixture of crazy fun, cozy, and nostalgic ideas for you! Give some of them a try!
At Home Family Fun Night Key Takeaways
I know, I know…you don’t have time to read the whole thing. You can’t complete a thought, much less have time to read an entire post (unless, maybe, you read it while peeing? 😁).
So, I’ll skip ahead to my favorites for you. 😉
Best quiet nighttime idea – Have an outdoor movie night.
Most active nighttime idea – Play Kick the Bucket.
Most nostalgic nighttime idea – Catch fireflies.
Most fun nighttime idea – Camp out in the treehouse.
There you go! My favorites. Go ahead and pin this post for later. You can come back and read all the great ideas after the kids go to bed (if you have any energy left!). 😉
How can I have summer fun on a budget?
The best way to have fun during the summer for super cheap is to stay home, momma! 🤣😂 Going places cost money!
You have the admission prices, cost of gas, drinks, food, and oftentimes, little souvenirs.
One thing that absolutely drives me nuts is when people say to me, “Yeah but it only costs $18 to get in.” 😂🤣
Right…. Now take that $18 times my six kids. And then add in another $40 for mom and dad. Ope – and don’t forget the snacks, drinks, and trinkets for every child.
Not so cheap anymore, is it? 🤔
We had to learn how to have fun at home. Not only during the summer, but all year long. So, I have tons of ideas for summer fun at home for you!!
So much so, that I had to break my original post down into a series:
- Arts & Craft Ideas
- Educational Ideas
- Rainy Summer Day Ideas
- Hot Summer Day Ideas
- Backyard Fun Ideas
- Water Play Ideas
- Outdoor Game Ideas
- Outside Nighttime Ideas
- Ideas for Playing in the Rain
Momma, it’s not about going places and spending tons of money. It’s about making memories with your kids and spending time with them, not spending money on them.
I grew up never going anywhere during the summer. We didn’t have family vacations back then! It wasn’t a thing! 😆
And I promise you, I’m a-okay!
If we were lucky, we went to the county fair. But that wasn’t even every summer.
But I have great memories of jumping on the trampoline, or my pogo stick. Reading on top of the tree house. Running the three-wheeler up a fence. 😅
Getting sap all over because I hid in a tree playing Sardines.
Making houses in a cliff of dirt. 😆
Flooding the yard and playing tag in it. Having hula hoop contests. Biking around town. Blaring music on my boom box 😆 and having shoe flipping contests.
Oh, momma I could go on and on.
But I think you get the idea. 😉
So, pin this post for later. You can come back and refer to all the great ways to have fun at home this summer!
What to do outside when it’s dark?
Playing outside in the dark with your kids is one of the absolute best ways to make summer memories momma!
Because it feels a little naughty to your kids! 🤣😂 They feel like they are getting away with something. And like it is a special treat.
It’s a very special night indeed, if you stay up and play outside after dark!!
It’s a brilliant way to make summer fun and special for your children.
So, let’s dive in!
FYI, this post does contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase something using a link from this post. Don’t worry – it costs you nothing extra, and it helps to support Making Mommas. See my disclosure policy for more info. Thanks, momma!
1. Camp in the backyard.
The most obvious thing is to pitch a tent and camp, momma!
We actually did this a lot when the boys were little, just to introduce them to camping. You definitely don’t want the first time they sleep in a tent to be away from home. 😆 You have no idea how they’ll do!
When you camp in the backyard, you can see how they handle it. And always run back into the house if they freak out. 😉
You do need a tent though. So, you can browse some tents on Amazon, or make your own!
Alex, over at An Englishman Outdoors has a very in-depth guide to making a tent for camping.
2. Catch lightning bugs.
Nature’s twinkle lights. 😊
We don’t catch lightning bugs. There ae so many bugs around here that we generally try to avoid them. 😆
But we do enjoy watching them. They are beautiful! And peaceful. 😊
Fireflies.org has a great post on how to catch fireflies, if you’ve never done it before.
3. Have a fire.
Family fires are a staple at our house. In both the summer and winter. We often have what we call “fire suppers”. 😁
If you live in the country, have a fire! And if you don’t, you can get a gas fire pit.
4. Have an outdoor movie night.
We just did this at my sister-in-law’s for the first time last summer and oh my! Was it ever fun!
I certainly would not mind getting my own set-up. 😁
You can buy what you need on Amazon for an outdoor movie theater, or you can make your own! HGTV has a great tutorial on DIYing your own outdoor theater.
5. Star Gaze
When I was in college, I had to memorize all of the constellations. Do you think I could remember them now?!? 😂🤣 I really wish I could.
We love to look for the Big and Small Dipper (because I know them) and Orion’s Belt (because my husband knows that one) and that’s about it. 😁
But if you really want to get into it, Nasa has some great tips for star gazing and Twinkl has a list (with pictures) of the common constellations for kids.
Good luck!
6. Read a book outside by flashlight.
Just be careful for the bugs! 😂🤣 Cause your light will attract them.
Kids Book Fort has Shine-the-Light flashlight books to make it even more fun! Check them out!! (Or get them on Amazon.)
7. Play Kick the Bucket
This game is so much fun to play at night!! That’s the only time we ever play it.
8. Camp out in the tree house.
My boys used to camp out in the tree house all of the time! They loved it.
Blue Forest has some great ideas for what to do in your tree house.
Homesteading has lots of tree house ideas for you, if you don’t have a tree house and want to build one.
9. Play flashlight tag
When the boys play flashlight tag and kick the bucket, my husband and I just sit on the deck and sip on a drink. 😆
Consider us the cheering section. 🤷🏻♀️
10. Look through a telescope.
You’re gonna want to get a good telescope momma. There’s nothing fun about trying to see a planet or a star and not being able to see anything. ☹️
Space.com has the best telescopes for kids. I’d start there and do some research first before shopping on Amazon.
We have a Telestar by Meade. It’s not bad. We can see the planets nicely. I’m sure there’s better, but it serves the purpose for now.
And here’s a guide to the planets you can see with a telescope, from little astronomy, to get you started.
11. Sleep on the trampoline.
Who says trampolines are just for jumping!
We use ours to star gaze – and to sleep. 😁 They are very comfy!
Tiffany, at Homeschool Hideout, has five tips for sleeping on the trampoline for you.
12. Play video games outside.
You can do this in the tent, camp out on the deck and do it, or do it in the treehouse! We’ve done the first and latter… 😁
And it’s so much fun!
We always just brought a small TV outside. But Nicole over at Sahm Reviews has a great post on how to set up a big screen projector for your gaming nights!
We just might have to try this…as long as we can play Mario Brothers… 😁
And there you have it momma! Twelve really fun ways to make summer memories outside after dark.
Now get outside and play!
At the end of the day…
At the end of the day, momma, quite literally 😆 your kids just want to spend time with you. They don’t care about where you go and what you do.
They just want YOU.
And playing outside in the evening, or after dark, is a great way to spend time together. It will build lasting memories for your child (and you!) and create a strong mother-child bond.
Which we all know is the foundation to everything parenting. 😉
So, try some of the ideas on this list. And if you have an idea I haven’t listed, pop it into the comments below!
More summer activities for kids
Wet & Crazy Ideas for Summer Fun
Super Fun Summer Activities to Do at Home
Educational Ideas for Summer Break