Fun End-of-Summer Activities
for Quality Family Time

By Elliot Caleira

You should find ways to have fun with your family before the end of summer. After the cold weather arrives, it is difficult to go anywhere, so plan to enjoy these activities.

• Activity 1: Camping In the Woods
  Camping in the woods is still possible toward the end of summer, so you should rent a tent, sleeping bags and other supplies to enjoy nature. Plan carefully to have a way to store food along with cooking your meals over a campfire or on a grill. Bring along fishing poles to fish in a lake, or you can have a boat to go rowing on the water. Don't forget to bring along hiking gear so that you can walk through the woods to look at the plants and wildlife.
• Activity 2: Have a Family Reunion
  How long has it been such you attended a family reunion? The end of the summer is a great time to plan this event by sending invitations to all of your relatives while you rent a tent for your backyard and order food for the reunion. Your relatives can also bring along casseroles and desserts to the reunion, and make sure to have fun games for the adults and children.
• Activity 3: Visit an Amusement Park
  Amusement parks are great places for families who want to enjoy a variety of rides for several hours. Many amusement parks also offer other entertainment such as concerts or theatrical productions. During the evening, you can watch fireworks along with enjoying nighttime activities such as eating delicious foods from the food trucks at the amusement park.
• Activity 4: Travel to a Nearby Zoo
  Children and adults love going to zoos to see an assortment of animals such as giraffes, kangaroos or elephants. Modern zoos also feature marine animals such as dolphins and whales. A zoo may also have an area with friendly animals such as ponies, goats or sheep that you can feed and touch.
• Activity 5: Look at the Stars and Planets
  Find an observatory in your area that accepts visitors so that you can look at the planets and the stars. An observatory may have tours of the facility along with speakers who will teach you more about the nighttime sky.
• Activity 6: Arrange a Fun Baseball Game
  Summer is the best time for playing baseball, so you can bring your children and their friends to a local park that has a baseball diamond. Borrow a lot of baseball bats, mitts, balls and protective gear to have a fun game for several hours.
• Activity 7: Go Horseback Riding with Your Children
  Every child should get at least one chance to ride a horse. Look for a dude ranch or farm that offers horseback rides for amateurs. The place will have simple trails for riding gentle horses, and a guide will come along to help you have a great time while you are on horseback.
• Activity 8: Pick Strawberries at a Nearby Farm
  Look for a farm that permits strawberry picking for families. This is a fun activity because your children will learn more about farming while picking delicious fresh fruit. You can buy bushels of strawberries to bring home for freezing for the winter or for baking in pies, cobblers or muffins.
• Activity 9: Have a Pool Party
  At the end of the summer, the cost of a pool decreases drastically, so you can install one at your home to have a fun pool party with your family. Have a variety of swimming pool toys to make the event more enjoyable for everyone.

Enjoy the Family Time
Enjoying the end of summer activities with your family is one of the best ways to bond along with creating beautiful memories. Focus on the present while going places with your children rather than using electronic gadgets such as smartphones and computers.

Elliot Caleira is a freelance writer in the self-mastery and health and wellness spaces. When he's not writing you'll find him cooking or teaching Portuguese classes. More articles by Elliot.