Make the rest of the summer count! Budget-friendly (or free!) family fun activities this long weekend

KEY TAKEAWAYS

✔ Summer in Canada is short! Make every weekend count.

✔ Here are 14 ideas for safe summer fun to make the most of the remaining weekends.

✔ These activities can be done in whatever order you wish and you can also come up with many of your own!

Here’s a countdown of ideas that might inspire you to make the most of your remaining summer weekends.

Idea 1: Go on a city walk tour

How much do you really know about where you live? Many cities offer self-guided walking tours. You can download a map, put on a pair of comfy shoes and go explore – whether your interest is architecture, history or green spaces, you’re bound to learn something new and get some exercise and fresh air!

Idea 2: Camp in your backyard

If you have access to a backyard, there’s nothing more fun for kids (and parents) than setting up a campsite in the backyard. If you have a firepit or small propane barbecue, you can roast hot dogs or make s’mores. You can sing songs, play games or delight one another with scary ghost stories by flashlight.

Idea 3: Learn how to stargaze

On a clear night, you can often see what seems like thousands of stars in the night sky. There are lots of resources online to help you identify the North Star and Big Dipper – and tell you what stars and planets might be visible in your area with and without binoculars.

Idea 4: Dine al fresco

Whether that’s barbecuing in your own outdoor space, or just serving up sandwiches on your patio, or packing up a picnic lunch to take to a nearby park, there’s nothing like eating out in the fresh air. You could also challenge your family to a competition – see what tasty concoction you can make from items that are already in your pantry for your outdoor meal.

Idea 5: Have some splashy fun

For many Canadians, enjoyment on or by the water is a summer pastime. If there are beaches or splashpads near you and open, go for a swim or splash! You can also set up a sprinkler in the backyard – children especially love to run through the sprinkler on a hot summer day. Children also love playing with water balloons – fill up a bunch of balloons with water and play catch with every member of the family. There will be plenty of extra giggles if a balloon bursts on Mom or Dad!

Idea 6: Go for a hike

A hike combines the best of two worlds – nature and exercise. If you can, hike in a forest - the Japanese coined the term ‘forest bathing’ and research shows there are big health benefits to spending time in nature. Take in the sights and sounds and smells of the natural world around you. See if you can spot different kinds of birds, insects and plants.

Idea 7: Free community events

There are likely to be at least some community events in your area. Check local listings to see what’s available, or what virtual options there might be for your favourite summer events.

Idea 8: Play cards, board games, dress-up

Delight the kids and bring out the kid in Mom and Dad with games that are a particularly good bet on a rainy summer weekend. Dig out that old Scrabble board, play cards, make up skits and dances, or play dress-up with old clothes. The main thing is to spend quality family time together and make each other laugh!

Idea 9: Volunteer

Giving back to the community is an important lesson for all children to learn – why not see what’s available in your community this year? Even if there aren’t any formal volunteer activities nearby, you can still practice good deeds – such as mowing the lawn or grocery shopping for an elderly or ill neighbour. You’ll feel better and make someone else’s world better.

Idea 10: Outdoor exercise and games

Soak up as much sunshine as you can (with sunscreen of course!) with any number of activities that the whole family can enjoy. Throw a frisbee or play catch in the backyard or nearby park, get in some exercise with outdoor calisthenics, learn how to juggle, play a game of touch football or hit a nearby outdoor tennis court for games of singles or doubles. The important thing is to be active outdoors when you can!

Idea 11: Outdoor photo challenge

Why not challenge every member of the family to come up with the most beautiful or wacky photos, and have a prize for whoever has the most interesting photo? Or you can come up with a specific photo challenge – such as walking through the neighbourhood and seeing how many photos of dogs being walked you can see, or how many different types of wildflowers you can take a snapshot of in a set period of time?

Idea 12: Scavenger hunt

Kids love scavenger hunts, and you can come up with any theme you like. They are a great way for kids to learn, by sharpening their observation skills and exploring new words and places. A scavenger hunt is just simply a game in which participants (as individuals or in teams) either gather or observe all items on a list. So, one at the beach might be to collect seashells, different coloured rocks, driftwood or bird feathers – or to see if you can spot a certain colour of towel or beach umbrella, see a sailboat or a fish.

Idea 13: Have a yard sale (but be safe, distance, sanitize etc.)

Having a yard or garage sale is a quintessential Canadian summer activity – and it’s also a great way to get rid of your old junk (someone else’s treasure!) and collect some cash. Or you can always browse local yard sales – and find that treasure you’ve been dreaming of or didn’t know you wanted!

Idea 14: Do indoor activities outdoors

Summer is the time to do anything you can outdoors. And a lot of ‘indoor’ activities are fun outside too. Practicing yoga outdoors amid natural surroundings takes it to a whole new level. So, does reading under a tree amid birdsongs or sketching and painting. What indoor pastime can you take outdoors?

These are just 14 budget friendly ideas to help you make the most of this long-weekend and the remaining summer weekends!