Our parents gave us space to be bored—it inspired the use of our imaginations and resulted in some of our sweetest childhood memories. Aside from mixing up a pot of tire swing soup, we employed the fine summer days by various other imaginative and exciting adventures, most of which required minimal expense or parental assistance. We’ve put together a list for your enjoyment and inspiration, just in case you’re in need of some fresh and inexpensive ways to occupy the remaining weeks of summer.
1. Books in Bed—During the summer or on Saturday mornings, if we woke up before Mom and Dad (or at least if we woke up before the end of their personal quiet time), we would sneak out to the bookshelf and grab as many books as we could possibly carry and take them back to bed with us. It seemed to be the best way to begin a bright sunny day, and we’re sure our parents didn’t mind the extra few minutes of peace.
2. Painting with Water—You’d be surprised what you can do with a bowl of water and an old paintbrush. Mom would send us out with these items and the next few hours were consumed with “painting” the picnic table, the glider, the swing set, the side walk, and the fence. On especially sunny days, the water would dry quickly, and we did it all over again!
3. Indoor Forts - What is it about blankets draped over chairs in the middle of the living room that made this the coolest activity? We would bring our flashlights and books (and often the rest of our rooms) into the fort to hang out. If memory serves correctly, we even once made a paper campfire. We were nerds. But we were HAPPY nerds.
4. Homemade Popsicles—Frozen orange juice on a popsicle stick was not only low-budget but also a refreshing treat for a hot summer day. On occasion, Mom would freeze chocolate pudding which made for a decadent treat!
5. Picnics Outdoor—Eating inside is mundane. So whenever Mom announced that we would eat dinner outside, you would have thought we were going to Disneyland!
6. Camping in the Backyard—We grew up in a suburb of Detroit. Not a lot of outdoorsy atmosphere, but that didn’t stop us from begging Dad to set up the family tent in our TINY backyard. We would then spend the night out in the tent to the sound of crickets and vehicles. Our sane parents would stay in the air conditioned house—
Summers were a blast not because we did the coolest things, but because we found joy in the little excitements of each day and used our imaginations to kick summer boredom.
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