It feels good to get that off my chest. 

Some of my friends were repeat summer campers. They would come back from two weeks of camp with braided friendship bracelets, swimsuit tan lines, and cafeteria chants. They were annoyingly upbeat.

Personally, I learned about summer camp the old fashioned way: By watching The Parent Trap. 

Maybe the lake is always bluer on the other side because I still daydream about a classic camp experience. Also, 11-year-old Hallie Parker influences my adult purchasing behavior (see: mustard duffel acquired in 2022).

But my childhood didn’t include a wooded adventure in the Northeast.

No, I created my own damn fun. 

My siblings and I sorted through a sporting goods graveyard to invent games like “Backwards Baseball” and “Scooter Tennis Dodge Ball.” We set water sprinklers under the trampoline, caught tadpoles in giant puddles, and fell out of treehouses—the latter an unintentional occurrence. 

Our summers weren’t polished, but they did build camaraderie between my sisters, brother, and me. 

All that to say, I have a proposal for summer activities for kids in the remainder of 2023. 

Let’s draw on our own classic summer experiences and introduce our kids to the best of them. 

What summer activities for kids did you love to do when you were growing up?

Did you go to the library? Hit the snow cone hut? Make frozen bananas? 

Play croquet? Draw on the sidewalk? Ride your bike?

This could be the year your kids form core memories in the sand box of summer (read: figuratively or literally)—and they could directly relate to your own core memories. 

If you’ve been around the blog a time or two, then you know I’m not sending you out into the sunny wilderness without a guide. I’ve got you covered with the top summer activities for kids with nostalgic nudges for parents. 

Here’s a list of fun summer activities for kids that you probably enjoyed when you were their age.

Summer Activities for Kids - Water Toys

Summer fun for kids begins with sprinklers. I remember running through the lawn sprinkler at a very early age, dodging stickers in the yard and launching over the rising water. Sprinklers are summer simplicity at its finest, and these inflatable giant unicorn and shark sprinklers elevate a classic summer favorite into an absolute dream. Add the creme de la creme of summer icons by tossing a beach ball into the mix and seeing kids’ delight as they use it as a shield from the spray. Another classic water toy gets an upgrade with these inflatable noodles in fairy or sea creature motif, and we’ll round out the water recommendations with this water play set. It’s giving 1990s Vacation Bible School. Do you see it, too?

Summer Crafts for Kids

To be (Lisa) Frank, crafts are cool. Summer crafts for kids in the air conditioning are even cooler. So while I’m very supportive of scavenging for wildflowers with your kiddos, I present to you the modern daisy chain. Made out of tissue paper, this giant flower garland requires some hands-on assembly that your littles will love to tackle in the craft corner. More summer crafts for kids that remind me of millennial childhood include this heart embroidery kit, Land Before Time 26’ roll of paper, and handmade sidewalk chalk.

Giant Flower Garland // Heart Embroidery Kit // Land Before Time 26’ Roll of Paper // Handmade Sidewalk Chalk

Summer Games for Kids

How much fun would it be to introduce your kids to croquet? According to my research, croquet goes back to the Bridgerton era (the official term, I’m sure), making it an essential family activity for summer. Bocce is another absolute classic, and I’m dying over these foam beach bats in casa vintage black. Not the sporting type? Share the rules of pinball with your kids and play until you’ve mastered it.

Croquet // Bocce // Foam Beach Bats // Pinball

Summer Activities for Kids - Outdoors

If you have a safe place to ride, bikes and scooters offer joy, exercise, and increased coordination for your kids. I should know—I was the co-creator of Scooter Tennis Dodge Ball. For kids who need a more stationary activity, I love this outdoor summer sand box (with canopy!) and the Little Helper Backyard BBQ Play Stand. They’re going to eat up these fun summer activities for kids. 

Bikes // Scooters // Outdoor Summer Sand Box // Little Helper Backyard BBQ Play Stand

Retro Summer Vibes for Parents 

Take a trip to your teenage years outside of your therapist’s office with this inflatable flashback chair. In this mobile-friendly recliner, reminiscing about your sister’s Jonathan Taylor Thomas poster or your first family game of Spinner (Double 9 Dominoes) is suggested, but not required. Oh, and it doubles as a pool float! Grab a SunnyD from this retro Cooler Radio as you watch your kids interact with the summer outdoor activities for kids that make memories last a lifetime. Then, casually mention that your tie dye tank and trendy bucket hat aren’t on their first lap around the sun. The good ol’ days are back, baby. 

Inflatable Flashback Chair // Retro Cooler Radio // Coco One Piece Classic // Trendy Bucket Hat

For me, it evokes cool water, lush greenery, and respite from the heat.

When I hear “oasis,” I’m thirsty for its possibilities.

Similarly, a backyard oasis draws me in with promises of peace, wellness, and rest—all available at the turn of a doorknob.

If you’re ready to tap into the refreshing vibes of a natural spring without a plane ride or a roadtrip, then these backyard oasis ideas are for you.

Fit for summer break, a backyard oasis will entice your children to experience nature in their own environment. With a diy backyard oasis, you’ll encourage your kids to say goodbye to screen time and hello to the great outdoors.

Adios to boredom, hola to discovery.

Au revoir to sensory overload, bonjour to serenity.

When creating your diy backyard oasis, we suggest focusing on four main elements:

• • Earth
• • Wind
• • Water
• • Wood

Leo Beach Set

Earth

Have you heard of “grounding” or “earthing?”

Zac Efron introduced me to the idea of it in his Netflix series, Down to Earth (and no, I’m not ashamed that it took Troy Bolton to awake me to this natural phenomenon). The intended benefits of earthing include improved sleep, reduced pain, reduced stress, better circulation, and more. One of the simplest acts you can take for your health, earthing occurs when you make direct contact with the surface of the earth. You can use your hands or your feet, and it’s recommended to spend 10–30 minutes per day connected to the ground in this way.

Whether or not you connect with this idea of grounding, creating an earthy space in your backyard oasis is a must. If you’re famous for your green thumb, you can go all out with an in-ground or raised garden bed. Container herbs are a fantastic addition, too, and many herbs (basil, lavender, rosemary, lemongrass, mint, etc.) double as bug repellents.

If you aren’t in your gardening era, you can still receive earthing benefits from playing with your kids’ beach toys in a covered sandbox or taking a walk with your bare feet in the grass. Just don’t forget your favorite sun hat and SPF while you’re connecting with the natural world.

Wind

The next step to luxuriating in a diy backyard oasis is to invite the wind to be a part of the story.

Our number one wind recommendation is to select a TiiPii Bed for your backyard. Not only will this add a layer of floating relaxation to your experience, but large TiiPii beds make a gorgeous focal point for your backyard oasis. As playful as they are beautiful, TiiPii Beds have the capability of free-hanging or suspending from a TiiPii Stand, and they are available in a variety of colors in fabrics. The Deluxe Large Sunbrella TiiPii Bed in Sand is a favorite of mine with its macramé finishing touches and attachable sheer net.

Other ways to harness the beauty of the wind are to dangle wind chimes from the branches of a tree, surprise your kids with bubble wands, or add meditative wind spinners to your backyard oasis.

Water

Do you have a pool?

You don’t have to have a swimming pool in order to round out your backyard oasis, but it doesn’t hurt. If you’re looking for backyard oasis pool inspiration on a small scale, Cowboy Pools in Austin is a fantastic place to start.

You can also add a water feature with a sculptural fountain or bohemian bird bath, or by switching on the sprinkler for the kids. In my dreams, my back porch is set up with water misters like they have at Six Flags Over Texas—my favorite attraction of the amusement park.

If you want to add even more water experiences to your backyard oasis, we suggest fun activities such as:

• • Creating a target game with cardboard, paint, and a cooler full of water balloons
• • Filling squeeze bottles with ice cold water and chasing your kids around for an icy game of tag
• • Soaking a wash cloth in cold water (add your choice of essential oils if desired) and laying it across the back of your neck
• • Grabbing your yoga mat and doing some water salutations

Make sure to dress for the occasion with a summer bikini, retro one-piece, or sports bra and bike short.

Wood

The wood element of your diy backyard oasis can take up a small or large space.

Wiwiurka Wooden Balance Beams present your kids with a fun opportunity to develop agility, balance, and confidence, and they’re an aesthetically pleasing oasis addition.

Another option that lights up my inner child is this two-story playhouse with swing attachment. It’s made from furniture grade cedar wood, includes child sized cooking tools and play food, and encourages physical and mental development.

If you’re creating a small backyard oasis, this handmade pinewood rainbow swing is a burst of happiness for you and your kids.

Another exceptional way to bring on the rejuvenating vibes is to incorporate wood elements such as this artistic staircase tray to trolley snacks and sips from the kitchen to the intentionally peaceful space in your backyard.

Summer Nights

By calling on each of the four elements of earth, wind, water, and wood, you’ll design a swoon worthy space to rest, relax, and rejuvenate in this summer. Your kids will explore with creativity, and you’ll delight in screen free moments out in the sun.

When the moon takes the sun’s place, your backyard oasis can transition to a family movie night by projecting a favorite film across a sheet hanging from a branch. This is also an opportunity to enjoy moon salutations on your yoga mat, read a book by twinkle light, or share a drink with your closest friends.

With just a splash of intention, your backyard can be the refreshing oasis of your summer dreams.

This collection of Mommy N’ Me styles are inspired by co-founder and creative director, Kelli Murray’s life in San Diego. And this means sunshine, rolling waves, sand, and beach days. Add in the ‘70s, and you have the collection of our dreams. 

The Hometown Collection features several fresh new prints, just in time for spring. Flower Field is the perfect dainty, delicate floral print in a washed color scheme, for a sweet retro vibe. If that’s not enough florals for you, Scattered Daisy comes in a beautiful shade of mustard. Sunburst comes in two different shades: a light yellow for a sunshiney feel and a soft lilac. Of course, stripes are always in style, so they brought both olive stripe and colorful carnival stripe options. You can also look forward to rainbows, cheetahs, strawberries, and the most summery of all, sailboats. 

Okay, now let’s get to the bottom of what you can expect. Whether you’re shopping for a family spring break trip (which is thankfully nearly here), summer wardrobes, or you’re just looking to brighten things up, this collection has it all. We cannot even begin to get over these matching strawberry-print dresses for you and your mini-me. Even sweeter: Wear them as coverups over the matching Sunburst bikini and one-piece rashguard. Just finish things off with the hair tie scarf, and you’re ready for a day of running around the beach.

This collection will drop on February 27th at 12 p.m. PT, so mark your calendars and get ready to build up your summer wardrobe for you and your littles.

Swimming

There’s a reason why swimming is one of the best exercises that you can do for your body — the constant movement gets your heart rate up and the resistance of the water helps build your muscles, all while keeping your body and your joints safe. Swimming laps at the gym is already a step up from a boring cardio routine, but if you have access to a lake, ocean, or even outdoor pool, you won’t even feel like you’re working out. Check out our new Boys + Arrows swimwear to keep showing off your style while you’re at it. 

Bike Rides

Now that bike sharing is a thing, going on bike rides just became so much easier. It’s such a great form of cardio, burns fat quickly, and gets your legs in tip-top shape. Now that you don’t have to go out and drop hundreds of dollars on a bike that you have to frequently maintain and store every winter, this is about as easy as can be. It’s also a great way to explore your city in a new way! If you're worried about spending the rest of the day sweaty after a bike ride, just make sure you pack your YUNI Shower Sheets so you can freshen up the second your ride is over. 

Outdoor Sports Leagues

In case you haven’t noticed, we are all about workouts that don’t feel like you’re working out. And at the top of that list is joining an outdoor sports league. Our favorite is beach volleyball — the resistance from the sand is great for your legs, and you’ll keep your heart rate up the whole time. Grab your favorite gals for a night of playing around instead of grabbing happy hour (or grab happy hour afterward), or join a league to meet new friends in your city!

Yoga in the Yard

When it comes to meditation and grounding yourself, doing it outside takes your zen to an entirely different level. Find a yoga studio near you that offers outdoor yoga, or keep an eye out for special summer events — a lot of parks will offer yoga classes. You can also work out on your own time, and run through your favorite yoga poses in the backyard.

Park Strength Training

We’ve covered cardio, but don’t think that you still have to confine yourself to the gym in order to keep working on building strength. Find a park and all of a sudden you'll have the tools and the space that you need for outdoor strength training.

1. Reverse lunges on a park bench

2. Push-ups and tricep dips on a bench

3. Monkey bar pull-ups

4. Crunches

5. Burpees

6. Planks

Drinks

Popsicle Cocktails

Let’s really get back to the basics of summer. Namely, those weirdly delicious red, white, and blue Bomb Pops that made us a sticky mess in summers past. That’s right, we’re stocking our freezers with the old favorite, but we’re upping the ante this time around with champagne. This is the easiest of the cocktails we’re whipping up for our patriotic party, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be the most Insta-worthy.

• Box of Bomb Pops
• Bottle of Champagne

1. Put the popsicles in a glass with the stick facing out.

2. Fill the glasses with bubbly. Voilà!

Firecracker Jell-O Shots

No good party is complete without some good old-fashioned Jell-O shots. Or at least, that’s what we thought in college, but the second we saw these cuties we knew we couldn't pass them up. They’re a bit more involved since you have to make them layer by layer, but the effort will be worth it since they double as a sweet treat after dinner. Plus, you can also make a booze-free batch for the littles. 

• 3 c. vodka
• 1 box blue Jell-O
• 1 box red Jell-O
• 3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
• 3 c. boiling water
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 jar maraschino cherries, drained

Blue Layer

1. Pour 1 cup of vodka into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle ½ of an envelope of unflavored gelatin on top, then let it sit for 2 minutes. 
2. Add in the blue Jell-O, pour in 1 cup of boiling water, and whisk together until the gelatin is dissolved.
3. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then pour the mixture into small shooter glasses until each is ⅓ of the way full.
4. Chill for 1 hour. 

White Layer

1. Pour 1 cup of vodka into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin on top, then let it sit for 2 minutes. 
2. Pour in 1 cup of boiling water, and whisk together until the gelatin is dissolved.
3. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and stir until it’s fully mixed.
4. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then pour the mixture on top of the blue layer until the glasses are ⅔ of the way full.
5. Chill for 1 hour. 

Red Layer

1. Pour 1 cup of vodka into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle ½ of an envelope of unflavored gelatin on top, then let it sit for 2 minutes. 
2. Add in the red Jell-O, pour in 1 cup of boiling water, and whisk together until the gelatin is dissolved.
3. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then fill the rest of each glass with the mixture.
4. Chill for 1 hour. 

When all of the Jell-O shots have set, add a cherry on top for decoration and get to celebrating!

Watermelon Keg

We’ve all seen this modern marvel on Pinterest, but if you’re anything like us, you took one look, thought “I don't have 10 hours to dedicate to carving watermelons,” and moved on. Lucky for you, we’ve done the research and we can tell you that it’s super easy and you can be sure it'll be the star of the event. The only real prep work you’ll have to do is ordering a spigot so you can easily dispense the drinks, but of course, Amazon has your back.

• 1 seedless watermelon
• 1 bottle (750 ml) of your favorite rosé
• 1 ½ c. orange vodka

1. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of the watermelon rind, without cutting into the flesh, to give it a flat bottom to keep it sitting upright.
2. Carve out a circle in the top to create a lid.
3. Remove the lid, and then using an electric hand mixer or immersion blender, blend up all of the insides until completely pureed. 
4. Pour the watermelon puree into a separate cup, straining out pulp and seeds first. 
5. Insert the spigot, then pour the watermelon juice, wine, and vodka back into the watermelon.
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours and then serve.

Snacks

We all know that the entire purpose of the 4th of July is to enjoy as many hot dogs and handfuls of potato chips as you possibly can, so we aren’t here to tell you otherwise. All we’re saying is that you can also include some America-themed appetizers and desserts to the lineup. 

Berry Kabobs

This is another fun Pinterest-style treat, but considering how simple and quick it is to make, we couldn’t leave it out. They’re bursting with summer flavor and will be perfect to pass around before the rest of the snacks are ready to be served. The kiddos will love that they get some marshmallows out of the deal, and who doesn't love eating off of a skewer? We love serving them up with the American flag design, but you can also alternate berries and marshmallows for a simpler red, white, and blue design.

• 1 package blueberries
• 1 package raspberries
• 1 bag mini marshmallows
• Skewers

1. On the first 5 skewers, put 4 blueberries, one mini marshmallow, one raspberry, one more mini marshmallow, and one more raspberry. 
2. On the next 7 skewers, alternate 4 raspberries and 3 marshmallows, to create a striped effect. 
3. Line them up with the blueberries in the top left corner (hello, stars!) and then finish the flag with the raspberry/marshmallow skewers.
4. Add the rest of the berries and 'mallows to the remaining kabobs so you have plenty of extras. 

Watermelon Salad

We are all about a good watermelon salad, especially since we usually only get them when we are spending way too much money at a nice restaurant. But that's not the case any longer! This refreshing summer salad is as easy as it is delicious, and allows for customization so all of your guests are happy.

• 1 baby watermelon
• ½ c. fresh mint, chopped
• ¼ c. red onion, thinly sliced
• 12 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. pure honey
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Crumbled feta

1. Cut the watermelon into bite-size chunks, and top with the fresh mint, onion, and tomatoes. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. 
3. Toss watermelon mixture with the dressing, and sprinkle the crumbled feta on top. 
4. Serve and enjoy!

Baked Brie

Surprise, surprise — in case you didn't yet realize it, we love bringing in that red, white, and blue scheme wherever we possibly can. And we also love including cheese in every meal we eat. And when we bring those two passions together, we get ourselves a fun little wheel of baked brie and fruit. 

• 1 wheel of brie
• 6 strawberries, sliced
• ½ c. blueberries
• ¼ c. orange juice
• 2 tsp. honey
• Crackers for dipping (we love pretzel crackers most, but you can also sweeten things up with graham crackers)

1. Preheat oven to 350°, and cut off the top rind of the brie. 
2. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the brie is completely melted and bubbling.
3. While the brie is baking, place the strawberries and blueberries in separate bowls, divide the orange juice and honey evenly between the bowls, and toss until all of the berries are coated. 
4. When the brie is done baking, immediately arrange the fruit in an American flag design on top and serve.