When you live in an area that has 4 seasons and a bitterly cold winter that seems to go on for an eternity, you try to spend as much time outside as possible when it’s finally warm out. And with the sun setting after 8 PM in those summer months, bed times get pushed back and family time is spent outside. Below is a list of activities that are outside and fun for the whole family.
- Deck nights and backyard fires. Whether it’s at my parent’s house or out own house, there’s nothing better than being outside with family and friends and grilling on the deck and hanging out around the fire pit. You can even get creative and do different themes for each night like BBQ or grilled pizza or Hawaiian night.
- Dinner boat ride. We live at the mouth of the Merrimack River on the North Atlantic and it’s always fun to hop on the boat and head to one of the many restaurants that line the river or our local coastline. Plus the boating activity tires those toddlers right out so they’re better behaved in restaurants 😋
- Outdoor movie night. Newburyport hosts family movies on the waterfront and it’s awesome. They have a big screen up at waterfront park and play family movies every Wednesday night in July & August. It’s perfect because you can have a picnic dinner and the kids can run around and play in the park til the movie starts and then settle down for the movie. Best part? It’s free! Here’s the link to the facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/2213630008888882/
- Fireworks. I mean, when are they a bad idea? Hampton Beach does fireworks every Wednesday for the entire summer and Salisbury Beach does them every Saturday. God I love living at the beach!
- Camp out. Who needs to leave home to go camping?? Set up a tent in the backyard, make some s’mores around the fire pit, tell ghost stories, and sleep under the stars. You could even use a white bed sheet and projector to make your own outdoor movie!
I’m sure you guys have lots of ideas of things to do outside at night with your kiddos! Write them in the comments if they’re not listed so we can try them too!
Mama Bear Inc 