This time of year I am always tempted to let my mind wander to fall – to think all I had planned for summer will have to wait till next year.
You?
This year, let’s not. Let’s snatch up every blessed warm day summer has left to offer. Let’s take our kids to skip rocks, cook dinner over an open fire, catch butterflies in the meadows, and have our neighbors over for home made ice cream, with freshly picked berries from the season sprinkled on top. Idealistic maybe, but life is too short not to be.
It’s August, why don’t we….
Roast Marshmallows and Make S’mores
August 10th is national s’mores day, why not celebrate? Make the celebration even better by making your own family recipe, and let the kids help. Could be scary, could be fun! My favorite way with the famous campfire dessert? Chocolate covered grahams and a perfectly toasted marshmallow, simple and sweet. How Girls Eat S’mores vs. How Boys eat S’mores is a fun read for the kids, with some great variations on the traditional take.
Pick Some Berries
Berries are the plumpest they are going to get this month, grab a basket and go pick some. It is a great opportunity for kids to see where their food comes from. Some farms even offer tours, harvesting, and dinners featuring family recipes with the bounty as the main event. If you are looking for a you-pick-it farm in your area, Pick Your Own.org is a fabulous resource listing farms across the world. I was impressed that they even had my small town farm listed.
Get The Kids Into Nature
There is no better time than August to get outside and play. Did you know that in a recent study kids ages 4 to 11 knew more about pokémon than common wildlife? Kids are spending more and more time indoors with structured, adult supervised activities, and less time outside getting dirty, playing with bugs and exploring their surroundings. Seek out an area where your kids can be kids. This article gave me a whole new respect for my youth and the time I spent outside. If you have a chance, read it, the numbers are astonishing. I promise you will be hitting the great outdoors by the end of it!
Catch A Shooting Star
August 12th is the best night to watch the Perseid meteor shower with at least 60 stars shooting across the sky every hour. Lay a blanket on the grass and make a few wishes. If you are looking for some information on the event I found this site to be a great resource.
Anything I missed? Any great events in your area? Do tell…
It’s not too late to make this summer memorable….August is the month summer brings the best it has to offer…soak it up.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d be willing to bet you live in a climate less than 100* for the summer months. I’m looking forward to doing all those things this fall. Why on earth is S’mores Day in the hottest month of the year? Some northerner came up with that. LOL We’ll be making plenty of s’mores this fall.
We homeschool full time in the summer when it’s too miserable to get outside. Fall is when we break and enjoy the weather.
Aaahhh, it is still hot here too, but we can at least head to the mountains to do the s’more thing! But next year will be a different story, we will be dying from heat and humidity.
Maybe that is why I am trying to hold onto this summer as long as we can!
Plus, you can eat a s’more anywhere, it’s just another reason to celebrate
Wishing you some cooler days…I have been there! ( I have mentally erased my august spent in Houston, yuck)
Lovely Destri. Just, lovely.
We are planning a camping trip for fall. I hate to camp in the heat. It will tot’s first time and I have been trying to explain s’mores to him. I like Nutella on mine instead of chocolate bars!
When it’s not 104 in the shade, we go on nature hikes almost every weekend. Even in the snow. It’s so powerful to point out things and talk about the trees and the plants and bugs.
Best,
Tina
Try using a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup for your s’more, I mean really…you doesn’t want to add peanut butter to the delicious gooey mess? I really like to use York Peppermint Patties too, but the kids don’t like it. By far though my kiddos like to “roast” Starburst candy, weird but really good!
Ah, to live back in the temperate zone, again. You are making me miss my Midwestern roots. Here in FL, our “seasons” are a bit upside down to yours. I can’t wait until November when it is cool enough to go to parks and camping. Fall/winter is also when our backyard garden really flourishes. I guess we’ll get around to the fun stuff while you are snowed in. I miss that too!
We’ll be certain to make some s’mores in the toaster oven tomorrow evening. My 3 year-old will love it!