100 Inexpensive Ways to Give Your Kids a 1980’s Summer

I’m a child of the 80’s. You know, the 80’s? When times were simple and we spent endless hours outside in the summer riding bikes, swimming, playing hopscotch and staying out until the streetlights came on? Yeah, those 80’s. I reminisce about those times often with my 2 girls. They love hearing stories of what it was like when I grew up. They also wish they lived in a simpler time. With modern technology and the world literally at their fingertips rarely does the suggestion of old school games like hopscotch, S-P-U-D and Kick-the-Can sound appealing when I offer them up as ideas to the dreaded declaration of “I’m bored.” That’s where this list of  100 Inexpensive Ways to Give Your Kids a 1980’s Summer will come in handy….for me and for you.

My kids are 14, almost 12 and 7 and as each year passes I’m realizing more and more how fast it all goes by. It’s time to make it count. It’s time they experienced a 1980’s summer. They may not be asking for it but I’m going to do my best to give them a piece of it. 

A few years ago I compiled this list of summer boredom busters and since these ideas are timeless I felt like it was worth re-sharing. At our house we don’t really do summer camp. I’m a stay at home mom so childcare for the summer has never been an issue. We also take a beach vacation at the very end of summer so any extra funds are usually allocated to that. But that pretty much leaves my kids with a 2 month case of the “I’m bored’s”. So for my own sanity I try to do little things with my kids. Usually it’s just a drive up north to hit our favorite ice cream shop. Or we will take a nice scenic drive and play a road trip scavenger hunt. Anything really to get out of the house. This year I want to kick it up a notch. I want to not only spend time going for our summer drives but I want to take more time away from our devices and social media and do some simple things that make memories with my kids. This list is just the thing I need to inspire me to give my kids a simple, yet fun “1980’s” summer.

100 Inexpensive Ways to Give Your Kids 1980’s Summer

Throughout this list you’ll find 100 ideas to simplify summer. 100 inexpensive things to do with your kids. Here’s a sneak peek at the first 15 but there’s a LOT  more where that came from!! And you can download the whole list for FREE in on easy to print PDF file.

1. Go geocaching! It’s fun and free. Find geocaches in your area online.
2. Play hide-n-seek. It’s always a favorite! And if mom hides well, she may or may not enjoy 5 minutes of sitting down. lol
3. Go swimming.
4. Play in the sprinklers.
5. Have a picnic in your backyard or at the park.
6. Park Week ~ visit a new park each day for a week.
7. Play at your local school’s playground. It’s nearby and most likely less crowded than other parks in your area.
8. PLAY BALL! Dodge ball, tether ball, baseball, football, basketball, catch, tennis, racquetball, and more!
9. Go for a bike ride.
10. Take a hike or go for a walk.
11. Create a masterpiece using sidewalk chalk.
12. Make lawn art! Using a stencil and flour, you can decorate your lawn.
13. Plant something: A plant, a tree, seeds, or a time capsule.
14. Have a bike wash! A bucket of water with some soap, a sponge or wash cloth, a hose, and a bike makes for a fun time!
15. Play Frisbee.

Friends. There is so much more where that came from! Download and enjoy! And remember, this is just a list of ideas to inspire you to dial the summer craziness down and bring you and your kids back to a simpler time. You will want to use Google and Pinterest for recipe inspiration and how-to instructions on some of these ideas.

Here’s another idea for summer that I know you’ll LOVE!

Genius Outdoor Movie Ideas