Dylan Yoder
Columnist
Well, it’s just about that time of year again. The time of year when we put up our pool-soaked bathing suits and our kids put on their book-filled schoolbags. The end of summer is coming mighty quickly and if there’s something you have yet to finish before the end of it, I’d suggest going for it. Things like having a lake day or planning a surprise water balloon attack on your family or friends. Or just enjoying the overall freedom that summer has to offer. Regardless of what summer plans you may or may not have, the time for them is dwindling, and before you know it, the kids will be going off to school again for another year. If you’re like my parents were, you’re counting down the days. That being said, let’s take a look at a couple of ways you could spend these final few weeks with the whole family home for the summer.
Starting off with the most obvious idea, what everyone does in the summertime, weekend camping. With the end of summer, you’re chances of going camping become increasingly more difficult with so many different schedules to balance. However, you do still have a couple of weeks left. Furthermore, the end of summer is the time when nearly no one goes camping, meaning that overcrowded campgrounds are highly unlikely to run across. Imagine a nice relaxing day camping at your favorite campground, unbothered by noisy party goers across the way. I know I used to love going camping all throughout the summer as a kid, maybe your kids will enjoy it too.
Another idea one could have at the end of summer is one of those smaller summer projects that you’ve been meaning to work on this year. If you read my issue several weeks ago, you should’ve gotten plenty of ideas on various small summertime projects that you could easily complete in a week or so. Things like small fences for a garden, benches for the backyard, or stone/rock inlaid patios on the lawn. My Aunt and Uncle had recently gone into such endeavors and it took them a mere weekend to complete. More than that, there are infinite DIY projects on the world wide web for you to try out or even better, put the kids up to it with the excess time they have at home these last few weeks.
Perhaps your idea of a summer vacation lies elsewhere though. Perhaps you’re the odd homebody that loves to remain in the comfort and relaxation of home even when you have the freedom to go elsewhere. If so, that’s perfectly understandable too. Sometimes the best way to spend free time is to recharge away from the craziness of everyday life. Furthermore, all of the ideas listed above can also be done in your cozy home. Maybe not the campground material, but hey, setting up a tent in the middle of your living room with stove s’mores to boot will always have a special place in my memories.
In addition to whatever summer plans you may have remaining, keep in mind that school comes quicker than you may think and the back-to-school shopping train has just begun arriving at the station. Make sure to keep your kids orderly and prepared enough to go back to their classroom shenanigans. More than that, make sure you take the time to appreciate the summertime you have left with them. School schedules can be unforgiving, and there isn’t much time left before we start them. With all that being said, enjoy the rest of your summer, and be sure to make some memories in the process.
