When I was growing up in Arlington, Virginia, my three sisters and I had our summers free to roam in the backyard and around our neighborhood, visiting with friends and going to the pool in a nearby apartment complex. We put on plays for the neighbors and one summer we created a “circus” to raise money for muscular dystrophy. But my absolute favorite activity with my sisters was going to the pool. During the week, when my father got home from work, he would always join us for a swim. I still have happy memories of splashing around with my family.
I am grateful that my mother was able to be at home for us. But with my own full-time business to maintain, I needed to figure out how to do outdoor activities that worked within my schedule. This meant carving out playtime with my boys before taking them to day camp. Sometimes we had quick picnic breakfasts outside, and sometimes we played tag or practiced rolling down a big hill before their camping days started.
With simple changes to my routine, I ended up having the best summer of my life. For example, I’d find an hour to head to the pool or bring out the slip ’n’ slide or sprinkler whenever the kids’ friends came over. We had an endless supply of popsicles that enticed the neighbors to come outside and play. Every evening, we’d take a family bike ride or walk. I also took a couple of afternoons off to take my kids on nearby adventures to lakes and swimming holes that enabled us to experience new places while keeping cool.
Luckily for me, my wonderful husband had arranged a series of week-long day camps for the boys that were aligned with their interests. But I wanted summer to be about more than scheduled activities, and the boys had told me that they wanted plenty of family time. Remembering my own childhood passion for the local pool, I made sure my kids got to experience the same thing. The pool we belong to is not as fancy as my childhood pool, but we enjoy it immensely. Oddly, this community pool, shared by hundreds of single-family houses, is rarely used in the summertime.
Typically, it takes us thirty minutes to ride our bikes to the pool. We take our time, sometimes stopping by the school garden to see what’s in bloom. We bring a backpack for snacks, water bottles, sunscreen, and towels. At the pool, we make up games with whatever is on hand. Inflatable rings and beach balls are fun toys—not only in the water, but also in the grass, and the kids make up countless games with these toys. They play beach ball soccer in between rounds of swimming.
We also do plenty of wildlife watching. Last summer, we saw five baby sparrows hatch from a nest made of mud above the women’s restroom, and we watched their parents taking turns flying from the nest to feed them. Once the birds had grown bigger, we witnessed their first flight. In June, we also watched herons flying along the same path we took when we biked to the pool. One heron even landed on a neighboring lawn and then took off again, flying right over our house. What an amazing sight!
It was such a joy to reconnect with the feeling of summer that I always relished as a kid. And you can do this too, in simple ways, every day. When you think back on those endless days of childhood, what were you doing? Would your kids enjoy those same activities? Try one little thing each day that brings back that sense of endless summer for you and your family, whether it’s taking your kids on an evening walk to get a snow cone, renting a canoe and fishing, or going to a community “splash pad” or play-approved fountain where you and your kids can jump around together.