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Summer is here, and if you’re one of the many parents trying to figure out ten long weeks with no summer camps in sight, take a deep breath—you’re not alone. Whether camps were too expensive, filled up in two seconds, or just not in the cards this year, there are still plenty of creative, low-stress ways to keep your family from killing each other.
1. DIY Theme Weeks at Home
Turn your house into Camp You! Create weekly themes like “Nature Explorers,” “Water Week,” “DIY Olympics,” or “Around the World.” Each week, you can plan simple activities, crafts, and snacks that fit the theme.
Nature Week idea: Build a backyard obstacle course, go on a bug hunt, or make leaf rubbings.
Bonus: Kids stay busy, and your house feels a little less like a war zone. At least for about 10 minutes.
2. Start a Backyard Business
Older kids love a project, and nothing beats a summer lemonade stand, pet-sitting gig, or neighborhood car wash. Let them plan, design flyers, and handle (supervised) money. (change is hard sometimes, and not everyone takes cards....keep that in mind)
Not only are they occupied, they’re also learning about responsibility, math, and customer service—summer education win!
3. Plan a Weekly Family Field Trip
No camp? No problem. Create your own adventure calendar. Commit to one outing a week: a local museum, state park, hiking trail, or even just a different library branch. Pack lunches and make it a full-day outing. This has saved me in the past. Best option too is to let the kids vote on the destination so they feel like it’s their adventure, not just another parent trying to tire them out.
4. Host a Neighborhood Activity Swap
Round up a few other camp-less families and trade off activity days. My wife has a mom group that is starting to do this for our daughter and it's HUGE in the help department. One day you host a craft project, another day someone else hosts water games or a science experiment afternoon. A win for sure.
Your kids stay busy, you get a partial day off, and it builds a little community magic.
5. Create a Summer Bucket List
Sounds like your last summer, but it's not that at all. Sit down as a family and brainstorm 20 fun things to do this summer—big and small. From baking cookies to sleeping under the stars, having a list gives structure and lets kids feel involved. Post it on the fridge and check things off as you go.
Nothing beats that “we did it!” feeling—especially when the school supply sales start popping up in July.
You don’t need a jam-packed camp schedule to have a fun and fulfilling summer. With a little creativity (and a lot of snacks), you can make this the season your kids talk about for years.No matching t-shirts or cabin counselors required, and in the end you might actually save some cash if you do it the right way.
Good luck. I'm in the same boat trying to figure it out this summer with my daughter. This list has helped us, and might be a good starting point for your summer.