Let Summer Be Simple Again
When the best plans are no plans at all
Our backyard was filled with kids on the 4th. Big kids, little kids, infants sitting on mom’s lap. The bounce house sat empty because they were too busy playing with water balloons, covering the pavement with chalk, and giggling with their friends while watermelon juice dripped down their wrists. I remembering sitting back, taking all this in and thinking…“This is it. This is the kind of summer I want them to remember.”
I’ve spent too many days leading up to our limited summers thinking I needed to plan something BIG for my kids. And yet, what my kids seem to love most are the simple moments in between all the chaos of big events. The early mornings. The lazy afternoons in the backyard. The evenings spent chasing sunlight, not schedules.
So this summer, I’m trying something different. I’m making space to let summer be simple again.
Tapping back into our memories of childhood…when summer meant sprinklers in the yard, popsicles from the freezer, and arts & crafts on the kitchen table. No crammed calendars. No themed weeks. Just time to be wild and free.
Here’s what that looks like for us:
Library hauls with zero agenda, just wandering and pulling whatever sparks their interests
Backyard picnics with juice boxes, fresh fruit, and sunshine on their faces
Sidewalk chalk creations that turn into a masterpiece of memories
Simple arts & crafts that let their creativity run wild
Water play in the driveway with a $10 sprinkler from Target and neighborhood friends
Letting boredom bloom and witnessing the wonders of childhood and imagination take over
There’s still a bucket list. There’s still lots of things we want to do this summer that might have a higher price tag attached to it, but those are meant to be sprinkled across the days of summer instead of stacked up back to back.
Because the truth is, summer isn’t about doing more. It’s about feeling more, experiencing more! More sun on our skin, more giggles in the yard, more quiet moments where we’re just present and soaking it all in.
I know, deep down, this is the stuff they’ll remember. The vacations and big outings might stick with them as well, but not because of how much it cost or how fancy the location was…but because of the small moments in those days where we were together and present with one another. The simple days that made them feel safe, warm, and full of joy and wonder.
So if you’re feeling tired or behind, if you haven’t done anything with all the TikTok videos or Pinterest pins you’ve saved, let me just say: you don’t have to. Let your summer be simple again.
Slow it down. Make space. And the memories will form in the most beautiful ways.
Because these little summers? They won’t last forever. But the imprint we leave on their childhood, the memories we create alongside them in these precious days…that lasts a lifetime.
☀️🎨🫧🍉🛝