It is important for families to spend time together connecting in positive ways.   During the summer months it may feel like all the “fun” activities are stressful and overwhelming because they are expensive, require navigating crowds and/or require planning.   This post is not about those types of activities.

There are lots of small positive ways we can connect with members of our family at home, but this post is going to focus on activities outside of the home.   You may also be interested in reading my previous post, 8 Ways to Show Children You Love Them Throughout The Year,  for some additional inspiration.

This post is all about family friendly events that are low key, free and hopefully at least a little fun. As an added bonus for those of you in my area, I have added links to some of my family’s favorite Dakota County locations. Feel free to add your family’s favorite locations in the comments below.

Enjoy the water.
Lakes, splash pads, sprinklers or even water “fights”.

• Kelly Park Splash Pad in Apple Valley
• Cliff Fen Park and Splash Pad in Burnsville
• Nicollet Commons Water Feature in Burnsville

Spend time in nature.
Go for a hike or explore a local nature center.    Have  a scavenger hunt!

• Lebanon Hills Regional Park

 Attend an outdoor performance.
Music, theater, puppet shows, and other performances.

• Burnsville Summer Concerts and Movies
• Music in Kelly Park Concert Series
• Apple Valley Puppet Wagon

Get Moving
Walking, swimming, hiking, bike riding are all activities that promote emotional and physical health for your family members while also fostering positive connection.

Take advantage of local parks.

Playgrounds, basketball courts, walking/running, sand play, hunting for bugs and more.   Teach your children the yard games you played as a child.

My family doesn’t have a favorite park, but love exploring lots of different parks.  As we drive to appointments or on errands, my kid point out parks they’d like to visit and we’ve been making the rounds as we have time.

For a little extra fun, we’ve also been Munzee hunting as we explore parks this summer.  It is a scavenger hunt app based activity that allows us to work together as a team.

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What are your family’s favorite low cost, low stress ways to connect during the summer months?   Feel free to add a comment below.

Happy Connecting!  Enjoy your summer!
Sarah