Make This Summer About Having Fun

Make This Summer About Having Fun by Jen Lawrence

I came that they may have and enjoy life,

and have it in abundance

 [to the full, till it overflows].

– John 10:10 (AMP)

Christians sometimes get a bad rap for not having any fun, but God wants our lives to be joyful.

Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:24: “‘We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.’*

The summer offers so many opportunities to have wonderful time and celebrate God’s beautiful world. If you find yourself searching for ideas, here is a list of 50 fun, cheap, and easy things to do with family and friends this summer:

1. Attend a local carnival and play all the games
2. See your favorite band in concert
3. Visit a farm
4. Got to a batting cage
5. Battle for victory on the mini putt course
6. Go to the driving range
7. Drive a go kart
8. Go to an outdoor art show
9. Attend a ribfest
10. Go camping
11. Head to the beach
12. Play tennis
13. Go for a hike
14. Eat on a restaurant patio
15. Go to the drive-in movies
16. Visit a National Park
17. Attend a street festival
18. Go to a farmer’s market
19. Invite friends for brunch after church
20. Go out for ice cream
21. Run through the sprinkler
22. Find a splash pad
23. Do some en plein air painting (that’s fancy for painting outside)
24. Enjoy your morning coffee on the porch
25. Visit a botanical garden
26. Stay up late and count the stars
27. Play a game of badminton in your yard
28. Go to the park to play Frisbee
29. Visit an animal sanctuary
30. Attend a baseball game
31. Drive to a country market and buy vegetables for dinner
32. Swim in a lake
33. Paddle a kayak
34. Listen to the crickets
35. Go for a drive in the country
36. Play hopscotch
37. Play basketball in the driveway or at a local school
38. Skip stones on a river or lake
39. Watch boats go through the locks
40. Eat nothing but corn on the cob for dinner
41. Make strawberry shortcake
42. Get an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck
43. Look for beach glass
44. Visit diners and try out the pie
45. Have a rootbeer float
46. Organize a singalong
47. Drink a slurpee or slushie from a convenience store
48. Cook hot dogs over an open fire
49. Have a picnic
50. Make s’mores

We hope you have a happy and healthy summer that is filled with blessings and joy.

* From The Message