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