Ways to Create a Slow Summer with Crafts, Activities & Nature

Summer is here and with it - nature’s abundance coming forward, berries to pick, hammocks to swing in, and a lot of heat (another story - climate change makes it’s mark.) Are you looking for ideas of fun activities to do with your family? Let us share a few , and the key here is to keep it simple. Less prep makes summer easier for all of us.

A Summer Verse

First, here’s a little verse you can share on these beautiful summer days to remind ourselves and our children that just like nature, we are all connected. Our growth and success are intertwined.

Under the warm, golden sun

May our growth be strong

And our spirits one.

Roots deep, leaves high, blossoms bright,

Nurtured by love and gentle light.

Blessed be the soil, rain, and air

With tender care beyond compare.

May each day bring growth & grace

In this sacred, sun kissed place.

Summer Activities

Go for a nature walk and put emphasis on stopping to smell the flowers. It’s amazing the different scents you can find in nature.

Create a nature mandala. On your nature walks, pick up some flower petals, leaves, and other treasures then use them to create a beautiful image. For younger children, simply encourage them to create - there’s no need for detailed instructions. For older ones, you could encourage them to use patterns and repetition. But the point here is to take a moment to unwind and enjoy creating.

Go to the farmers market. Whether you need some fruits and veggies or just to get out and explore, a local farmers market is a wonderful choice. You’ll be supporting local farmers and businesses, exploring somewhere beautiful, and you can use the opportunity to tell your kids about where our food comes from and the work that goes into it.

Blow Bubbles. Bubbles are fun at any age. Try taking some to the park, it always brings lots of friends around. Our Dr Zigs Bubble Kits are a fun take on bubble blowing. Create magic with absolutely giant bubbles!

Explore water ways near you. For us in Richmond, VA the James River has incredible spots to dip your feet in, go for a swim, have a picnic, go rock jumping, or simply explore the differences between dry land nature and wet land nature.

Create a nature color scavenger hunt. Summer is a fantastic time to find so many different colors outside. Draw different colors into the egg holes of an egg carton and then get outside and see what they can discover. This activity is great for younger children learning their colors, but older kids love it too. They can see how many different shades of colors they can find or how many plants they haven’t seen before.

Make a mud stew. Pack up a few kitchen tools like bowls, measuring cups, and spoons to bring to the park (or your backyard!) Then let your children mix up something fun.

A wonderful story that ties in well is “Stone Soup.” Originally an old French folk tale, it was written and illustrated into a book by Marcia Brown. It tells the story of three travelers who come to a village with nothing but a cooking pot. The villagers come together to each share an ingredient for the soup, and eventually, with the help of all the village, it becomes a delicious meal they all share. A wonderful story about how when we come together and share the fruits of our labor, magic happens.

Create your own safe duck food to feed the ducks and geese. This is a great way to use food that’s on its last leg and save it from going to waste. Grab a mason jar or a sustainable food container and fill it with greens like lettuce, broccoli (chopped into small bits,) sweet corn, chopped apples, oats, and rice (cooked or uncooked.) All that’s left is passing it to your children and let them experience connecting with animals. This is also a great time to teach them about how helping animals is important, but we also need to keep in mind how they eat and find food naturally. We want to ensure they can have long, healthy lives so allowing them to find their own food is important as well.

Take the toys outside. This one puts some parents on edge at first, understandably. Toys that are handmade from natural materials are an investment (one that pays off in more engaged imaginations, higher levels of creative thinking, and toys that last generations) so the thought of them getting dirty outside can be nerve wracking. But they are easily cleaned with a soft, damp cloth and a little elbow grease. Taking them outside provides a new landscape for children’s play and fosters new ideas of ways to use them.

Too hot outside? Here’s some indoor fun

Come visit us at RVA Naturals to enjoy our free craft and potion table. We always have fun crafts to tinker with and seasonal potions to brew.

Dive into a watercolor painting. For younger children, provide them with one or two bright, summery colors and encourage them to explore how they interact on the page. With older children, they often need no guidance at all. Simply set out the paints and supplies and let them come. If they’d like ideas, try painting a summer scene or landscape, the colors of summer, or what they see out the window. Nature provides endless inspiration.

Find our watercolor paints here

Make fresh lemonade. Squeezing lemons is a simple and satisfying sensory experience for children. And then they get to enjoy the fruits of their labor with delicious lemonade that they helped make.

Lemonade Recipe

4-5 lemons

6 cups water, divided - 1 cup and 5 cups

1 cup sugar

First combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepot. Place over low to medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Place aside to let cool. Congrats, you’ve made simple syrup!

Now, cut the lemons in half and remove the seeds. Let your children squeeze the lemons and collect their juice. You need one cup of lemon juice in the end.

Pour the simple syrup and squeezed lemon juice into a pitcher. Add the remaining 5 cups of water and stir.

Now you can add ice and serve, or place the pitcher in the fridge to allow it to chill. (If adding ice and serving immediately I like to cut the amount of water down to 4-4 1/2 cups so the ice doesn’t water it down so much)

Fold summer themed window stars. Use kite paper to create colorful decorations that the sun can shine through on your windows. Find many tutorials on our Instagram.

Create a story telling basket. Add figures and scenery to a basket and encourage your children to put on a show. You can even use playsilks to create stage curtains for a little extra magic.

Summer is a lovely time to slow down to enjoy an unhurried pace, time together, and to test out new ideas. Make sure to tag us on Instagram if you try out any of these, and add your ideas, too.

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