After the madness that was moving back into our newly renovated home the week of Christmas, Steve and I decided we needed a bit of downtime and A LOT of family time. We needed time to regroup and reconnect, the kids needed to spend time with us both together and one on one, and we all needed to have a breather and embrace a slightly slower pace. So whilst the ideas of sleep in’s and curling up with good book appealed (to myself in particular) the kids not so much. Funny how when you have a young family ‘a slightly slower pace’ is not an easy thing to achieve and has a whole new meaning. We were able to embrace a more relaxed pace though.
We asked (namely Sebastian) what he wanted to while Daddy was on holiday; and from there combined with our own list of activities that we knew that kids enjoy, we (if I’m being honest with you – more me) created a summer holiday bucket list for our family. It is quite a list, there is 28 things and we didn’t do them all over the two weeks that Steve and Sebastian were off but we did make a good dent in them and have subsequently spent our weekends ticking things off.
What I love is that most of the activities on our list are seemingly little and inexpensive activities, it’s about the experience and spending time together not the dollar value. Quite a few of the activities we try to do year after year for fun as a family and are activities we look forward to. Now, of course I didn’t have to jump on the computer, play around with colours and make it look all pretty but I wanted something tangible for the kids and something we could use year after year. I have popped ours into a photo frame and Sebastian uses a dry erase marker to tick things off as we do them, which is pretty exciting in itself when your four years old!
If you’d like to do the same, you can print out our Summer Bucket List here.
This summer we have been giving the new Banana Boat SPF50+ Kids a go and I couldn’t be happier. Specifically formulated for the youngest members of the family, it offers high levels of protection (SPF 50+), is fragrance free, 4 hours water resistant, non greasy, is easy to apply and great value – Win / Win / Win if you ask this Mumma. I don’t know about you but I like to slather the kids from head to toe in the morning and reapply at least every 2 hours we are outside or more if we’ve been swimming. In all honesty we try to not go out in the hottest part of the day, it’s just too hard for the kids, they get too hot and bothered and it does nothing for their Irish skin.
WIN with Always Made With Love!
I have a Prize Pack (to the value of $100) to giveaway to ONE lucky Always Made With Love reader. To enter, simply comment below with you favourite Summer activity. Giveaway closes Thursday 8th March. NZ residents only.
**Congratulations Tui Amohanga you are our lucky winner. Please email me to arrange delivery of your prize **
This post is bought to you by Banana Boat, have fun in the sun with your family this Summer.
Our favourite summer activity is beaching! Especially in the estuary/harbour at high tide and the waves are little kid size!
I luv the idea of a Summer Bucket List Lydia and even better having it in a frame so Sebastian can tick it off . Thanx for sharing yet another awesome idea!
Picking cherries! We did a massive road trip around the South Island last summer and picking and eating fresh cherries off the cherry trees was so good!
Our favourite summer activity is walks and beach going. Our wee one loves being outside 😎
Ooh, my favourite summer activity would be a tie between a good dip at the beach, or lying in a hammock in the shade with a good book!
What a great Summer bucket list! Our fave activity as a family would have to be crab hunting! Lots of learning and lots of fun to be had 🙂
We love to go to Taupo and swim at five mile bay!! We love it!!
Playing at the beach with the boys, body surfing into shore.
I love taking the kids to the lake and doing bombs off the warf
We kidnapped the 2grandkids from their parents and took them on our yearly holiday to Thames!
Collecting cockles & pipis are a must and they love them! Its only been the second time that they’ve done this and they get to swim after their hard work.
We Love going to the beach and swimming. Loving this sunny weather
Our family loves Summer Bush Walks!
Ultimate summer favourite activity with the girls is backyard cricket – anything getting them out in the fresh air and sunshine is perfect
love hiding stuff in sand and making kids look for it
Taking the kids to the park…they love the freedom of the space it provides as well as their usually distracted parents full attention.
Love going to the beach and also we like to go on bush walks and hearing all the different noises associated with the beach and forest
my favorite is to spend time with my family weather its having a bbq or on the beach or going to specail events in whakatane thanks 🙂
Our families favourite Summer Activity is Camping, pitching the tent by the beach ans spending days on the sand and in the water, playing cricket and volleyball and making sand castles during the day and telling spooky stories and snuggling in our sleeping beds at night <3 <3