School bells trill and yellow buses roll – yep, school is back in session. Just because the kids have hit the books again doesn’t mean the family fun needs to come to a close. Summer is still alive and well and awfully hot, according to the calendar. Find fun ways to make memories with the family, memories to treasure for a lifetime. Make every day a holiday with the ones you love. Try some of the silly holidays below and create a few, unique family ones, too. Happy August!
Family Fun Month – Turn the entire month of August into one big celebration with little festivities and huge ones, too. With the family at the beginning of the month, brainstorm a fun activity for every letter of the alphabet. Like, artwork on the dining room table, baseball in the back yard, catch in the front yard, dancing in the rain, eating watermelon, and much more. Throw in some extras to add up to thirty-one days in August. Write down each idea on a slip of paper and place the papers in a small basket. Each day, have a family member pick a slip of paper, and before the day is over, complete the activity as a family.
National Goat Cheese Day – Try this new recipe and work together in the kitchen to prepare Roasted Herbed Potatoes with Goat Cheese. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel three pounds of potatoes and cut into two-inch cubes. Toss potatoes with one-and-a-half tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon minced thyme, one tablespoon minced rosemary, one-half tablespoon salt and one-half teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a foil-lined 15 X 10 X 1 inch baking pan. Roast potatoes for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through backing time. Sprinkle six ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled, over potatoes and gently toss. After dinner, enjoy these books about goats to keep the celebration going: Goat’s Coat by Tom Percival, A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson, Once Upon a Goat by Dan Richards, Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney, The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Stephen Carpenter and G is for Goat by Patricia Polacco.
National Farmers Market Week – Visit the farmers market together as a family and spend the morning perusing the offerings of this county and nearby ones. Sample goodies, say hello to familiar faces, make some purchases and walk along the downtown trail at some point of the adventure.
National Bargain Hunting Week – Take the family shopping for bargains with the purpose of choosing items to donate to a church pantry, women’s shelter, homeless shelter or another community outlet taking care of those in need. Visit thrift shops, department stores and the mall to look for bargains and clearance items. Let the person who finds the best bargain choose a treat for the day, like ice cream, cupcakes or cookies.
International Tree Climbing Day – When’s the last time you climbed trees as a family? Pick a magnolia tree or some other kind with sturdy, low-hanging limbs and start climbing! Take a few selfies to remember the moment but hang on tight while you snap the picture!
Make it an awesome and amazing August from day one until the end.
Find cool ways to enjoy the heat of the day and make warm memories in the process. Treasure each moment, share hugs and kisses, and make the most of the last full month of summer.
Statesboro native Julie Lavender is the author of a women’s devotional, Strength for All Seasons and a children’s Bible story book, Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime.