Early July marks the halfway point of the year. Seems like a good time to assess family memories you’ve collected in the past six months. How’s your family doing in the memory-making area? If you’re lacking a bit in the family adventure department, use the summer months to add extra events, activities, and excursions to fill the memory bucket. Use some of these silly July holidays to create lasting family memories with the ones you love and create some unique celebrations of your own, too.
National Mac ‘N Cheese Day – Make a delicious batch of macaroni and cheese to take to a family picnic this month and enjoy time together in the kitchen. Cook eight ounces of dry pasta according to package directions. Rinse and drain macaroni when fully cooked. Add drained pasta to a large bowl. Stir in two cups of grated cheddar cheese, eight ounces sour cream, one whisked beaten egg, two cups of cottage cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a 9 X 13-inch baking pan. Crush two cups of cheez-its. Sprinkle crushed crackers on top of the mixture. Drizzle one-half cup of melted butter over the crackers. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Shark Awareness Day – Well, even though it’s the 50th anniversary of the release of the movie Jaws, I don’t recommend watching that one as a family. That one scared me and every movie-goer back in the day and probably hampered tourism at every beach resort the summer it premiered. But, I can recommend some fun shark books to read as a family to learn more about these magnificent creatures. You may know the authors – look for the Shark Watch series of books, published by Mitchell Lane, and written by Julie and David Lavender. Look for: What’s For Lunch; Detecting Their Prey; Movement with Purpose; Making the Kill; Aggressive Encounters and Sassy, Shy, and Social Sharks. Look for them in the library and maybe even ask your child’s school to order copies for the school library, too.
Take An Elevator Day – Though I typically suggest taking the stairs when out and about, if you find an elevator sometime soon, be sure to take a ride to celebrate the day. And if your family likes trivia, here are a few tidbits to keep in your brain. While ancient civilizations were known to use a simplistic form of an elevator powered by humans or animals, a man named Elisha Otis designed a more advanced elevator in 1852. He and his sons installed the first public elevator in a five-story New York department store in 1874.
National Drive Thru Day – Take the family to a favorite restaurant for dinner but be sure to use the drive-thru window for the purchase. Then take the food to a park for a fun, family picnic. Oh, and while at the drive-thru window, take part in a pay-it-forward kind of treat and pay for the order of the car behind you in line. They’ll appreciate the gesture and the kids will learn a valuable lesson about sharing.
World Jump Day – Use this celebration to get in some family exercise time. Spend a lot of time jumping in honor of the celebration. You might even consider extending the celebration to more than one day to fit in a variety of jumping opportunities. Like, create an obstacle course in the front yard, using household items to jump over. Draw a hopscotch outline on the driveway to hop and jump through. Do jumping jacks. Jump rope. Jump on a trampoline. Jump in a puddle. Jump in a pool. Jump over a wave in the ocean. Visit a jump park. Swin at the park and jump (safely) while in mid air to see who can “stick the landing.”
Catch up on some fun, memory-making activities with the family this summer. Take advantage of extra daylight hours and warm evenings to spend time outdoors. And when it’s too hot to get outside, read books together, play board games or work on a jigsaw puzzle. Make the most of every day with the ones you love and create memories to last a lifetime.
Statesboro native Julie Lavender writes books with her husband David and enjoys visiting their adult kids and grandkids. Look for their newest book, "Jumbo Bible Word Search," launching this summer wherever books are sold.