Let face it, as moms we love summer time! Long days in the sunshine and tired tiny humans at the end of the day.  We are finally free of being stuck within the same four walls all winter and we can let those kids run wild outside! Free at last!!

Here are a few of my hacks to make your summer even better! It will save you time and energy. Plus, you will have more time to make memories with your kids!

Dollar store buckets:

Store bubbles, side walk chalk, and other outside toys in these dollar store buckets. It’s a great way to keep all of the summer time toys together, and easy to pull out one activity at a time.

I also use these to haul the ketchup, mustard, paper towels, and cups out to the table on the deck.

 

Lean in to the paper:

Give yourself a break, use the paper plates and cups. It will save you from doing the dishes and will allow you more time playing outside with the family. I know this is not the most budget friendly thing to do. However, think of those extra memories you will be making instead of stuck inside washing dishes. Stock up on paper plates, silver wear, and napkins in bulk as a way to save. Enjoy those moments that you will never get back.

Ant maze:

Did you know that most ants wont cross chalk! Well the kids find this super funny. We find a fearfully loved ant friend, and we draw chalk lines. Most of the time, the small creature won’t cross the line so we can maneuver the tiny friend in to every which way. Controlling which direction, they go. It’s a silly summer time game we play.

 

 Keep Baby wipes by the front door for dirty feet:

Even with tennis shoes on, my kids always have dirty feet after playing outside! The sand gets in those tiny shoes which results in dirty foot prints all over my house. I keep a box of baby wipes by my front door to do a quick wipe after being outside. This works great on muddy paws too!

 

Garbage hunt:

This is a great way to teach your kids about helping your community and taking care of Earth. We go on a garbage hunt around our neighborhood. Since I have smaller kids, I pick up the trash and they point it out to me. We just grab a trash bag and walk around looking for trash. The kids just love it, and it’s a mom win because I am teaching them about keeping our community clean and giving back.

Water painting:

It’s amazing how something so simple can keep kids busy for hours! No for real… my toddlers love this! I give them a cup of water and a paint brush and they paint the side walk for hours! The best part is they think its magic because the water dries in the hot sun and their art work disappears! So, they start all over again! It’s crazy but it works!! So old fashioned!

 

Car blanket:

This is something I always have in my car in the summer. This is my all time favorite kids item that I have ever bought. This is super nice because I can spray it down with a hose, the grass does not poke through it, but the sand falls through to the ground. Its magic let me tell you. It works great for last minute picnics at the park, the beach, and a million other places! Its great when you have a baby who needs some room to roam at the park but I don’t want them sticking stuff from the ground in their mouth! You can buy mine here!!! It’s super cheap!!

Eating outside:

With two young kids, there is nothing I enjoy more than easy clean up after dinner. We eat outside most nights in the summer. For a few different reasons.  The kids love it, its something different and they can be louder outside than indoors. If they spill, which they always do, clean up is a breeze with the garden hose. The table, chairs, cushions, and deck get a quick spray down and we are done! They seem to eat faster and more without me begging because they are more focused on other things around them rather than battling it out with me.

 

Have a summer stash:

I have this Ikea drawer unit in one of our front closets. I keep everything in there for summer: beach towels, sun block, sun hats, bug spray, extra shoes, and a small first aid kit (for scrapped knees). That way I don’t have to run all the way up stairs and its easy to reach. It saves a ton of time to have everything handy to toss in a bag for a day trip or to grab as we head out to play.

*I also have a stash of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers in there for s’mores!