July 2020 Family Fun Month Challenge

For our family, we try to make every month full of family fun but it is a specific observance in July. Between it being summer and during the 2020 pandemic, July is the perfect month for this. I’ve compiled a list of 15 unique ways to celebrate or observe family fun month. Most of these can be done while still practicing social distancing, too!

  1. Go camping. Whether it is true camping near a lake or the woods or in your own backyard or living room, camping can be a lot of fun. Check out this list of recipes to make over with a firepit.
  2. Go to the zoo. One of the best things about Sedgwick County Zoo in July is that they offer Twilight Tuesdays. This is when the zoo remains open later into the evening when it is (hopefully) cooler and everyone can attend since it is after traditional working hours. Check their website for special details regarding their new COVID-19 rules.
  3. Go for a walk/hike/bike ride along one or more of these trails.
  4. Take a day trip to visit one of these waterfalls in Kansas.
  5. Have a picnic. We love to have little picnics in our yard, on our trampoline or in our living room. Our favorite is having breakfast outside before it gets too hot out.
  6. Eat local. Find a few different food trucks to support some local businesses and have a delicious meal or snack.
  7. Nothing says summer until you’ve eaten your weight in sno cones or ice cream. These articles can tell you exactly which sno cone and ice cream shops have our vote for being scrumptious.
  8. Go on a scavenger hunt to look for all of the cool Wichita murals we have here. They make for some really cute photos and have inspired my kiddos to create their own at home with their paint sticks.
  9. Join a summer reading program through one of our public libraries. Everything you need to know, you can find on their websites. Reading is the one thing we try to keep up with during the summer. Now that our son will be entering first grade, he has been able to read books to us. Cue the mama tears. The best part about reading is that you can bring a book anywhere. We love building forts or reading nooks around the house to cozy with up with a book.
  10. Dinner and a show home version. After you make dinner or get take out, get comfortable in the living room and watch a favorite movie. Just a warning with this one – the kids might not focus too much on eating their dinner but this is a family favorite in our house. We don’t do this often but they talk about it for weeks afterwards!
  11. Cook a meal together where everyone has a job or a role in the kitchen preparing the meal. I like to have my kids choose a meal, help me make a list and (virtually) grocery shop. They get to see what all goes into preparing meals and learn some great life skills. You could even pick one of those desserts or meals you’ve had pinned on Pinterest for months (or years in my case) that you’ve been wanting to try and tackle it.
  12. Get some popsicles and turn on that sprinkler. Nothing brings back childhood memories like this simple but full of fun activity. I loved doing this growing up but not once did my parents ever play and run in the water with me when I asked. My husband and I try our best to be fun parents especially when our children ask us to. Anything becomes more fun when Mom and Dad join the fun with the kids.
  13. Learn a new skill as a family. It could be fishing, baking, swimming or trying to learn a new language if you older kids. We’ve been learning a little bit more sign language to help communicate with our one-year old and the older kids love to help teach him.
  14. Put on a talent show. This is a favorite for my kiddos because they’re always saying, “Mommy! Watch this! Watch! Mommy, WATCH ME! (I look away for .2 seconds) YOU’RE NOT WATCHING!?”. This is a way that my husband and I can dedicate time to be less distracted and focus on all the cool things our son and daughter want to show up. You don’t even want to know how many trampoline “flips” we’ve seen. They love this even more when we join in and show them something we think is fun.
  15. Do some science experiments. Pinterest has millions upon millions of ideas. Our go-to classic is to add some food coloring to vinegar in a clear container and then add baking soda for a fizzy and exciting show. The other thing we like to do is create “mud” with flour, water and cocoa and dig for our farm animals in all of the mud!
Chelsi Carter
Born and raised in Wichita, Chelsi married her high school sweetheart Britt in 2012 and they now call northwest Wichita home. Brody (b. 2013), Brexley (b. 2016), Beckett (b. 2019) and two dogs (Paisley and Mater) keep Chelsi busy as a SAHM. When the family is not playing with tractors and having dance parties in the living room, you can usually find them at their family farm in Clearwater or having a family movie night at home. Chelsi is a coffee and ice cream cake loving, Christmas obsessed list maker that has a passion for writing and designing custom invitations on her Etsy shop. She is always ready for an adventure with her kids and husband especially if it involves ice cream!