10 Last-Minute Ideas to Squeeze in Summer Fun Before School Starts

Poet Dylan Thomas's memorable poem ends

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

While his poem focuses on living well before we die, for some reason I always think of this poem when I start seeing “Back to School” sales at Target. I want to rage against the dying of the light and squeeze every bit of relaxation and enjoyment out of summer before school and schedules take over our lives again.

If you have a few more days to enjoy some summer fun before school starts, here are some fun ideas you can pull off with very little planning to make a few more summer memories.

Find a local swimming hole

The best days of summer for my kids are when we go find a small river with a swimming hole and just play on the rocks and in the water. Besides word of mouth, what is the best way to find a swimming hole? Do a web search for “[your state] swimming holes” or check out Swimmingholes.org.

Visit a State Park

Millions of Americans go to national parks each summer, but how often do we skip the state parks that are in our own backyard? August is a great time to check out a local state park. Look for activities such as swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, birdwatching, or geocaching that would interest your children.

Go to an Amusement Park

Late August and Labor Day weekend can be great times to visit amusement parks. Summer lines die down because most people are thinking about backpacks and school shopping instead of roller coasters. 

Go Geocaching

Have you tried geocaching? Kids love searching for hidden treasures, and geocaching is a great family activity. You can download a geocaching app on a smartphone or buy a more expensive Geocaching device with more features.

Take a mini-road trip

Vacation season starts to wane in August and you might find some good deals at hotels and resorts just before school starts – especially if you can go Sunday-Thursday. This is a good opportunity to shop for deals and then pick your destination.

Hit the beach

We are a beach-loving family, and while we live 3.5 hours from the Atlantic Ocean, we love to kick off and close our summer with a trip to the beach. If you do not live close enough to make a quick trip to the ocean, look for a swimming beach at a nearby lake, such as the one at Deep Creek Lake State Park in Maryland.

Go to a water park

Celebrate the end of summer with a visit to a local water park. Big or small, these can be a great place for summer fun for the whole family.

Visit a historical site

I try to drag my kids to historical sites all summer. I love supporting what we learn at school with some hands-on history. Get ready for back to school with a fun historical site. My favorite types for kids involve being outdoors, such as a battlefield or fort to explore. Presidential libraries are excellent period museums as well.

Go camping

Sleeping in a tent is so exciting for children. Camping can be a lot of work for parents, but our best family stories often come from our camping trips.

Visit your college campus

Take a walk down memory lane as you show your children your college campus. I graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah. This summer I took the kids bowling in the student center on campus and got ice cream at the creamery, which was a favorite hang-out spot for us years ago. It was so fun to share my memories with them and talk about their hopes and dreams for college.

If you don't live close to your alma mater or don't have one, a visit to a local university campus can still be a memorable outing.

Conclusion

Whatever you choose to do this summer, do not go gentle into that good night. Put a little effort into enjoying the last days of summer before the kids go back to school. Do you have any other end-of-summer fun activities I should add to this list? Thanks for sharing in the comments!