Five Tips For Summer Fun
The Potter's House of Denver's staff and leadership team recently filmed a promotion for the upcoming all-church Summer Blast, an event with food, games, and ministry opportunities. Our pastor emphasized this was to be a time of joy and laughter, and the video needed to demonstrate that.
Under the TV Ministry’s direction, we released balloons, squirted each other – and the pastor - with water pistols and super-soakers as well as water balloons. We acted like kids at a water park and sure enough, we had great fun! We also experienced joy, laughter and a true spirit of camaraderie as we worked together to show people having fun together.
You might not undertake something so elaborate, but you can easily and inexpensively find ways for your own family to spend time together laughing, learning and creating warm memories.
Here are some ideas:
Have your own water fight – you can buy a few water pistols, splash in the pool or spray each other with the garden hose. Kids especially love to drench mom and dad, and laughter is guaranteed.
Become a tourist in your own state. My husband grew up in Arizona but never visited the Grand Canyon until he moved away. We live in Colorado, but it was our friends from Texas who introduced us to some fantastic mountain scenery.
Hanging Lake by Glenwood Springs CO
Create memorable moments. I’ll always remember the Sunday morning we were traveling with a group of church friends and stopped by the side of the road overlooking Ouray, “The Little Switzerland of Colorado.” We shared a loaf of bread and bottle of grape juice as we participated in communion. Memorable? You bet! It just took a little planning and stopping by the grocery store.
Give the gift of an experience. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that my young niece preferred going with her mom for a manicure and pedicure than to receive the normal “birthday present.” When you offer an older child the choice of a gift or an experience, you might be amazed yourself when they choose a new adventure.
Learn and play - A day with mom or dad learning how to prepare dinner or ride a bike is a wonderful treat for both the adults and the kids. Little girls love to play “grown-up,” go to the grocery store, get all the ingredients for a meal and then fix it, messes and all. And my grown son still remembers as a boy how his dad spent one summer teaching him how to throw a football, practicing again and again until he got it right.
What can you do this summer to ensure you have lots of laughter, fun and memorable moments? You don’t have to take a world cruise or go to Disneyland; have a water fight in your own backyard!