A nostalgic summer bucket list

Summertime is often a busy, hectic season for many families. As soon as the days start getting longer, I find myself trying to squeeze in as many activities and adventures as I can.

For some reason, I always feel immense pressure to make summers memorable for my family. Somewhere along the way ‘memorable’ morphed into a jam-packed calendar, much to my partner’s dismay.

As I sit and think about what I remember from summers as a child, it wasn’t any of the big extravagant adventures or trips my mom took me on, although we did do plenty of those. What I remember most is eating popsicles in the blowup pool in the backyard with a friend, flashlight tag and volleyball parties at my uncle’s house, riding bikes with some of the kids in the neighborhood, and sleepovers at my best friend’s house.

Some of these activities won’t work for my family in our current situation. We don’t have a large extended family that lives nearby, the street we live on isn’t exactly conducive to letting a kiddo ride around on their bike, and I’m not quite ready to let my four-year-old head out for a sleepover yet.

But, this summer I plan to embrace the simple things.

I asked our community of moms in HER Circle what some of their best summer memories were. I noticed some definite themes among their answers, most notably fun in the neighborhood, hanging out at the pool, family time, and simple activities.

Without fail, it was the simple things that were remembered most fondly.

Memories in the neighborhood

Many of the moms remembered playing simple games with their neighbors. The entire neighborhood would come together to play giant games of hide and seek, kickball games in the street, or late night Capture the Flag and Flashlight Tag. One mom noted that it was always the best when the adults joined in the game. Another mom shared that Summer Prank Wars with the neighbors were one of her favorite memories. Riding bikes and having lemonade stands were other beloved memories mentioned multiple times.

The pool

Going to the neighborhood pool was another favorite memory among many of our members. One mom remembered how much she loved buying ice cream during the adult swim. Is there anything better than a frozen Snickers on a hot day? Another mom remembered packing a picnic and eating frozen grapes by the pool. Some mentioned a simple blow-up pool or sprinkler in the backyard being a treasured memory.

Family Time

Family time was another core theme. One mom recalled making gazpacho and eating dinner on the screened porch every night with her family, another held memories shucking corn with her papa close to her heart. One mom shared how much she loved filling her mom’s movie theater purse with candy and treats and going to see the summer movies. Several people mentioned trips to the beach with grandparents and extended family and how those trips became a deeply valued tradition for them as children.

Simple Activities

Above all, it was the simple activities that were remembered most fondly: climbing trees, catching fireflies, and the sound of the ice cream truck coming through the neighborhood. Enjoying day trips to the water park, library days, reading inside to avoid the hot afternoons, and catching salamanders in the creek. One mom mentioned putting on performances to different Disney soundtracks, and it brought back my own flood of memories of the elaborate theater productions we put on for family on a makeshift stage in the backyard. Finding a secret garden in the back yard, making extensive chalk drawings on the driveway, and going to a nearby lake for a swim are such simple ways to spend an afternoon, yet clearly they mean a lot to children.

None of the ‘fond memories’ shared were elaborate Pinterest projects, cost a ton of money, or required extensive planning on the part of the parents.

In honor of a simple summer, and based on my very non-academic research study of “what we remember most fondly from our childhood summers,” I have decided to let these nostalgic memories influence my family’s summer plans.

My Nostalgic 2022 Summer Bucket List

While we aren’t members at a community pool, a blow-up pool from the store will provide plenty of fun afternoons in the backyard. We don’t have too many activities going on in our neighborhood for kids, but I’m planning to set up some games in one of the big fields at a local park with some friends. I aim to focus on family dinners and find fun ways to make them novel and unique for summer, getting my daughter involved and enjoying meals on our patio as a family.

I will embrace all the simple activities this summer and acknowledge that they are more than enough to give my daughter all the special memories she so deserves. This summer you will definitely catch me and my family enjoying some lazy afternoons reading, putting on dances in our basement, going to Falls Lake for a swim, playing with the sprinkler in the backyard, creating elaborate designs with sidewalk chalk, and catching fireflies.

Regardless of what you have on the agenda this summer, make sure you take some pressure off yourself and enjoy the “lazy days” vibe of summer!

What are your best memories from childhood summers?

Crissy Fishbane is the co-founder of HER Health Collective, a supportive community and resource hub for moms. She is a certified therapeutic exercise specialist, personal trainer, wellness coach, and former high-school psychology teacher. Crissy believes in a holistic approach to women’s health and is a strong advocate of improved screening and treatment of perinatal mood disorders. She is passionate about building a supportive community for moms where they can make genuine connections and build authentic relationships. Crissy is a regular Go Ask Mom contributor.