Are you stuck at home right now? You aren’t alone! Recently, I was chatting with a dear friend about how to keep things simple this summer, but also how to make it memorable for reasons other than the pandemic. We came up with the idea of a Throwback Summer!
I know this summer will be different than what we expected. Camps are canceled and our favorite places are closed. For a couple of weeks, we dubbed this summer the Bummer Summer, but then we decided we needed a mindset shift.
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That’s when I started chatting with a friend about how to make summer 2020 a simple one, just like when we were kids. And that’s when it hit us- We needed a THROWBACK summer!
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Today, I’m sharing some of our ideas for making summer 2020 anything but a Bummer Summer. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, armed with freeze pops and gimp keychains, and have some simple fun with our kiddos! I’m sharing ideas for snacks, crafts, games, movies, backyard games, and more. Plus, I have oodles of free and affordable ideas included in these lists!
When you’re finished reading, please leave a comment with your ideas. Let’s help each other to make 2020 a summer we’ll never forget!
Stuck at Home? A Throwback Summer Can Help!
The throwback ideas listed in this article are a perfect complement to our Summer 2020 Idea List:
How to turn lemons into lemonade with a throwback summer!
Yes, it’s going to be different but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun. When it comes to this whole pandemic thing, I’ve learned that it’s more important than ever to look for what Maya Angelou called “the rainbow in the clouds” and there are plenty of rainbows if you are willing to see them!
In fact, there might even be rainbow friendship pins and puffy paint t-shirts and tie-dyed pillowcases! Let’s have fun fun, you guys!
Throwback Summer: Food, Snacks, Treats, and Beverages
It was super fun to think back on all the crap we ate in the 80s. Seriously, the breakfast cereal alone makes my teeth hurt to think about it!
Harry wishes he could eat all of this! We are sharing with friends. We are going to turn our car into an ice cream truck, blare annoying ice cream truck music, and chuck goodies to friends. I got the idea from @etst on Instagram!
From Pop Rocks to Whistle Pops to Orange Crush to TV dinners, check out the throwback snacks and beverage idea list here:
Throwback Summer: FREE Activities
I had fun brainstorming this list with some good friends. Here is a list of FREE activities that will make you take a trip down memory lane!
- Pet rocks
- Backyard campout
- Cannonball contest
- Roll down a hill
- Make s’mores
- Run through the sprinkler
- Stargaze
- Have an air guitar battle
- Play M.A.S.H.
- Watermelon seed shooting contest
- Skip rocks
- Wish on a star
- Lip sync to your favorite songs
- Tell ghost stories around a campfire
- Drink from the hose
- Make cootie catchers/fortune tellers
- Pump your arm at trucks and see if you can get them to honk at you
- Make mudpies
- Catch fireflies
- Learn the moonwalk
- Bubble blowing contest
- Belly flop contest
For more ideas like the ones listed above, check out our Summer Idea List!
Here’s a super simple example from our Summer Idea List- finger painting! This calming sensory activity is fun for all ages, not just little ones!
If your kiddos end up using this Summer Idea List this summer, please tag me in your photos. It will be a rainbow in my clouds for sure!
Throwback Summer: Activities
Oh, the 80s!
I’m dating myself here, but who remembers b’loonies?! And can we get a look at my youngest’s face? I make that face often when I think about some of the things we did and ate in the 80s, but I’m ready to THROW IT BACK, you guys!
From b’loonies to snow cone making to hippity hops and more, check out these throwback activities:
Throwback Summer: Crafts
This was such a fun trip down memory lane, you guys!
Remember these?!
From friendship pins to gimp to pet rocks to shrinky dinks and puffy paint t-shirts, here’s the shortlist:
Throwback Summer: Classic Board Games
We love our classic games over here! I can’t even handle how little he was here, you guys:
For a laugh, watch those old “You sank my Battleship!!!” commercials on YouTube. Your kids will giggle!
From Clue to Perfection to Simon, here are some classic games for a throwback summer:
Throwback Summer: Backyard Games
If we’re going to talk about throwback backyard fun, I have to share this photo of my littles on a Slip’n’Slide:
Can’t have a backyard throwback post without a Slip’n’Slide!
From Slip’n’Slides to pogo sticks to horseshoes to flying turtles, check out these outdoor games and activities:
Throwback Summer: FREE Backyard Games & Activities
Here’s a list of some ideas for simple backyard fun. I was able to create this list with a little help from my friends! If you don’t remember the rules, Google is your friend!
Hello? Can you hear me?
Here you go…
- Mother May I?
- Red Light Green Light
- Red Rover
- Kick the Can
- Flashlight Tag
- Ghosts in the Graveyard
- Freeze Tag
- Watergun fights
- Simon Says
- Hopscotch
- Jumprope/Double Dutch (don’t forget all the old songs we used to sing)
- Hand Clapping Games (“Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack!”)
- Obstacle Courses
- Driveway car wash with big sponges
- Kickball
- Dodgeball
- Four Square
- SPUD
- PIG
- HORSE
- Tin can telephones
For more ideas like the ones listed above, check out our Summer Idea List!
Throwback Summer: Music
We have been having a blast listening to throwback music in our kitchen!
From Paula Abdul to George Michael to NKOTB, check out the shortlist here:
Throwback Summer: Movies & TV Shows
This summer, we plan to revisit some of our 80s favorites with the kiddos. Last year, we bought an outdoor projector (it looks like this one, not sure whether it is the same model or not) and we use it for outdoor movies during the summer and also for indoor movie nights, just to make it feel extra special. We’ve already used our projector a ton this year and I’m sure it will help to make 2020 summer memories.
From Back to the Future to Family Ties, here’s a shortlist of throwback TV show and movies:
Need a little extra help this summer? Check out the Summer Idea List and Book BINGO bundle!
And if you’re looking for more summer ideas, I created a super simple summer-themed Book BINGO set. This is an easy way to encourage your children to explore different genres and read outside their comfort zone. And it’s way better than those painful book logs of our past! When your kiddos complete a row, enjoy a rootbeer float or go out for ice cream!
You can grab both the Summer Idea List and the Book BINGO set in this bundle:
We’ll make this summer a memorable one… and not just because of this pesky pandemic!
Looking for more summer-themed homeschool ideas?
I’ve got you covered!
- How to Take a Structured Summer Break this Year
- 3 Stupid-Simple Summer Sanity Savers
- A Summer Idea List for A Surreal Summer 2020
- CuriosityStream will Boost Summer Learning
- Simple Summer Learning Ideas: A Series
- 10 Waterproof Games for the Beach or Pool
- The Best 4th of July Games {Holiday Gameschooling}
- GIANT Bubbles for GIANT Smiles
- 5 Simple Homeschool Projects
Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: Would you love a throwback summer, too? Share here!
This is awesome!!! Thank you, you captured my whole childhood here. I love this. I think some of the simple summer fun is just what we need:)
Glad you liked it, Sasha! Happy Summer!
This sounds like a whole lot of fun!! It brings back memories of my childhood Slip ‘n Slide. I think the version we had was technically called “Wet Banana.” So much fun on a bit of a decline;). Yesterday, my husband put on a dance playlist of ’80s and early ’90s songs ALL afternoon which was perfect accompaniment while we all baked and did a big spring clean. It, no doubt, slowed our work down a bit, but it made it much more energetic:). Great ideas.