Summer is the season most families look forward to all year. The hustle and bustle of the school year is left behind, and there is more time to enjoy family-centered activities. It’s a great way for several generations of the family to bond and build memories.

Planning those bonding activities for multiple generations can sometimes be challenging. We have a few ideas for ways that seniors and their families can connect. Post this checklist on the refrigerator to keep it handy for the summer days ahead!

Checklist of Intergenerational Activities for Summer

  • Plan a picnic in your local park or at a nearby lake
  • Hike a nature trail—many are accessible for seniors with mobility challenges
  • Take a guided tour of a local or regional art museum
  • Sign up for a class or workshop at a nearby craft store
  • Plant a container herb or flower garden on the patio
  • Visit an amusement park or water park
  • Rent a cabin or pitch a tent to get back to nature
  • Rent a projector, hang a sheet, and have an outdoor movie night
  • Whip up favorite family treats—have the senior write the recipes down for the grandkids to keep
  • Enjoy a craft party in the dining room on a rainy afternoon
  • Make homemade ice cream
  • Roast marshmallows outdoors to create s’mores
  • Fly a kite in a nearby park or field—extra points for making your own kite
  • Stock up on Nancy Drew mysteries and read them by candlelight
  • Go bird watching and document which feathered friends you see
  • Have a water balloon fight
  • Build a Lego skyscraper
  • Plan a scavenger hunt—indoors or outside
  • Pick a bundle of posies from a flower farm
  • Visit the local library to stock up on a few classics to read on the porch
  • Make and enjoy homemade play dough
  • Buy a Popsicle mold and whip up a few fruity treats
  • Fill cheap squirt guns with water-based paint and create a masterpiece on canvas
  • Round up supplies and head to the beach to make sand castles
  • Play a few old-fashioned board games, like Candyland or Operation!
  • Create an outdoor tic-tac-toe board
  • Paint and hang bird houses or feeders
  • Go star gazing in your own backyard or at a nearby beach
  • Build a fort in the living room
  • Tie-dye a t-shirt or scarf
  • Make a scrapbook
  • Go berry picking at a local farm
  • Plant pumpkins to carve this fall
  • Write and produce your own play
  • Play a few rounds of croquet
  • Run through the sprinklers
  • Make a time capsule to dig up in five years

The bottom line is to enjoy quality time together this summer!

Retirement Communities Keep Seniors Active and Engaged

If you are an older adult interested in downsizing, an independent living community can be an ideal solution. These maintenance-free communities will give you more time to travel and enjoy the grandkids!

Talk to a local advisor for free by calling 800-304-8061 today.