They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s not hard to see why. It’s where we come together to cook and enjoy food or to catch up on the events of the day. It’s where we go to enjoy each other’s company, sit, dine and laugh without the TV demanding our attention. All that said… Who wants to spend their summer sitting around in a hot, stuffy kitchen? The sun is out and we should be, too. The garden is a wonderful place for all the family to get together. It combines the benefits of being in the natural world with the benefits of being around the people who are closest to you in the world.
The garden is the perfect place to relax together for a chilled and low-key weekend. You can simply spend a quiet Sunday reading and sipping an iced-coffee while your kids kick a ball around or splash in a paddle pool. But that’s really just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some fun (and frugal) ways to enjoy summer with your family this year…
Hold the summer 2019 family olympics
We all want our kids to be more active. And what better incentive to give them than the promise of seeing their parents make complete and utter plonkers of themselves? That’s what you can look forward to when you hold your very own family back garden olympics.
You can decide on your own events and what prizes are afforded to the winners. However, if you’re stuck for choice, some potential events for the family olympics include…
- Gymnastics (you know you want to see your husband attempt a cartwheel).
- Football
- Basketball
- Badminton
- Running / relay
- Wrestling (properly supervised for Heaven’s sake)
Throw a themed garden party
In an age where being social usually involves an app, it can do both us and our kids good to spend more quality time interacting with our friends. Hosting a garden party can be the perfect way to catch up with old friends as well as encouraging your kids to be more social. Not to mention being an excellent opportunity to show off your garden, the stunning new plants and those stunning new black Kelkay Cobbles. Adding a theme to your garden party can make it a whole lot more fun for every attending generation. You can choose whatever theme you like from The Great Gatsby to Harry Potter… Just be sure to dress your garden appropriately. And hey, if you can get your guests to dress up too, so much the better.
Try a meat-free barbecue
Finally, we all know that we should be eating less meat (especially processed meats like sausages and burgers) both for the good of our health and the planet. Even if you don’t want to eschew meat altogether, it’s tremendously helpful for kids to learn what fun things can be done with veggies. Any of these meat free barbecue ideas can help you to put a healthier and more ethical spin on the quintessential summer activity. And if you’re using fresh veggies and fruits grown in your own garden, so much the better!
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