To the Porch: Summer Evenings Well Spent
Not every memory needs an itinerary. Some of the sweetest ones start with a screen door swinging shut, bare feet on warm boards, and the hum of a summer night settling in.
This week's Summer Bucket List theme, To The Porch, is a gentle invitation to end the day slowly - outside, together, with no big plans and nowhere to be.
It's about porch swings and rocking chairs, citronella candles and campfire smoke. It's making s'mores on a Tuesday and catching lightning bugs just because you can. It's letting the kids jump on the trampoline in their pajamas and staying up late enough to watch the sky go dark.
Because sometimes, freedom looks like building a life you don't need a vacation from. One porch night at a time.
A Porch Evening Might Include...
- Blankets and Bare Feet - Toss a quilt down on the porch or the lawn and just... be. Let them chase each other while you sip something sweet and listen to the sound of the day ending.
- Mountian Pies in the Campfire - If you've never made them, you're missing out! They're toasted sandwiches filled with your favorite ingredients. Sweet or savory, they are a staple in our family.
- Sparklers and Sidewalk Chalk - Let your littles light up the evening in their own way. The chalk washes away. The sparkler moment lasts.
- A Game of Tag, but in the Dark - A flashlight, some cousins, and a wide backyard... sometimes, that's the best summer night of all.
Summer Bucket List Tie-Ins:
- Watch a Movie Outside
- Jump on a Trampoline
- Have a Campfire
- Make a Birdhouse
- Catch Lightning Bugs
- Watch Fireworks
- Have a Picnic
- Eat S'mores
- Play Outside
Download your free Summer Bucket List and check off the ones that feel like your kind of summer.
Extend This Week's Theme: Backyard Nights
Want to take your porch time one step further? Try a few of these memory-makers:
- Start a Summer "Porch Log" - Use a notebook to log all your little porch moments - fireflies spotted, porch visitors, books read aloud, late night laughs. You can even let your littles draw or decorate it each week.
- Make a DIY Lantern Jar - Let your kiddos decorate a mason jar or empty jelly jar with tissue paper or stickers. Add a battery powered tealight and place it on the porch when the sun goes down.
- Collect "Porch Treasures" - Let your littles gather sticks, pinecones, acorns, pebbles and other backyard treasures. Place them on a small tray or in an egg carton. At the end of summer, have them pick their favorite and talk about where they found it.
Let this week be a reminder that you don't need to "go" anywhere to feel connected. Some of the best nights happen with a blanket, a breeze, and the people you love right there on the porch.
