Tips to keeping summertime activities fun for moms and kids

This post is sponsored by Rothy’s.  All opinions are my own.

The summer is always so busy for us, as after months of rain in Seattle, we welcome the sunshine with open arms and spend ALL our time outdoors.  There are festivals to attend, birthdays to celebrate and farmer’s markets to shop at! However, keeping our children busy and active on a weekly basis is something that all of us moms of little ones think about.

TIPS TO KEEPING SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES FUN FOR MOMS AND KIDS

EXPLORE NEW PARKS:

It’s easy to stick to parks close to your house, but exploring different parks around the city is part of the fun! Every playground is a little bit different so my daughter gets to explore new playground toys and different scenery every time. Some have spray parks, some have mega slides, some have amazing swings.  I make a list of parks that we want to go to and then take notes so I remember which ones we loved so we can return to them later on.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS FOR PLAYDATES:

As a mom who works from home, I’m all about finding time to meet with friends and make new friends. I have a core group of mom friends that I love to have playdates with.  I’m also the kind of person who will befriend any mom when I see my daughter playing with their child.

I think it’s hard for moms to do this as we all can be a little shy about making new friends but I’ve found that most moms are eager and more than willing to have play dates with new friends!  Joining Facebook Mom groups in your city/neighborhood are also a great way to plan play dates and meet ups!

STOCKPILE CRAFTS AT HOME:

Sometimes it’s too hot, sometimes I’m too pregnant and tired to head out, so I love to keep crafts at home to keep my daughter entertained.  We make it a date to head to the craft store and pick out a few crafts to keep at home.  Then on the days that we are home, I let her choose which project to work on.

Most craft stores have kits for kids that are inexpensive and easy to make as the last thing that I want is a headache for me! Pinterest is also a great resource to find simple and easy project.

AVOID THE CROWDS

When the weather gets too hot, we wait until after dinner to head to the park and not only is it cooler, there is nobody there! We are lucky in that in the summers here, it doesn’t get dark until after 9pm so we have plenty of time to play outside.

COMFY SHOES FOR ALL YOUR SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES

Another thing that is really important to me is keeping my daughter comfortable during all her summertime activities.  My little one is a very opinionated fashionista who loves to wear dresses and pretty shoes. I’m always on the hunt for cute but comfortable shoes that will allow her to run and play.  I’m also a huge fan of mommy and me outfits so I was so excited to find these flats from Rothy’s that were perfect for both me and my daughter!

The shoes are perfect for warm days like the ones we’ve been having where the last thing you want to be wearing is socks with shoes. I want to keep both her and my feet cool and these shoes do just that. They are made of a soft knit and when my daughter first put them on she exclaimed “these shoes are like hugs for your feet!” which I thought was a great description for them.

Being 6 months pregnant, I am all about the comfortable shoes and these are definitely on the top of my list.  I can run after her when I need to and we do often take lots of walks to our local park so I need shoes that can handle the walk as well as playing at the park.  These are perfect for that and they are so so cute! I highly recommend them for travel as well as they are so lightweight and can pack easily.

The true test is what my daughter thought of them and she had no complaints!  She loved the bright color and that they stayed on her feet as she ran, climbed and jumped.  I just love how soft and well made they are.

I love to dress my daughter and I similar but not too matchy matchy.  She’s at the stage where she loves to match with mommy.  It’s one of my favorite things and I will hold on to that until she decides it’s no longer cool. 🙂

Head over to Rothy’s to check out all the cute styles for both mommy and kids!