Ideas, ideas, ideas!!!

Need summer activity ideas? Who doesn't! A mother's group of which I'm a part did some summer activity sharing and brainstorming last week which I'm sharing with everyone. I'll keep adding and editing activities as I find them :)

Thanks to Julie E for hosting the meeting and bring lots of Mother's Center goodies and Charly for putting together most of this document, including so many links!

At home:

• Build and run an obstacle course - put kids on a "podium" and hand out ribbons from the dollar store (or make your own - another activity!)
  
• Write a poem or a play and then videotape the performance
• Make puppets and perform a puppet show
• With help from an adult, build a birdhouse, bench, or wooden sculpture. Ask the local lumber yard if they have any off-cuts to give you for free.
• Go to the library for activity books for young children or projects for older kids.

FREE activities:

• Teach kids to fish (adults do need a license) - here are some places to try
  
• Take a kid-friendly hike with NoCo Nature Tribe
• Take a guided (easy) hike. The Larimer County Natural Resources Department has many different choices.
• Get outside with a City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program.
  
• Make and fly a kite. Try this website to make your own.
• Visit the CSU Environmental Learning Center. Pack a picnic and visit the raptors.
  
• Stop by the Gardens on Spring Creek. Play in the water at the giant watering can or be a human sundial!
  
• Bike all over Fort Collins and Loveland
• Visit all the city parks in Ft. Collins and Loveland.
• Swim at the beach at Lake Loveland or Windsor Lake
• Play in the Poudre river
  
• Go to a kid's workshop at Home Depot
• Visit the Garbage Garage Tuesday, Thursday or Friday between 10am and 2pm.
  

• Visit all the splash parks:
• Loveland Sports Park
• The fountain by the Bent Fork in Centerra
• Inspiration Playground at Spring Canyon Park
• Fossil Creek Park
• Oak Street Plaza
• Visit all the sculpture parks:
  
• Swetsville Zoo
• Chapungu Sculpture Park
• Benson Park
• Enjoy a concert
• Ben & Jerry's Concert Series, 7-9pm on Fridays in Old Town Square
• CSU Lagoon Concert Series, schedule not yet released
  
• Loveland’s Foote Lagoon Concerts, 7-9pm on Thursdays at Civic Center Park
• more concerts coming, just waiting for all the schedules to be released!
  
• See a Streetmostphere performer
• Check out the Poudre River Library District's summer schedule (summer schedule not yet released)
• See a free movie outdoors Friday nights at the Promenade Shops at Centerra. Entertainment starts at 7pm with the main feature beginning around 9pm
• Attend American Girl or Dangerous Boys clubs at your local Barnes & Noble store. I like the Centerra store. Notice there are lots of story times too. They often offer a summer reading program as well!
  

Activities with a fee:

• Visit all the water parks:
• City Park Pool
• Family Funplex in Greeley
• Chilson indoor pool
• Winona outdoor pool
• Crystal Rapids water park
• Mulberry indoor Pool
• Ride the Fort Collins Trolley weekends May - Sept. Board at noon at City Park (by the tennis courts).
  
• Swim, hike, boat, bike, and picnic at Boyd Lake State Park
• Hike along Horsetooth Reservoir. Picnic, swim, and boat in South Bay.
• Go to the Rialto's Tuesday Theater for Kids, 10am & 2pm at the Rialto in Loveland, $5/adult, $3/kid
• See an all-female cast of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at CSU's Shakespeare at Sunset.
• Go to the Drive-in!
  

Summer camps and classes:

• Fort Collins Recreator - classes for every age and interest
• The Recreator is also offering Girls Slow Pitch Softball league and Tackle Football Camps. Other sports camps are available through Fort Collins Parks and Recreation via Skyhawks Summer Sports Camps
  
• Summer camps and classes through Ft. Collins PSD (2011)
• Contact your local church and ask about summer programs. I personally recommend the Foothills Unitarian Church summer day camp.
• Dance like a Disney Princess at High Country Dance
• Summer Camps at the Environmental Learning Center
• Summer Camps at the Gardens on Spring Creek
• Summer Camps through the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center
• Green Adventures Camps through Loveland Youth Gardeners
  
• Summer Sports Camps through CSU
• The Edge Sports Center summer camps and classes.
  
• Lone Tree Summer Camps through the Loveland Museum
  
• Learn to scuba or snorkel at High Plains Scuba
• Check out some art classes through the Loveland Youth Art Program
• One day Waste Ranger Camp is available FREE through the Garbage Garage. Offered for ages 8-12 on 3 different dates, June 22, July 13 and Aug 3, from 8:30am-2pm. To register call 498.5775 or 498.5772 or email mmcarthy@larimer.org or rwatson@larimer.org