Now that the spring has arrived the days a brighter, warmer and there's a great stretch in the evenings - as we say here in Ireland! My sons are usually tucked up in bed by 7 or 7.30 but now this is getting drawn out as the weather has been so good and the sun just makes them want to stay up later.
It can be hard trying to find ways to entertain us both in the evenings, generally we don't leave the house after 6 as it was always 'getting ready for bed time' but I can see this is now changing and I've been in search of some boredom busters, not just for them but for me too.
The weather is fantastic right now but it it rains of course, there’s always the fall-back position of seeing what’s on TV, but there’s definitely a limit to how entertaining watching hours of TV can be. I usually just put it on to have some sound in the house. Here are some fun things to do in spring and summer evenings, because everyone should make the most of these long evenings!
Go for a walk with the little ones
Going for a walk in the evenings, especially when the sun is shining, can be a great way to wind little ones down for bedtime and is a great way of fitting some light exercise into your day. I've begun taking Tyler Lee out for little adventures in the evening, bringing my camera with me and taking some snaps in the gorgeous evening sunlight. You can now read about our latest adventure - a little boy and his island. If you want to set out for an earlier afternoon adventure, a lovely thing to do in the spring is to go and see baby animals. Lambing season means that fields will be full of adorable little lambs skipping about. You can look up where to see lambs and have a lovely spring experience with the kids.
Relax and play in the garden
Some days the little ones are actually bound to fall asleep on time, especially if they days are hot and they've been running around a lot or have had a day at the seaside, so why not relax in the garden after they've gone to bed? I love being out in my garden but I want to make it even nicer and somewhere peaceful and fun for us all to relax and enjoy. It's a labour of love. You could also plant garlic in your yard to add a fun and simple gardening project the kids can help with. A great way to keep the kids entertained in the garden is by putting together some sensory play activities, setting up some water play fun on the warmer days and evenings and letting the kids enjoy being outside as much as they can.
While the kids are playing, why not sit back and relax in your garden with a drink? This Biscoff frappé recipe is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy on a warm summer's evening while the kids play happily outside with you.
Have a picnic
Why not mix things up and have a picnic for dinner? Imagine the fun everyone would have just relaxing with each other outside and enjoying some nice food together. I love going for picnics with Tyler Lee and Jacek and one of these evenings we're going to have a picnic for dinner - expect pictures! We recently had a teddy bears picnic and it was so much fun!
Grab some ice-creams and head to the seaside
This is such a great idea for an after dinner treat for the little ones and one my boy would enjoy for sure! You can pick up some ice-creams cheaply in your local supermarket, tell the kids it's dessert and then take them to the seaside to enjoy them. There's benches at our local beach and I like to sit there with Tyler Lee whilst having a treat before having a stroll along the beach with him. It's such a simple thing but something he really enjoys. There's nothing like a before bed paddle to help you drift off to sleep!
Have a tea party in the garden
This is something I really want to do with the girls at some stage, as I've already stated on the blog, there's nothing better than tea and chats! Why not make your outdoor table all pretty, serve some tea and cocktails, cakes and finger food and have some giggles and gossip with your besties.
Have a family BBQ
This is something I'd love to do at some stage during the summer. I want to get the BBQ out and invite my family around to enjoy some delicious food and just have a laugh with them out in the garden. It's so lovely to get everyone together and what better way to enjoy each others company then out in the sun with some tasty food?
Go for a bike ride
Another great way to get some exercise into the day and it's quite a leisurely activity when the evening is long and the sun is shining. I really want to get a new bike and a seat on the back for Tyler Lee. It'd be lovely to go for a cycle with him in the evenings down the back of the island by the sea.
These are just some ways to have fun in these beautiful spring and summer evenings and as you can see there are some things in there for us adults to enjoy on our own and with friends too - so important to have some 'me time' of course. As you can see, all of these fun activities are based outside because it'd be a shame to waste these beautiful evenings sitting indoors - unless it's raining, which in Ireland it most probably will be so I'll be making the most of the sun while I can!
Which of these things would you find most fun?
I'm ALL about BBQing. I'm a carnivore, and nothing makes meet more tasty than cooking it over an open flame. Yum.
I love summer evenings, especially when I go over to Ireland where my parents are from, the scenery looks even more amazing. BBQ's are definitely a must in the Summer.
We like bike rides with the kids. It is always fun to do on a nice cool evening.
I can't wait for Summer! It's been such a long Winter here and we've been cooped up way too long. I can't wait for Barbecues and Camping. =)
Great ideas! Family walks and BBQ are our favorite! I long for them in the winter and can't get enough in the summer! So fun!
I remember seeing some of these pics on Instagram! So super precious. I'm so happy that springtime is here and that summer is closer. Ireland looks so beautiful!
I love sitting by the pool during the spring and summer. I am so blessed to have a place for us to cool off on those hot days. I really like your ideas. They are helpful.
I think for me in the evenings I love going for a walk, it relaxes me and after a good shower I am ready for some blogging and then bed.
These are really great tips. I can do all of these things with my daughter this summer.
I like relaxing in the garden during the summers! These are all fun things to do!
These are wonderful ideas! Now that the weather is getting nicer here, we have been bike riding, walking and visiting parks! Pretty soon it will be time for camping and picnics.
I am all about taking my dog to the park and getting a good walk in. There is nothing I love more than to throw in my ear buds, listen to some good music, and get my cardio in!
While I love that warmer weather means longer before it gets dark, it also means daylight comes earlier here too. So it can be hard to get the dogs to adjust. Kiddo never has a problem. LOL
Gardening and BBQing is my best chouices during summer and s[pring. When my kids get off from school, we usually take them to the woods and enjoy the outdoors.
This is such a great list of things to do in the spring and summer! I love how it has to do with being with your family too! Love it!
We like to hit the walking trail with or without our bikes (people often do both there). I'm just so glad it's nice enough to be out there doing stuff again.
I need that teepee in my life. It would be so fun in my yard for my family!
I love having a BBQ with my family. Anything to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air this season.
These are great ideas for spending the evenings. I love the tee pee it is so cute. I am so excited for warm nights on the patio.
I love having BBQs in the summer evenings, it makes for a quick and fun dinner night. I can't wait for our weather here to pick up and stop raining so we can have our first one of the year.
I would love to go to the seaside but we're so far from the beach. The nearest is like a 6 hour drive. My hometown is by the beach and gong to the beach often is one of the many things that I miss the most from my home country.
Ah, so many fun things to do! I won't lie, I've been counting down the days to do most of this stuff, lol!
I totally want to have a tea party in the garden! That sound like so much fun!