Summer has my heart – sweet ice cream, puffy hydrangeas, movie nights, being outdoors, a general laid-back atmosphere. There are so many reasons I love summer, but especially because it inspires me as a season of play.
Life is often brimming with aspects of work, schedules, checklists, and more. While these are each wonderful things, play in itself can be an important part of life as well.
As a mom to a toddler, I am realizing how vital “play” is to our development and soul. Play will look different as we age, but it does not and should not stop just because we grow up.
You’re probably wondering what “play” looks like in practicality. My answer – it depends on the person! Every child plays differently, and every person will nurture whimsy and fun in their lives differently.
Here are a few ways I have been embracing a playful summer this year, and maybe these will spark some ideas for yours as well:
1. Exploration
When I hear the word “exploration,” I either think of individuals of long-past who set out into various lands, or I think of Dora. But exploration does not have to be to far-off lands.
How much of your city/town have you truly explored? Over the past year, I have been “exploring” my city through trying to visit new-to-me parks with my son. In the Kansas City area, we are blessed to have many parks, and I love going to new ones and finding fun playgrounds for my son, or discovering a new trail I like.
If you live in a small town, I get it – I am originally from a small town, and “exploring” can feel a bit harder. But maybe there are some neighboring towns that you can visit that have a different park, or coffee shop, or even a grocery store if you want to change things up.
(Of course, as in everything, use discretion and have awareness as you uncover new areas to you.)
Some fun things to explore if your town/city has the availability for it are:
- Libraries (I love to visit different ones)
- Coffee shops
- Parks
- Nature centers
- Local craft, thrift, or antique stores
- Museums
- Scenic lookouts
- Garden nurseries/green houses
- “Main” streets
- Grocery stores
- Bookstores
Pick a category off this list or your own, do some research on it for your area, and then see how much you can explore before the summer is over!
2. Water
That’s it – just water. Something about water can bring out the kid in us, whether it’s a pool, the ocean, or a sprinkler.
There are so many ways to embrace the spirit of play with water-based activities, but right now, I have a two-year old, so I try to keep things simple.
A hose and a sponge have been a great addition to our summer fun. My son loves to water the plants and grass. Add a sponge, and you have a toddler-sized car wash.
If you have a water table and some water-friendly toys, set those up in the yard and let the kids have at it! If you don’t have a water table, some shallow buckets and bubbles can work great too.
I’ve been enjoying setting up my son’s water table (got mine off Facebook Buy Nothing Group!) and letting him play with that and the hose, while I read or play with him. Perfect way to cool down in the summer heat!
3. Live Your Barista Dream
Making coffee and yummy drinks at home is one of my favorite ways to add a bit of whimsy and fun to my day. I crave a little coffee treat every time I leave the house, but my budget doesn’t allow for daily coffees out, so I’ve found a lot of joy in making my own “cafe” at home.
This can seem a daunting task if you don’t have an espresso machine, as many of them can be expensive. However, don’t underestimate the power of thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace. I found my trusty espresso machine for $20 at my local thrift store (she sells online for over $100!). I gave her a good cleaning, and now I love to make my coffee at home.
Doing this opens other possibilities also, like making your own drink syrups. Here are some drinks I have made and been loving lately if you want inspo:
- Salted Iced Honey Latte
- Iced Cardamom Latte
- Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
- Salted Caramel Brown Sugar Iced Latte
- Vanilla Iced Matcha
4. Audiobooks
Summers are full of good stories – something about this season makes me want to jump into a good read. I’m currently doing Feeling! Magazine’s (Jenna O’Brien’s Substack) reading challenge, and through that, I’ve been getting into audiobooks more.
While I love listening to music, it is nice to get swept up in a captivating story while doing some of life’s less-captivating tasks (laundry, I’m looking at you). There is something playful in the art of reading, in whatever form that looks like.
I do have to say that I cannot listen to every book as an audiobook. My auditory retention is not strong enough to listen to novels with a lot of names, complicated narrator switches, or more abstract/flowery vocabulary. So I like to stick to books that are easier to follow along with, like thrillers or YA novels.
Some audiobooks I have listened to this summer are:
- One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
- The Selection by Kiera Cass (almost finished with this one)
- The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden
- The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
Find a story that you can get lost in and enjoy it as you do tasks around the house, drive your commute, or go on a walk!
5. Flexible Scheduling
Scheduling and play? Those don’t seem like they fit together. However, building (flexible) routine into your life can make space for play while still being a good steward of other areas of life.
Because I am still new-ish to being home full-time, I’ve been wanting to create more structure for how I take care of our family. This summer, I have been working on creating a simple and ideal home management schedule. For example:
- Sunday – Prepare grocery list and meal plan. Submit grocery order for Monday pick-up.
- Monday – Pick up and put away groceries. Clean the bathroom.
- Tuesday – Laundry.
- Wednesday – Clean the floors.
- Thursday – Collect trash in trash bins.
- Friday – Change sheets/bedding. General clean-up.
- Saturday – Free day.
Do I follow this every week? Absolutely not. On top of my family’s typical schedule, cooking, and more, it’s not always possible to accomplish everything. But I’ve been working towards making this my general goal, and it has helped give more regularity to these tasks.
How does this pair with “play” though? Creating some sort of structure/routine in your life, no matter what you do, can open up doors for fun. I don’t have to get all the laundry and floors and bathrooms clean in one or two days. I can spread it throughout the week, and that leaves some space in my day for other things, like taking my son to a park or watching a favorite TV show with my husband in the evening.
Planning out your play (and work) can help keep it a priority in your life.
These are just a few ideas to get you started this summer. I’ve loved embracing this bit of whimsy, and I hope you will too!
What are some ways that you love to embrace “play” in your life? Share in the comments below!
addie ley 
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