August 21st

By Mutt Mulligan

Squeeze a little more outdoor time into the final days of summer

If it hasn’t already, the school bell will soon be ringing, calling kids back to the classroom. Even if school is already in session for your children, the longer days of summer mean there’s still plenty of daylight even after class is dismissed to take advantage of the great outdoors before the seasons change. Here are some tips from TurfMutt on squeezing the most out of the remaining days of summer.

TurfMutt encourages neighbors to connect via nature.

• Have a picnic. There’s no better place than your own yard to have a family picnic.
• Take a hike. You don’t have to go far to take a great hike. You can walk through your neighborhood or check out that nearby park that you’ve been meaning to get to but just haven’t for one reason or another. Bring Fido along for an outing the whole family will enjoy!
• Pitch a tent. A backyard camping experience can be a great way to reconnect with nature (without having to completely forgo the comforts of home!).
• Create a summer scrapbook. Before the seasons change, grab your camera and take photos of your families’ favorite parts of summer. Capture everything from the plants and flowers in your own backyard to the wildlife that makes its home there. Then create a photo album so you can be reminded of summer even when the mercury drops!
• Play outdoors. Round up the neighborhood kids and host a rousing game of kick the can, tag, hide and seek or red light/green light.
• Host a BBQ. Invite some neighbors over to enjoy a good old fashioned barbeque party in your yard. Everyone can pitch in by bringing a dish to share.

How have you enjoyed the great outdoors during these final days of summer? Share your ideas in the comments section or on TurfMutt’s Facebook page.