When I was a child in the 1970s, summers were far out. School ended just after Memorial Day, and we had three whole months to explore, and play, and have fun before heading back to the classroom after Labor Day. We played outside every day – TV was strictly regulated to after dinner, and only if homework and chores were done. The few available channels showed cartoons only on Saturday mornings from 6:00 to 10:00.

My dad was a master at coming up with fun things to do. We did most things as a family, or as a family with a few other neighborhood kids. We climbed trees, rode double on our bikes (no helmet and no pads), had pocketknives, used needle and thread, baked in a hot oven, and got filthy in the yard. But our parents weren’t uptight about any of it, man. Everyone was feeling groovy!

So unpack your bell bottoms and halter tops and disco your way through this list of 35 fun “old school” things to do with your kids this summer:

idea #1: grow frogs

Find frog spawn – clumps of clear “jelly” containing hundreds of little black dots – in the shallows of still and slow-moving fresh water. In a large glass jar or small aquarium, collect some water, gravel, plants (with the roots) and a scoopful of the frog spawn. Over the course of 6-12 weeks, watch as the eggs hatch into tadpoles, grow legs, lose their tails, and eventually become tiny frogs.

idea #2: backyard camping

Venture into the great beyond right in your own back yard! Set up the tent, unroll the sleeping bags, and roast hot dogs and marshmallows on sticks over an open fire. At night, turn off all the yard lights and sleep under a canopy of a million twinkling stars.

idea #3: container herb garden

Local plant nurseries, Lowe’s, and even Wal-Mart carry seeds and seedlings. Easy-to-grow herbs include basil, mint, chives, sage, coriander, parsley, and rosemary. All you need is some potting soil, a few rocks for drainage, and clay pots (or use recycled materials like wide mouth jars and plastic milk jugs). Carefully plant seeds or seedlings and place in a sunny spot. Water daily and watch them sprout, usually within a week!

idea #4: scavenger hunt

Working backwards, choose 5-6 locations throughout the house and yard. Craft clues, riddles, or poems that lead the children to find and decipher the clues leading to the next destination. Fun for a birthday party or other celebration, with the gifts or party as the final “stop”!

BONUS TIP: for younger kids, keep it simple: “Find something to eat that’s RED.” “Find something that comes in PAIRS.” “Find something alive that’s SMALLER than a dime.”

idea #5: research your family tree

Dig out all the old photo albums. Call Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Ralph to identify any people you do not know. Interview and record family members telling stories about what they used to do as children, then use the photos and recorded interviews to create a family scrap book, family tree poster, and/or family history online.

BONUS TIP: Customize a “50 Years Ago Book” (see below) with family weddings, birthdays, and memories unique to your family.

idea #6: assemble a time capsule

Start with a shoebox or other small container. Space permitting, allow each family member to put in 5-10 items, such as a favorite CD or DVD, report cards, birthday cards, a grocery receipt for one week’s food, the front page of a newspaper, a copy of Grandma’s secret cookie recipe, love letters, and current photographs (write names and dates on the back). Seal the box with tape, label it “Time Capsule: Do Not Open Until 2030” and put it on a high shelf or in the attic.

idea #7: marble rollercoaster

Using open books, the vacuum cleaner hose, toilet paper tubes, kitchen funnels, plastic loops, bowls, string, and lots more random clutter, build a marble (or ping pong ball) “rollercoaster.” Remember to start high so gravity will do the work for you!

Even more 1970’s inspired ideas:

• Blanket or refrigerator box fort

• Scoutcraft skills (for both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts): tying knots, identifying trees and flowers, building a fire without matches, cooking over a campfire, etc. – Be sure to award homemade badges!

• Backyard archaeological dig (excavation)

• Canoeing or kayaking with a picnic lunch on the riverbank

• Bicycle adventure through the park or neighborhood

• Bake the breads of the world

• DIY foods and beverages such as beer, cider, liqueurs, cheese…

• Charades (make these up yourself!)

• Pictionary (use the charades clues and a white board)

• 40 games you can play with a standard deck of cards — Several of my friends with kids have instituted a weekly “board game night” to create a space for the family to do something together on a regular basis; plus, a game like Scrabble helps little kids practice spelling during the summer. (Bonus: it’s an electronics-free space.)

• License plate bingo (or sign bingo)

• Concert of homemade musical instruments (comb harmonica, spoons, bottles, rubber band guitar, etc.). Of course, this must be recorded and uploaded to YouTube!

• Write your own song, perform, upload to YouTube

• Paint a landscape along with Bob Ross

• Sculpture in clay, or wood carving

• Make a movie on your smartphone

• Poetry contest (Haiku, iambic pentameter, simple rhyme, etc.)

• 50 Years Ago Book (photos of past events, prices then and now, political scene, famous things that happened)

• Create secret codes and cyphers to send private messages

• 7 Wonders of the World (and 7 Wonders of the Ancient World)

• Build a backyard treehouse

• Collect postcards from all 50 states (this was a class project idea from a teacher of third graders)

• Make a new friend: foreign student (or faraway student) pen pal (paper only – no email!)

• Learn American Sign Language

• Create a virtual bug collection from your yard (or your block) – take photos; this is a catch-and-release bug collection!

Resources:

• The Daring Book for Girls, by Miriam Peskowitz

• The Dangerous Book for Boys, by Conn Iggulden