Welcome to summer! This summer might look a little different, but it’s a great opportunity for your family to cultivate healthy dynamics, connect with each other and celebrate the togetherness time you have this summer. This issue focuses on family growth by providing ideas to help your family time be intentional.
Asking Adventures
Conversation starters for the entire family.
Students
Ask your parents, grandparents, or a mentor
- Who is the happiest person you know? What do you think makes this person so upbeat?
Parents
Ask your children
- When was the last time you felt truly happy? What made you feel this way?
Families
Ask friends and report back to your family what others shared
- If you created a list of the things you are most afraid of, what would be the top three items on your list?
Home Adventures
Fun activities the whole family can do at home with items you already have around the house.
DIY Obstacle Courses
This is a creative way to challenge your family’s ninja skills. There are all kinds of different ways to create obstacle courses. Here are a few suggestions. Pick one, combine two or three of them, or try a new one each week. Obstacle courses are a great way to get off the couch and encourage each family member to try something new.
- SPORTS COURSE: Find different sports equipment in the house and create “stations” in which family members must perform sports tasks. For example, shoot 10 free throws (toy hoops work, too!), then run to the next station, throw 10 tennis balls into a laundry basket, then run to the next station, pass a football through a hula hoop, etc.
- CHALK COURSE: No verbal instructions! Using only sidewalk chalk, write directions for each station and draw arrows to the next station. Have participants jump, skip, count, spin, etc. all around the neighborhood.
- WATER COURSE: Set up the sprinklers to run through, slip ‘n’ slide to navigate, hang water balloons participants must break with a bat, etc. Use water for this course wherever you can to help you cool off on hot days while navigating a new and challenging course.
- TAPE COURSE: Painter’s blue masking tape is the most effective, but any type of tape will do. Use the tape to create areas to jump to, balance on, go around, etc. Make it challenging, and use the tape to create directional arrows (like the chalk course) from one station to the next.
- HOT LAVA COURSE: Create a course where you can’t touch the ground. This can be Frisbees to jump to, beams to cross, ropes to swing, etc. Get creative, just don’t touch the lava!
- GLOW IN THE DARK COURSE: Burst out the glow sticks and try navigating a course in the dark.
Local Adventures
Local Open Space
South Valley Park, Deer Creek Canyon Park, and Hildebrand Ranch Park/Chatfield Botanic Gardens are all less than 10 miles from FRCS’s campus.
All of these parks are a part of Jefferson County Open Space and are all great outdoor spots just behind and south of the hogback in Littleton. Each one of these areas offers great trails for hiking or biking with easy, moderate, and hard trails. Get up early in the morning, watch the sun rise, and see the early morning shadows fall across all of the new growth in the area. June mornings are amazing — everything feels fresh with new life!
Travel Adventures
Castlewood Canyon State Park
35 miles from FRCS’s campus
Instead of going to the mountains, head south east. Castlewood Canyon is a great destination for families. It boasts beautiful scenery with creeks, waterfalls. hiking trails, vistas, and rock climbing! It’s a great spot for picnics and exploring the plains of Colorado.
Bonus Road Trip Tip: After a fun day on a travel adventure, give each family member $5 and then draw names. Play “Secret Santa” at a gas station during your trip. Describe why you bought the item you chose for the family member you drew.
