School might be on the horizon, but there's still some summer sun left to enjoy. Whether you stay home and relax or head out for one more epic adventure, you and the family deserve to make the most of your last day of summer vacation.ÌýNot sure what to do on the last day of summer? Don't worry, we have you covered!
Adventurous Last-Day-of-Summer Ideas
If you have little kids who dread heading back to school or want to capture some time with your teen before they head off to college, consider getting active on your final day of summer vacay.
Have a "Yes to Each Other"Â Day
Make the most of that summer break freedom with an all-day "yes" day. The idea is to say "yes" to every one of your family's requests.ÌýAs soon as school starts, everyone will be back on tight schedules and their best behavior, so this is one last chance to let loose.Ìý
Related: 17 Summer Things We Did as Kids That Should've Come With Warnings
Re-Do Your Favorite Summer Day
Ask everyone to describe which day was their favorite and why. As you plan your last day of summer break, try to incorporate one element from each person's favorite summer day. If everyone agrees on one day as the best, simply redo the day exactly how you did before.
Hide Summertime Memories in Painted RockÂ
Capture your favorite summer moments in paintings on small, smooth rocks. This is a fun, modern way to document your summer, share it with others, and keep it alive forever.
- Younger kids or those who aren't artistically inclined can decoupage clip art images on the rocks.
- Add one word that best describes the memory and printed directions for finders.
- Ask that anyone who finds the rock use a specific hashtag and share on social media so you can see.
- Take a walk around your town and hide the rocks for others to find.
Go Sightseeing in Your Hometown
Instead of mourning the end of summer, celebrate your last day at home on the town! Play tourists for a day in that special place you call home. Visit shops and locales you've never seen before or plan stops to all your favorite restaurants and sights. This can help you all get grounded before heading back to school and work.
Host a Block Party
If you live in an area with big weather changes throughout the seasons, you know neighbors become scarce once it gets cold. Host an end-of-summer block party with a potluck or cookout and yard games to spend time with neighbors before you all become buttoned up inside your homes for fall and winter. It can be the perfect back-to-school party or just a final celebration of summer.
Related: 16 Family Fun Ideas to Make the Most of Your Summer
Make a Tradition of Summer Family Games
With the summer making way for cooler temps and school, now's the time to burn out all the summer energy. Challenge the family and even some friends to an end-of-summer Family Olympics.
Have a lineup of backyard games, pool games, and even indoor board games. Break off into teams if you have enough people, and break in this new end-of-summer family tradition.
Have a Summer Treat Crawl on the Last Day of Break
One of the best parts of summer is enjoying all the treats that the season has to offer. Pack the family in the car and go out for a day of finding the best summer treats your town or surrounding area has on hand. Look for food trucks you love, ice cream shops, craft smoothies, and bakeries that make summery sweets and frozen treats.Ìý
Consider traveling just out-of-town to enjoy all the eateries that you may not be able to make time for during the schoolyear.Ìý
Have Family Fun in the Water
For many kids, summer is all about swimming and watersports. Look for ways to get the group in the water with these refreshing outdoor water activities:
- Rent a canoe and head out on a local lake together
- Grab your pool floats, tie them together, and float on a river or pond as a family
- Buy or borrow one of those giant inflatable island rafts and spend the day snacking, talking, or playing games on your own mini island
- Have a final fun day at your closest water park
Indulge in a Summer-Inspired Buffet
Summer engages all your senses, and there's nothing quite like the food. Think about what produce is in season in your area during the last days of summer and plan menus around it. For example, you could create an easy spread of summer-inspired sandwiches.Ìý
 Make a list as a family of all your favorite summer foods, then make sure you eat each one on this last day.
Related: Cool Foods for Hot Summer Nights: 9 No-Cook Dinners to Beat the Heat
Relaxing Last-Day-of-Summer Ideas
For some families, the last day of summer is a time to rest up and catch up after an action-packed couple of months.
Have a "No"Â Day
Similar to the "Yes" Day, a "No"Â Day is when you say no to everything you don't want to do. Give everyone in the family the chance to enjoy their own lazy day by giving them the power to say "no" to anything that's not completely necessary.Ìý
Make a Bucket List Jar for the Coming Year
Summer can be so busy that you might not get to everything you wanted to do. But, you can write down all the things you didn't get around to so you don't miss out on any of them throughout the year.Ìý
Grab some craft sticks and write one thing you didn't get a chance to do this summer on each one, and put them all in a large glass jar with a lid. Now, throughout the year, you can pull out a craft stick and cover all of those activities you missed.Ìý
Plan a Family Night in Staycation
For this last day of summer, plan some frugal family fun with a family staycation that requires everyone to stay home under the same roof. The only other rule for the day is that everyone has to do everything together.
Never participated in a family lock-in? Get ready for prepping and eating all of your meals together, planning and playing games together, and camping out in the living room or other large room when it's time to wrap things up for the night.Ìý
Make a Story of Your Summer
Turn your summer memories into a tangible book you can read whenever you want.
- Ask each family member to write one, two, or more chapters about their summer memories.
- Compile the chapters, add titles to show whose perspective each is from, choose summer phrases and quotes to include, then use a family photo as the cover image.
- You can use an online service to make them into real paperback novels or simply add printed versions to a 3-ring binder.
Make a Summer Photo Collage
Have each family member pick out their favorite photos from summer. Make a physical or online collage of these images to frame and hang it in a central area. Every time you look at the collage, you'll be taken back to that final fun day in the summer sun.Ìý
Related: How I Use Art as Grown-Up Play (& How You Can, Too)
Host a Summer Film Festival
Hosting a summer film festival is a great summer activity for teens because they'll probably have some of their own videos to share.
- Gather up all the videos taken by every family member.
- Add the files to a slideshow or simply hook devices up to your television and play them all.
- Serve up movie snacks and take turns rating each video for added fun.
Plan an outdoors viewing with comfy seating and a large projector screen for the extra film festival vibe. And don't forget the popcorn!
Make a Countdown 'til Next Summer Craft
If everyone's still filled to the brim with summer excitement, why not use the last day of this summer break to start preparing for next summer? Make a countdown chain as an activity for preschoolers or a calendar with older kids to keep track of how many days there are until next summer begins. You won't have to be sad about the end of summer because you'll always be thinking about next summer.
Say Goodbye to Summer, But Keep That Summer Spirit
Summer's all about fun and freedom. Whether you're looking for things to do with your tween this summer or cheap summer activities for the whole family, keep that summer spirit and beat the end-of-vacation blues by making the last day as memorable as any other.
