#210: FIRE Your Life: 10 Epic Family Summer Activities –
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When it comes to achieving life on your terms, it’s really about the simple things, like family summer activities.
It’s easy to focus on the numbers when it comes to FIRE (financial independence, retire early): your savings rate, investment portfolio, or budget. At its heart, however, it isn’t actually about a bank account balance; it’s about reclaiming your time so that you can spend it where it matters most.
Summer gives you the chance to spend your “time currency” wisely. It’s when kids are off from school, and the weather is usually a little bit nicer. It’s the perfect time for family summer activities.
It can also be a great time to reflect on your career trajectory, be more intentional about how you spend the sunny months, or simply redefine your values and “why.” And with FIRE as your ally, you can create a legacy of joy for your children.
As I frequently mention here at FIRE Your Career, your career should fuel your life, not consume it. To help you lean into that philosophy, I’ve curated a list of 10 epic family summer activities.
In this article, you’ll find five intentional investments for your backyard and five completely free ways to soak up the season.
High-Value Investments: 5 “Buyable” Family Summer Activities
If FIRE is central to your goals, you’ll want to budget and spend according to your values (or “why”). This means cutting costs on the things that don’t matter so you can spend generously on the things that do.
Not only that, but when you invest in high-quality backyard gear, you help reduce lifestyle creep in the long run by making your own home the ultimate destination for family summer activities.
Here are some of my family’s favorites (and yes, we frequently use these all):
1. Backyard Axe Throwing
Who says the kids get to have all the fun? Axe-throwing has become a popular social trend.
Bringing this activity home not only allows you to bond with your kiddos, but it also helps build focus and coordination. It’s a great way to unplug and engage in some friendly competition.
You can find a safe, family-friendly setup here: Backyard Axe Throwing.
2. The Inflatable Bounce House
If you have younger kiddos, an inflatable bounce house is a sanity-saver investment (trust me).
Instead of paying for expensive indoor play center memberships, you can turn your backyard into a private park. It’s one of those family summer activities that keeps the kids active for hours, while you enjoy a good book close by.
Check out a classic here: Inflatable Bounce House.
3. The Classic Trampoline
There is a reason the trampoline remains a staple of childhood. It encourages physical health and provides a space for imaginative play.
From a FIRE perspective, a trampoline is a high-ROI (Return on Investment) purchase because of the sheer number of hours of entertainment it provides over many years. I have many fond memories of the days my sisters and I jumped on our own trampoline as kids.
Here’s my favorite: Family Trampoline.
4. Reusable Water Balloons
Sustainability meets summer fun! While they’re loads of fun, traditional water balloons are messy and wasteful.
Reusable water balloons are a one-time purchase that pays for itself in just one summer (a favorite in our house!). They are easy to fill, leave no plastic scraps in your yard, and are perfect for those high-energy family summer activities on a hot July afternoon.
Grab yours here: Reusable Water Balloons.
5. Sidewalk Chalk Art
Sometimes the simplest tools lead to the most profound creativity. A bucket of sidewalk chalk can transform your driveway into a masterpiece.
For bonus points, use chalk art to teach your kids about goal setting. You can even draw your future dreams together. It’s a low-cost, high-impact way to engage in family fun.
While you can get chalk in a variety of forms and places, here’s a great set: Sidewalk Chalk.
The Best Things in Life are Free: 5 No-Cost Family Summer Activities
Finding joy in the free is a superpower on the road to financial freedom. When you decouple your happiness from your spending, you accelerate your path to freedom.
6. Stargazing and Backyard Camping
You don’t need an expensive RV to experience the great outdoors. Pitch a tent (or just lay out blankets) in the backyard.
Use a free star-mapping app to identify constellations and share learnings and insights with your kiddos.
7. Local Trail Hiking and Nature Exploration
Most of us live within a short drive of a public trail or nature preserve. We’re certainly spoiled in Oregon.
Hiking is one of the best family summer activities for mental health. It allows for deep, uninterrupted conversations with your partner and kids.
This is the kind of slow time that a 9-to-5 often steals.
8. Community “Splash Pad” Hopping
Many local municipalities offer free splash pads and parks. Make it a mission this summer to visit every free park within a 10-mile radius of your home.
This can be a great way to explore your community and keep the kiddos cool without spending a dime on water park tickets.
9. Backyard “Olympic” Games
Use items you already have (think laundry baskets, pillows, and spoons) to create a family summer Olympics.
This is a great way to model resourcefulness to your kiddos, proving that you don’t need a massive budget to have an epic time. Sometimes you just need a little Vitamin D and some creativity.
10. Sunset Picnics at the Beach or Park
Instead of a costly dinner out, pack up what’s already in your fridge and head to a local scenic spot for sunset. Turn a routine meal into one of those memorable family summer activities that your kids remember long after the summer ends.
Taking Control of Your Summer (And Your Life)
Family summer activities should really be about building life on your terms. Your activities list isn’t necessarily an exercise to fill calendar gaps, but rather to remind you why you work toward your goals.
Will you make your summer epic? Or will your calendar of activities only further exhaust you?
If you find yourself too busy to enjoy moments within your summer plans, it might be time to look at your career through a different lens.
Are you working to live, or living to work?
There’s no shame if you aren’t where you want to be today, but will you commit to building a path that allows you to define your terms?
Take Your Next Step Toward Freedom and Design a Life You Love
If you want to build a life on your terms…
Stop sacrificing your happiness for a paycheck and start living on your terms. I can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Let’s work together to ensure that next summer, you have even more time to spend doing what you love with the people who matter most.
Check out these handy resources to begin your journey toward true flexibility and freedom:
- Professional Mentoring: Get a tailored roadmap to speed up your journey to financial freedom. You’ll also gain an upper edge in your career, finance, and lifestyle goals. With my mentoring program, you’ll get a personalized strategy to build a life on your terms, so that you can spend more time doing what you love.
- Book a call to learn more about my mentoring program.
- Download the Free Ebook: Turn your goals into action with my free ebook “7 Ways to FIRE Your Career.” It’s a powerful guide to ignite your journey toward financial independence, whether you’re more focused on your career goals, finances, or lifestyle plans.
- Get the free ebook to begin building your path to financial freedom.
Together, we can ensure you spend more time doing what you love with the people who matter most, and your make your next summer more epic than ever.
Have a question or want to learn more? Leave a comment below!
Now that you’ve explored some epic family summer activities, you might wonder how else you can FIRE Your Career. Check out the posts page for more ways to FIRE Your Career and achieve financial freedom.
FIRE Your Career: Achieve Financial Freedom Through Your Career & Spend MORE Time Doing What You Love.
Resources I Recommend in This Article:
Backyard Axe Throwing (a highly entertaining, family-friendly game)
Inflatable Bounce House (turn your backyard into a private park)
Family Trampoline (a classic that lives on)
Reusable Water Balloons (a great, sustainable alternative to wasteful water balloons)
Sidewalk Chalk (to inspire your inner Picasso)
The FIRE Your Career Mentoring Program (a personalized approach to help you gain control of your career and finances)
7 Ways to FIRE Your Career (a free ebook to help you build a foundation for financial freedom)
Resources I Frequently Recommend:
Quit Like a Millionaire (a great FIRE book with a scoring system to help you select a degree or job field)
4-Hour Workweek (a great book to help you recapture your time and gain financial freedom)
Udemy (a learning platform with courses to help you acquire new skills)
ClickUp (my recommended goal-tracking and project-management tool)
The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing (a great intro to investing book)
Strengths Finder (book to help you uncover your innate strengths, includes a free personality quiz)
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima by De’Longhi (my favorite premium coffee maker, accompanied with a milk feature to create frothy, delicious coffees)
Other Recommended Reading:
#198: The Secret Weapon: How to Power Your Success with a Mentor Program
#203: How to Use Lifestyle Design for Financial Freedom
#142: Work Less, Live More: How to Cultivate a Mindset for Financial Freedom
#110: How to Develop a Winning Money Mindset to Drive Your Financial Freedom Journey
#171: Growth Mindset: a Career You Love and Financial Freedom
#153: How to Build a Growth Mindset for Success
#178: How to Build Long-Term Sustainable Wealth
#146: 10 Ways Financial Independence Leads to a Happier Life
Strengths Finder: Identify Your Career Strengths
How to Find Your Why So You Can FIRE Your Career
How to Use the FIRE Method to Build a Life on Your Terms
Goal Planning for 2026 and Beyond: Prepare Your Epic Year
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