4 ways to keep summer’s adventure alive year-round. 

The leaves are just starting to turn, school started a couple of weeks ago, and we’re harvesting the garden and putting out autumn decorations. We are, it seems, entering the fall season.

We certainly made the most of the summer. Nearly every weekend we found ourselves exploring, camping or otherwise adventuring. Where does family adventure fit now that we’re balancing the busy-ness of school, packing lunches, and robust work deadlines?

Here are some tried and true ideas to keep the adventure of summer alive throughout the entire year.

4 ways to keep summer’s adventure alive year-round.

1. Get outside

Norwegians have an old saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.”

Embrace this and make it your own. Put on layers. Put the kids in layers. Bring blankets. Pack hand warmers (you know, those heat packets that go in your mitts to keep your hands warm in the winter? We like these ones because they are reusable. Make hot cocoa to sip the chilliness away.

It is possible, even with kids, to get outside as the weather cools. Fresh air and a dose of Vitamin D make everything a little better.

And who knows what you’ll discover once outdoors! The other morning, we were outside and saw a racoon tiptoeing across our backyard, much to everyone’s delight.

2. Go on day trips

We spent our last beach day of the season in a little city an hour away from ours. It was a Sunday, and earlier that morning, we packed up the car with hiking and beach gear and sped down the highway. The weather was cooler than our warmest summer days, but we did a short hike to take in gorgeous canyons and bluffs, then hit the beach for the afternoon.

No regrets at all. It was one of those days filled with ice cream and memories and sand squished between your toes that you know you’ll remember for a long while to come.

What can you find within day-driving distance of your home?

3. Embrace seasonal activities for their glory

Pumpkin patches don’t exist in July (neither do pumpkin spice lattes for that matter). You can’t ski or skate or toboggan in August (in most places in Canada anyway, unless it’s indoors). And that’s a good thing!

Each summer, we purposefully stop doing certain activities, like going to indoor playgrounds and aquatic centres. Those experiences are saved for the colder months where we’ll be looking for things to do indoors.

As autumn rolls in, it’s time for pumpkin patches and corn mazes, and thinking about Halloween and Thanksgiving. This is the time to embrace and launch into those wonderful and fun activities you just can’t do during the summer months.

4. Maximize shoulder and off-season rates

Throughout autumn, there are a few long weekends to look forward to. Use them! As the weather turns and fall rolls in, hotels, activities, and other services in the hospitality sector often have special rates. Cheaper hotel rooms? Yes, please!

Plus, when you DO go on weekend trips to explore further afield during the shoulder and low-season, chances are you’ll have the place to yourself.

So go ahead and plan that mini vacay with the family without the crowds or breaking the bank.

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