A Few Ways to Extend Your Summer Fun

A Few Ways to Extend Your Summer Fun

Summer is admittedly, my favorite season of the year.  And, it seems like, as soon as school starts, everyone is in a rush to move onto fall.  I say, “slow your roll”!!!  The rush to celebrate autumn is a bit baffling to me. Obviously, fall brings its own set of fun events and activities, but it’s also the gateway to what seems like an endless frigid winter. Isn’t it better to hold onto summer for as long as possible and pretend that winter isn’t coming? It’s going to be a hundred degrees for another month — let’s take a final lap around the best season of the year!

Find even more fun ways to extend your summer fun on our Event Calendar and Summer Fun Guide.

A Few Ways to Extend Your Summer Fun – dsm4kids.com

Here’s 8 ways to extend your summer fun in Des Moines:

1. Just keep swimming.

Most outdoor pools and aquatic centers will close at the end of August, with a couple of them open for the Labor Day Weekend.  You can move the pool fun indoors. If you’re a member of a local gym with a pool, take advantage of your membership or go swimming at a local indoor pool in Urbandale of Johnston.  Lastly, a lake escape could be just what you are looking for. A visit to a lake can be a great family activity and most beaches are accessible well past the first day of school.

2. Scream for ice cream.

Ice cream doesn’t go away just because you’re wearing shirts with sleeves. The scene gets no less fun nor the food less tasty. Even if you are starting to plan a trip to the apple orchard, you can still enjoy an old-fashioned scoop at one of these local ice cream shops.   

3. Listen to live music outside. 

Many local outdoor concert series keep cranking out the tunes through the end of September, so there’s no need to head inside after Labor Day. Pack up the lawn chairs and blankets and be sure to listen to some live music outside, even when the leaves start changing colors.

4. Attend a local festival.

Fests don’t stop just because school starts. And, just because you sank half your income into glue sticks for the classroom doesn’t mean you can’t still eat while standing up in the middle of a street. There are still more family-friendly festivals to check out this summer and be sure to keep an eye out for our fall festival list.  

5. Take a day trip.

Sure, the kids are back to the books, but the weekends are the ideal time to extend your summer. Take day trips to great sites around you. Here are some interesting places to explore close to Des Moines: Iconic Movie Landmarks You Can Visit IRL in Iowa.

6. Visit a Farmers’ Market

Collect a bounty of summer fruits, vegetables, and provisions at your neighborhood farmers’ market. To get the best of what’s being offered, make sure you are one of the first visitors. End of summer dinners with ingredients from a summer market is unbeatable.

7. Eat alfresco.

There’s something about dining in the fresh air that makes everything taste a little bit better.  There’s still time to enjoy some alfresco dining in Des Moines. You could also plan a picnic in the park – this is an easy way to enjoy being outside and is great for the cooler end of summer days.

8. Go camping.

There are so many fun things to do on a camping trip.  The summer fun that camping has to offer is endless. Before your weekends are spent Ubering kids to sporting events and school activities, try to squeeze in one more weekend of camping.  

 

 

How do you plan to extend your summer fun in Des Moines?