Cool, Indoors Summer Fun Ideas

The end of the school year brings the always exciting summer break with its endless possibilities for fun. Then the realization hits that summer weather is HOT, and so many of those thrilling summer activities are outside in the hot blazing sun.

Amber's dysautonomia makes her intolerant to the sun and heat, so our summer fun has to be indoors where it is cool - not to be confused with just indoors.

We've come up with a list of indoor summer activities that will allow us to stay cool while having fun. We would love to include more active and outdoor events, however Amber's condition does not allow for any of that. The idea is for her to have fun and enjoy her childhood while remaining as healthy as possible, instead of trading happy times for healthy days.

• Carpet Picnic / Tea Party - It's not just for girls.  Instead of a picnic or tea party outside with the sun and bugs, we prefer to spread our blanket down in the family room for an indoor carpet picnic.  We use special plates or trays, prepare picnic fare and enjoy our meal away from the table. Sometimes we even start a movie, while other times defending our food from the cats is entertainment enough.
   
• Video Game Day - I know many families like to limit screen time. We don't have a set limit in our house except that it must be reasonable and when an adult says it's over for the day, that means it's over. However, some days it is fun to just sit down and play your video games, especially with a parent, sibling, or friend without worrying about a time limit. We even prepare for these special video game days by creating comfortable spots on the couch or on the floor for the game players.
   
• Fort Day / Camping Inside - Even my 13 year old daughter still thinks it is fun to make an inside fort and "camp" in her fort. She does all manner of activities in the fort from reading, crafting, watching TV, talking to friends, or playing a board game with me. She's yet to sleep all night in a fort, but that's just her. Go for it if you like.  Here's even a great fort kit idea (we made one for my nephew).
   
• Board Game Day - Similar to Video Game Day, we will set aside an entire day for a series of board games. We are sure to have dinner and snacks planned out ahead of time, because who can be bothered to make food when battling it out in Castle Panic? Check out some of our favorite board games.
   
• Craft Day - While we can always take a little time out most days for a small craft, an entire craft day allows us to work on those large projects without the worry of picking up for another activity.
   
• Spa Day - This one is definitely a little on the girly side, but hey that's what we are. Instead of riding in a hot car to the spa, we create one in our own house. Manicures and pedicures complete with Jamberry nail wraps, hair styling, makeup, even massages.
   
• Arcade / Bowling - Not everything has to be done at home though. Our bowling location is always quite cool and not only includes bowling lanes, but a rather extensive arcade and laser tag. Amber isn't always up for a lot of bowling these days and laser tag can be quite strenuous, but she doesn't turn down time in the arcade.
   
• At Home Performances / Music Concert - It can be fun to dress up and put on a music concert just for your immediate family. The music doesn't have to be perfect or even well rehearsed. The fun is in the preparation and presentation. This idea also works for other types of performances, like magic tricks.
  
  
• American Girl Doll Day - This is one of Amber's all time favorite at-home activities. We pull out all bazillion of her American Girl dolls, their accessories and furniture, dress them for the theme of the day, and then play together all day. Amber is almost too old for her dolls, so we will be sure to pack this idea in a couple of times this summer.
   
• Movie Marathon - While we love to get out to the movie theater, it can be quite crowded, warm and expensive. Once in a while we like to set aside a day or just an evening for a movie marathon. We might watch all the movies in a series, or as many episodes of a TV series as we can during our available time. We often combine the marathon with carpet picnics, set up comfy spots, and then watch from Netflix, Amazon or our own collection. Sometimes we buy special snacks in preparation for our watching day / evening.
   

These are just a few of our indoor summer fun ideas. Have any other ideas to beat the heat and sun?

***Originally posted back in 2015, these ideas have served us well for the past two summers. While we don't have American Girl Doll Day anymore, the idea is still fantastic for kids a bit younger than Amber.