There’s something about summer that feels like it should be just a little bit analog—sticky popsicle fingers, grass-stained knees, and lazy afternoons that stretch on forever. Lately, I’ve been craving a simpler summer for my kids, one that looks a little more like the one I grew up with. A little less screen time, a little more sprinkler time.
Enter: the 90s summer.
Remember those endless days of riding bikes with no destination, begging for quarters at the snack bar, or digging through a tackle box of beads to make friendship bracelets? It turns out, our kids love those things too. So we’re leaning in. We are only one week into our summer, but I have found the slower days to be so great! My kids are pulling out the cardboard, reading, and giggling over all the popsicle stick jokes. We did sign up for a few camps, but not as many in the past. I am leaning into the less scheduled and more family time this year, and I can’t wait for all the memories to come.
Here are some of our favorite ways I can create a 90s-style summer for our crew:
1. Backyard Water Days
Turn on the hose, set up a sprinkler, or go all in with a Slip ‘N Slide. Add a few buckets, sponges, and water balloons (or these magnetic reusable balloons) and call it a DIY splash pad. Bonus points for popsicles
2. Sidewalk Chalk + Driveway Games
We love giant hopscotch grids, four square, and drawing “murals” on the driveway. Pair it with a jump rope contest or a Skip-It if you can find one!
3. Lemonade Stand Revival
Let the kids design signs, mix the lemonade, and set up shop. It’s low-tech, high charm—and a great way to teach a little math while they make a few dollars.
4. Friendship Bracelets + Bead Kits
Bring out the plastic tackle box full of beads, string, and maybe even some alphabet letters.
5. Blanket Forts + Books on Tape
When the heat hits, head inside and set up a cozy blanket fort. Bonus points if you can dig up an actual cassette or CD player, but Audible or Yoto cards work too. Add some popcorn and let them drift off into imagination land.
6. Rollerblading, Scooters, and Bikes
Helmets are a must, but the freedom of zipping down the street feels just as good now as it did then. Add a homemade obstacle course for a little extra flair.
7. Movie Nights, 90s Style
Think: “The Sandlot,” “Matilda,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” or “The Parent Trap.” Throw a sheet up in the backyard for an outdoor movie night, or pile onto the couch with bowls of popcorn and no phones in sight.
8. Nature Scavenger Hunts + Bug Collecting
Print out a list of things to find (pinecones, butterfly, feather, etc.) and hand them each a bucket. Bonus activity: give them a magnifying glass or microscope (this was in our kids stockings this year) and let them be backyard explorers.
9. Disposable Camera Diaries
Give them a disposable camera (or a kid-safe digital one) and let them capture summer through their eyes. The photos might be blurry, but the memories won’t be.
10. Just… Let Them Be Bored
The magic of a 90s summer wasn’t always in the activity. Sometimes it was in the boredom—the space that forced us to invent, imagine, and create our own fun. Let them get a little bored. That’s where the good stuff begins.
So here’s to a summer that’s a little sun-faded, a little less scheduled, and full of good old-fashioned fun. You don’t need much—just a hose, a freezer full of popsicles, and a little time to let the magic happen.
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