25 Summer Kickoff Ideas

The end of the school year is coming up fast. How will you celebrate? Here are 50 ideas to jump start your fun! 1. Meet the last school bus with water balloons and squirt guns. Nothing beats a summer water fight. 2. Sure it's obvious, but everybody loves a summer barbecue. 3. Have an authorized food fight in the backyard, then hose off afterward. 4. Go to the library and fill up on books you want to read. 5. Have an outdoor movie night, projecting a movie onto a garage door or a bed-sheet-turned-movie-screen. 6. Rent a community pool after hours for a private party with friends. Most offer reasonable rates, especially if sharing the cost. 7. Organize a family field day, complete with relay races, tug-o-war and plenty of popsicles. 8. Let the kids stay up late playing traditional night games. 9. Matinee movies are a treat for kids (and less expensive). 10. Host a pedicure party and get your toes ready for summer fun with bright, neon colors. 11. Plan a summer-long museum crawl, researching interesting museums and tours in your area or where you'll be vacationing. 12. If fireworks are legal in your area, plan a summer kickoff show in your driveway. 13. Create a summer soundtrack on CD or as a playlist on your iPod. Include everybody's favorites and set it to repeat. 14. Help your kids earn summer spending money by printing pet-sitting, baby-sitting, or lawncare business cards or flyers. 15. Plan a day trip with friends. 16. Start a vegetable or flower garden. 17. Pack a picnic and spend a day at the park. (Don't forget sunscreen!) 18. Plan a sunrise or sunset hike. 19. Sign up and take lessons for something new. 20. Make your own popsicles. 21. Make ice cream in a bag. 22. Forget strict bedtimes and do some star-gazing. 23. Set up a tent in the backyard for an easy camp out. 24. Find a far away pen pal and learn about another culture. 25. Create your own logo and make custom t-shirts for summer 2012. Share your own ideas in the comments section! {Image via Pinterest.}