22 Inspiring Ideas for Family Fun in June

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Family fun is important to me all year long and that includes the summertime. The busy spring season begins to slow down making way for a little more flexibility for some June family fun.

June can be a great month for outdoor water fun including splash pads and water slides. But there is also a place for indoor fun when it is time to beat the heat.

I hope this list provides lots of great opportunities and inspiration as you look for ways your family can enjoy family fun in June.

This post includes a list of ideas for family fun in June.

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June Family Fun Considerations

Depending on where in the world you live, June might be mild, or it might be quite warm. But either way, it’s a great month to spend time outside! June usually includes many sunny days and opportunities to do some of your favorite activities out of doors instead of in the house!

June is also the month when many schools let out for the year. This might mean that your family has extra flexibility in scheduling activities. But it might also mean that your children’s friends have more free time to spend together. Creating family time while respecting your children’s desire to get together with friends is an important way to honor their interests as individual members of the family.

Celebrate World Milk Day in June

Did you know that June 1 is World Milk Day? This holiday was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to celebrate the dairy industry and recognize milk as a globally important food. Here are some great ways to observe the day.

1. Take a Virtual Tour of a Dairy Farm

This video was created by dairy farmers in Michigan to help students understand how a dairy farm works. Watch with your family to see how milk makes its way to your dining room table!

2. Watch a Peterson Farm Brothers Parody Video

The Peterson Farm Brothers are cattle farmers in Kansas. They work hard on their family farm, but they also enjoy making parody videos together to give folks a fun and funny glimpse into farm life. Check out this one!

And just for fun, here’s another one from Lil Fred.

3. Make Homemade Ice Cream

Did you know that you don’t need any fancy equipment or appliances to make ice cream at home? All you need is a ziploc bag and a few ingredients! Try this recipe and adapt it to include all of your family’s favorite flavors and toppings!

Family Fun that Beats the Heat in June

4. Find a Splash Pad

Many cities have a free splash pad or outdoor fountain at a local mall or in the city center or maybe at a local park. See if you can find one near you. Remember to have your kids wear crocks, water shoes, or at least flip flops and bare feet in public areas might be unsafe and also the concrete or pavement can get pretty hot!

5. Create Your Own Ice Cream Truck Experience

Maybe you have an ice cream truck that visits your neighborhood or local park. But if prices at the ice cream truck make this activity too expensive for regular enjoyment, here’s a fun way to create your own ice cream truck experience at home.

Purchase a variety of novelty ice cream treats at your local grocery store. We like Drumsticks, strawberry shortcake bars, ice cream sandwiches, orange cream sickles, and push-up pops, but explore the frozen section of your local store to get more ideas.

Load the treats into a cooler or freezer and cut out the picture of each treat from the box to make a display of available options. Hand out quarters so kids can come and “purchase” the frozen delight of their choice. And, to make it even more fun, use a blue tooth speaker and this audio loop to notify kids when the ice cream truck is open for business!

6. Enjoy Some Family Fun with Water

If you don’t have a pool or access to one in your neighborhood, a simple and fun alternative is to use your hose to set up a sprinkler in the back yard, or hook up a water slide so that you can have fun and cool off while enjoying the outside.

Now that we have teens, we like to use plastic sheeting on a slope in the hard. This works well, especially if you add a some Dawn dish detergent.

Set up a Slip and Slide for some June family fun that will cool everyone off.

Cool Off with Indoor Family Time

Sometimes you need to avoid the heat and the sun. The heat of the day can be a perfect time to enjoy the cooler indoor air conditioning.

7. Read a Summer-Themed Book As A Family

Reading aloud together as a family is a simple and inexpensive way to build lots of family memories and have some family fun in June. Quotes and moments from books you’ve enjoyed together can become a part of your family’s jokes and references for years to come! Here are a few great books for June:

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall – This heartwarming book follows the adventures of four sisters during their summer vacation.

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls – Set in the Ozarks during the summer, this book follows a young boy’s adventure to catch a group of monkeys that have escaped from a circus.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett – This classic novel is about a young girl named Mary who discovers a hidden garden and works to bring it back to life.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – A classic story that is loved by readers of all ages, this book tells the tale of a spider named Charlotte and her friendship with a pig named Wilbur.

Bonus: Kids not ready for chapter books yet? Check out this awesome list of Living Picture Books for Summer!

8. Watch A Family Friendly Movie

My personal favorite type of movie is a family-friendly book that was produced as a movie. We love to compare the two versions while enjoying some family time. If you need some inspiring ideas:

50 Engaging Teen Books Made into Fantastic Movies

The Best Children’s Books that are Family-Friendly Movies

And if you want to have a great family discussion, these nine thought-provoking questions are designed to help you compare the book to the movie.

9. Play a Game as a Family

We love playing games together at any time, but the heat of the afternoon in the summer is a great time to pull out a family game. We like to do this on a beach vacation as well as hot summer days spent relaxing at home.

If you need some inspiration here are a few new favorites to enjoy:

The Best Family Board Games the Whole Family Can Play Together
Top Family Card Games That Everyone Will Love
30 of the Best Board Games Your Teens Will Enjoy

Avoid the heat and have some family fun in June with some indoor family game playing.

Enjoy Outdoor Evenings

The weather in the evening is often cool enough to enjoy some family time outdoors. It can be a great way to beat the heat and spend time making outdoor memories.

10. Relax Around the Fire Pit

Without spending too much money, you can purchase a ready-made firepit that will last your family for years. If you don’t have a large backyard (or even a small one), you can use a nifty little tabletop fire pit! to create some outdoor ambiance.

If you have older teens and you’re in the mood for a family project, here are some ideas and alternatives to make your own in-ground fire pit on a budget!

11. Cook a Meal Outdoors

If you’re going to have dinner over a campfire, you’ll need some way to hold that food out over the fire without burning your hand! You might try these nifty skewers that telescope and even rotate to cook your food evenly.

Everyone knows about roasting hot dogs over a campfire. But let’s take it to the next level! Try wrapping your hot dog in bacon (because why not!) or refrigerated crescent roll dough (to make a campfire pig in a blanket)!

Plus, you can actually roast either the bacon or the crescent roll dough on its own just by wrapping it around your skewer and holding it over the fire. Smoky bacon or biscuits? Yes, please!

12. Play with Glowsticks

Summer evenings are a great time for June family fun with glowsticks. Kids love decorating themselves with a variety of glowstick apparel.

Celebrate Father’s Day as a Family in June

Father’s Day comes around every June. Most of the dads in our lives have just about as many ties and pens as they could ever use. So what on earth could you give your heroes and father figures this year?

13. Send a Coded Message

Planning to write a Father’s Day card or message? Why not send your thoughts as a coded message and see if Dad or Grandpa can decode the secret? Maybe he’ll even write a coded message back to you! Here are some simple code ideas if you need suggestions.

14. Craft a Handmade Gift for Father’s Day

Want to make something for dad for Father’s Day? Here’s a list of simple projects that are manageable even for younger kids but also make a lovely finished product.

15. Make a Gift for the Dad Who is a Sports Fan

Is the Dad or Granddad in your family a sports fan? He might already have all the t-shirts and mugs he can use. But does he have custom coasters that celebrate his favorite team? You can make them yourself with this simple-to-follow plan!

Make Crafts as a Family

Summer is the perfect time to explore and create with craft supplies. You might even find that crafting outdoors makes for less mess inside and more sunshine and Vitamin D while you create!

16. Pressed Flower Lanterns

If you spend time outside on these warm June evenings, you might want lanterns to light your patio or picnic table. Why not make use of the wildflowers that are in plentiful supply at this time of year to add some summer beauty to your outdoor space?

17. Duct Tape Woven Mats

How about placemats for your fire pit dinners? Here’s a set of simple instructions that explain how to make colorful and durable mats out of duck tape! The possible combinations of colors and patterns are limited only by the supply of duct tape you can find in a local store or online!

18. Pearler Bead Flip Flops

Is it really June if there isn’t a pile of flip-flops by the back door? What to add some glam to your bargain-store footwear? Check out these suggestions for using pearler beads to customize your summer sandals!

June Poetry Tea Time

Whether or not you actually have June Bugs in your part of the world during the month of June, this month is a great time to explore insects. Why non bug-out your next poetry teatime and learn about these crawly-creatures!

A bug themed poetry teatime is a great idea for family fun in June.

19. Eat Insect Themed Snacks and Treats

Whether you’re looking for healthy snacks that will sneak in the fruit and veggie serving for the day or sweet treats that celebrate the joy of tiny animals, here’s a big list of insect-themed ideas to give you inspiration.

20. Read Bug Themed Poetry

Bug-themed poetry provides a great selection of poems to read for an Insect-Themed Poetry teatime in June. These two titles will get you started.

We Love Bugs: 31 Classic Insect Poems for Kids – This book contains 31 poems and nursery rhymes that are perfect for budding entomologists and those who haven’t outgrown their sense of wonder when seeing a spider’s silken web.

Cricket in the Thicket: Poems About Bugs – In addition to the playful rhyming poems, the supplementary text highlights surprising facts about bugs of all kinds―from familiar ants to exotic dragonflies, cringe-worthy ticks and magnificent fireflies.

21. Make Insect-Themed Crafts

The best kinds of crafts to add to your family poetry teatime are those that can be adapted for a wide range of ages. Check out this list of fun bug-inspired projects that can keep little hands busy while still providing plenty of room for creative expression for older kids!

Family Conversation Starters Perfect For June

22. Spark Family Conversations

This complete set of conversation starters is perfect for every month. You can use them to create delightful conversations at dinner time, at bedtime, or even in the car. Grab your set here or read more about how to use them this year!

Conversation starters for every month are available in my Year-Round Conversation Starters book. You’ll find 23 fun, silly, and serious questions for every month.