Families in the U.S. spend an average of just 37 minutes of quality time together every weekend, Study Finds reports. 60% of families describe their schedules as “hectic” and 25% consider their lack of family time a problem. Family time is essential for bonding together, improving communication, and boosting everyone’s physical and mental health. As the weather gets warmer, there’s no better time to get into the garden and spend some quality time together with the kids.

Plant a garden

Family gardening is a great bonding activity which can help kids learn about the wonders of nature. Even if you don’t have much land, you can still plant a small container garden with your kids. With container gardens, it’s possible to start a simple project indoors before transplanting it outdoors when it's ready. For example, sprout a sweet potato by submerging it halfway in a jar of water. It’ll soon start growing sprouts, which you can then plant outside in the garden (or in a container). Sweet potatoes are best grown in the summer since they need a lot of sun. 

Off-road hoverboarding

If you search online, you can find quality hoverboards for less than $100. Hoverboards — aka self-balancing scooters — provide the whole family with hours of fun, either in the garden or out in the wider world. A hoverboard suitable for off-road use can be taken over rougher terrain like grass, mud and sand, so it will be ideal to use at home, no matter what your backyard is like like. Not only is it fun, but hoverboarding can also provide your family with a number of health benefits. In particular, it can improve balance and muscle reflexes, as you have to lean either forward or backwards to speed up or slow down. Hoverboarding also gets your heart rate up and burns calories at the same time. 

Water games

When the weather gets warmer, having fun with water games is the perfect way to cool off. Whether you choose to do water gun or water balloon wars, children just love this backyard summer activity. You can even make your own sponge water bombs and avoid the clean-up needed with plastic water balloons. Just cut a sponge into strips, group the pieces together, and tie them around the middle with an elastic band. Your sponge bombs are now ready for dunking into water. 

Spending quality time together should be a priority for every family. These fun activities are just some ideas you can use to bond with your children this summer.