Making Childhood Memories Your Kids Will Cherish: 30 Simple Ideas + a Free Printable

Last updated on April 24th, 2022 at 12:51 am

When you’re a brand new parent, it feels like you have plenty of time to create a childhood full of memories for your little one. Ask any parent of a 10, 15, or 20-year-old, and they will tell you something quite different. The time goes way too fast. Looking back, you always wish you could recapture those precious early years. The saying “The days are long, but the years are short,” is absolutely true. 

We can’t stop the march of time, but we can make the time with our children count. Making childhood memories our little ones will take into their adulthood (and ones we’ll remember too) really isn’t a matter of grand gestures or fancy vacations. In that spirit, we’ve put together 30 easy ways to make lasting memories with your child.

Making Childhood Memories Your Kids Will Cherish — 30 Simple Ideas

1. Have breakfast in bed.
2. Have an indoor picnic.
3. Do random acts of kindness. Here are some kindess activities to get you started!
4. Send them a surprise in the mail.
5. Camp in the backyard.
6. Have a tea party. 
7. Do late-night stargazing. 
8. Build and fly a kite. 
9. Have a water balloon fight.
10. Set up a lemonade stand.
11. Build a teepee.
12. Take a road trip. [Check out our Printable Travel Games for Kids]
13. Have a midnight snack party.
14. Make time for dinners together. 
15. Play hopscotch.
16. Take Polaroid pictures.
17. Make a volcano.
18. Make tie-dyed shirts.
19. Cook or bake together. [Check out these desserts kids can make.]
20. Read together. [Tips for Reading Aloud to Your Kids]
21. Have family game nights. (These are our favorite games for family game nights.)
22. Get a hobby you can do together.
23. Build a fort.
24. Have a dance party.
25. Go on nature walks.
26. Run through the sprinklers.
27. Have a garage sale.
28. Keep a journal together.
29. Play hide-and-seek.
30. Create a bucket list. (Check out our bucket lists for spring, summer, fall, and Halloween.)

Click below to print your “30 Ways to Make Childhood Memories” printable. This will print full-size on a letter-size piece of paper, or use your printer’s settings to fit it to your page.

And, don’t miss our other free printables.

Also read —
4 Tips for Being More Present with Your Family
Tips for Reading Aloud to Your Kids
How to Have an 80s Summer (Free Printable Bucket List for Kids) + the Ultimate 80s Playlist