With the end of the school year upon us, now is a wonderful time to find fun, creative, and healthy ways to spend time with your kids. These three local moms shared their favorite activities and ideas for family bonding over summer break!
"My family loves taking advantage of all that downtown Chattanooga has to offer over summer break. We also love evenings spent in Coolidge Park riding bikes and playing football. That’s a family favorite. After playing, our kids love to grab a hot dog at Good Dog and ice cream at Clumpies for a treat. And we always enjoy taking a walk across the walking bridge. We also love to plan visits to the Creative Discovery Museum, Tennessee Aquarium, and the Chattanooga Zoo. With two young boys, we try to balance plenty of active time outdoors with fun enrichment opportunities."
Althea Jones
NorthShore
"Typical summer days have my 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter heading outside after breakfast to explore the woods or set up a slip-n-slide in the yard if it’s hot enough. My daughter loves to look for salamanders in the nearby creek, or sometimes they will pretend to be shipwrecked on a sand island with our dog and spend hours making mud pies and looking for random insects. We also love to hang our hammocks up and read or draw together. Sometimes we will take our kayaks and paddleboards for a little float on the Tennessee River near Coolidge Park or Suck Creek. We also love to hike and go visit lots of different creeks and swimming holes. I can see the benefits for my kids in time spent outdoors by the way it affects their mood. We really love being outside as a family."
Chris Chaffin
Signal Mountain
"For my four children, Jackson, Chloe, Gabi, and Elsie, summer means adventure. Annual memberships to local places like the zoo and Dollywood give us variety and education. We also try to take advantage of discount movie days at the theater. We like to explore the Ocoee River and other nearby cities to find fun outdoors. From staying active with outings around town and playtime with friends to lots of pool time and hosting our annual July 4th celebration, we make the most of each summer day!"
Heather Ryerson
Cleveland
