Last Minute Summer Activities – Frugal Back to School Prep

Do you have back to school on the brain yet? We are right in the middle of summer vacation, but it is coming up quickly! There were so many summer bucket list ideas in my brain, but now we’re down to crunch time. It’s time to pull out as many fun, last minute summer activities as I can before back to school season gets here.

Despite my procrastination, summer will end before I know it. So, I am starting to think about what activities the kids and I can do before the first day of school and other things I can do now to be more prepared for the back to school rush. Here’s a few ideas that will be fun for them and easy and frugal for you! 

How Can I Make Summer Fun At Home?

Spend a day being silly together. Dancing, singing, make-believe play, all activities your kiddos would probably love if you joined them. You could also spend a day behind the camera. Document some fun experiences to look back on for years to come.

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1. Get outside and take some pictures. Have your young child pose for the camera while they play with their friends or pet!

Check out this blog post for more fun back to school photo ideas. Being silly together is one of the many fun things to do before going back to school and the kids will love it!

How Do You Enjoy The Last Few Days Of Summer?

Mostly, before the kids go back to school, I just want to spend some quality time with them. Making crafts or working on projects together is a great way to do just that! Here’s some ideas for fun things to do before school starts.

Make a vibrant, happy crayon wreath using just a few supplies like crayons, wide ribbon, scissors, and hot glue. See the full tutorial over at Dollar Crafter. These can be as customized as you want. We’ve actually made something similar as teacher gifts before and they were a hit!

Looking for an adorable teacher gift that they’ll actually use? These Back to School Mason Jars are simple enough to make that kiddos can help without making too big of a mess! Plus, these jars are so dang cute and most teachers would love a functional decoration!

Another craft teachers will appreciate: this teacher gift box. It can be used as a desk organizer, or a holder for all kinds of odds and ends. Filling it with supplies is the icing on the cake, because we all know how much of their own money teachers spend on classroom supplies each year. Adding a gift card would be a nice touch, too.

Getting snuggled up together with a good book is one of the many last minute summer activities you can do with your kids. Reading is really important at our house. We have a daily quiet reading time all throughout summer. Quiet reading time was actually my replacement for nap time as my kids started to outgrow naps. It’s a way for them to unwind and recharge in the afternoons.

But, it’s good to change it up and read books together, too. Thankfully, even my big kids still enjoy when I read to them from time to time. I think the crazy voices and faces I make while reading certain books does the trick.

Here’s some great back to school book options:

• Frog and Toad All Year
• Rex Wrecks It!
• Miss Nelson is Missing

See a full list of back to school books for kids here. There’s some great options here, especially if you have younger kiddos who may be nervous or having other big feelings about going to school.

Fun Things To Do Before Going Back To School

Prep for back to school. Of course, the end of summer is the time to start preparing for the first day of school. Those last minute summer activities like: getting school supplies, preparing school lunches, and getting back into a more school friendly routine. Here’s some ideas to make the most of those last few days and weeks before school begins.

Shopping for School Supplies

Back to school time can get really expensive, really quickly. As I said in How To Save Money On School Supplies, one of my favorite ways to save back to school shopping is to shop the clearance sales after back to school season is over for the current year.

So for 2021, I’ll wait until about the end of August, beginning of September and head to the clearance aisles. It’s a great time to get really amazing deals and stock up on supplies that might be needed throughout the year or can be saved for the next year.

Another good place to get discounted back to school stuff is a thrift store or consignment shop. You will find books, clothes, furniture and much more all at a fraction of the price. This strategy would be especially helpful for those older kiddos who may be going to college and moving out on their own.

There are many ways to save on back to school shopping. While most of this post is about spending time with kids before they go back to school, back to school shopping is not one of those activities I recommend, if you can avoid it.

Of course, some kids want to be involved in absolutely every aspect of back to school. That’s so great. But, keep in mind that having your kids join you while back to school shopping could stretch your budget a little further than necessary.

Instead, maybe take the kids out for lunch before or after shopping. Or bring home a fun dessert or treat for them to enjoy. They enjoy the treat while you show off everything you got for them for the new school year. It’s a win-win. Your budget is spared, they enjoy a treat plus new school gear, and you can cross a few things off the last minute summer activities list.

Back to School Recipes

What kid doesn’t love to help in the kitchen, making yummy treats with their parent? Enjoying delicious treats is one of the last minute summer activities that kids likely can’t get enough of, no matter how many times they get to do it.

Looking for some sweet back to school treats? Try these adorable, back to school themed, and equally yummy composition notebook cupcakes and notebook cookies. These may take a bit of extra time, but if you can make time to try them out, I’m sure the kids will think they’re a hit!

Not quite a dessert, but still sweet and delicious, this banana split trail mix hits the spot any time of day. Want a banana split for breakfast as you’re walking out the door? Well, why not?

School day mornings are so hectic. It’s a wonder anyone gets dressed and fed, and out the door on time. DIY freezer breakfast sandwiches are prepared ahead of time and taste just the same when you reheat them. Winning!

Tip: Freezer meals are always one of my suggestions for busy mamas who may be feeling some overwhelm. There are so many foods you can make ahead of time and freeze. You don’t have to dedicate one whole day or even a few hours to making freezer meals, either. Just make extra when you’re cooking a meal and freeze the excess. It’s a simple way to stock your freezer with ready to go meals that require less time and effort to get on a plate.

Delicious breakfast on the brain? Banana chocolate French toast is where it’s at. No syrup needed. Yum!

Here’s a helpful tip, make a bunch of french toast at once. Then put it in freezer bags once it’s cool and pop them in the freezer. Perfect for those busy mornings! Just pull a bag out of the freezer, wrap in a wet paper towel and microwave in 30 sec increments until warm. You could also microwave them with a bowl of water in the microwave, too. Just as long as you’re keeping it nice and steamy in there, you’ll have delicious french toast to enjoy with minimal effort.

Related: How To Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons

If you forget to make the freezer breakfast sandwiches, you can quickly make this toasted peanut butter and jelly in a jiffy… no pun intended. 😉 It’s not your basic PB&J, but it doesn’t require much more effort than that, either.

Need help with school lunches, too? Here’s 11+ Frugal Ideas for School Lunches Kids Will Actually Eat for getting the kids out the door, lunch in hand, without completely losing your mind!

The kids spent all day at school but you still had a million chores to do and errands to run. Who has time for cooking a full meal over the stove? Not me! If you don’t have a freezer meal stock built up yet, I love these kid-friendly Instant Pot recipes from Easy Instant Recipes. They’ll save everyone tonight!

How Can I Make My Summer Break Last Longer?

Really, you can’t. But, you can be intentional with your days and make the most of the last days of summer. Planning a few activities, even simple and easy ones, can help the kids and you feel like summer is hanging on, just a bit longer.

The last days of summer can be both productive and full of good quality fun with your kids

• Do a few activities (like those above) together
• Shop for school supplies (or organizing and looking through them together)
• Get organized and prepared for school, together
• Make some meals ahead of time to be prepared for the rush of back to school, together

Doing all or some of these things together will not only make sure your family is ready for school, but also make sure you squeeze in some fun during those last few days. Maybe there’s an activity or trip that was on your summer bucket list that you didn’t get a chance to do. Try squeezing that in for some last minute summer fun.

Including one fun and memorable activity in your last minute summer plans is a great way to ensure the school year gets off to a great start! So find those last minute summer activities your kids will really enjoy and spend some time with them before they head off for another year of school.

What are your favorite last minute summer activities? How do you soak up those last few days of summer? Have other last minute summer fun ideas to share? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Until next time,
Stay Courageous!