This is an updated and refreshed post from August 2022.
As summer winds down in the Seattle area, it’s the perfect time to make the most of those last warm days with your kids. This inspiration list for August 2025 is packed with family fun ideas, from backyard adventures and delicious treats to must-see celestial events and local activities. I hope it helps you plan some unforgettable end-of-summer memories!
Holidays and Special Dates in August
- National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is August 2
- National Night Out Day is August 6
- National Root Beer Float Day is August 7
- National Book Lovers Day is August 9
- The Full Sturgeon Moon lights up the sky on August 9. Named by Native American tribes after the giant fish that were most easily caught in the Great Lakes during this time of year, this full moon is a beautiful spectacle.
- National S’mores Day is August 10
- A Rare Planetary Alignment will be visible in the pre-dawn sky on August 10, with six planets—Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—lining up. You’ll need binoculars or a small telescope for the outer planets, but four of them will be visible to the naked eye!
- The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks between August 11 – 12. Although a full moon may make some of the dimmer meteors harder to see, the Perseids are known for their bright fireballs!
- International Left-Handers Day is August 13
- National Creamsicle Day is August 14
- Tell a Joke Day is August 16
- National Peach Pie Day is August 24
- Women’s Equality Day is August 26
- For family friendly ongoing and annual events to check out in the Seattle area, ParentMap has a great event calendar.
MAKE
Food
Try food themed days of the week:
- Special breakfast Sundays (pancakes, French toast, etc.)
- Mac & Cheese Mondays
- Oatmeal Wednesdays
- Poetry Teatime Thursdays
- Pizza Fridays
- Date Night Saturdays
Treats for Poetry Teatime Tea, cookies, creamsicles, blackberry and blueberry syrup for a tasty drink, flavored water (mint, lemon, etc.)
Family night treat ideas:
- Homemade pizza (build your own!)
- Skillet cookie
- S’mores
- Chocolate mint shakes
- Stone fruit tart
- Grilled pineapple for a delicious dessert
Family grilling ideas:
- Grill your pizza!
- Hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Veggie skewers
Crafts
August is a great time for both indoor and outdoor crafting. Here are some fun ideas for this month:
- Perler Beads, Friendship Bracelets, and Henna: These are perfect projects for a rainy afternoon or a quiet evening. Set up a craft station and let the kids create colorful designs with Perler beads, weave intricate friendship bracelets for their friends, or try their hand at beautiful Henna designs.
- Sunflower Paintings: Capture the beauty of summer with a fun art project. Set up canvases and paint bright, cheerful sunflower scenes.
- Pressed Flower Art: This classic craft is a wonderful way to preserve the beauty of August blossoms. You can turn your pressed flowers and leaves into bookmarks, greeting cards, or beautiful framed art.
- Nature Collages: Gather a variety of items from outside, like sticks, pebbles, acorns, and moss. Use glue to arrange them on cardboard to create a picture or an interesting mosaic.
- Stick and Yarn Mobiles: Find a sturdy stick to act as the base for a hanging mobile. This craft is a great way to use up leftover yarn or string and create something beautiful for a bedroom or a porch.
- Painted Rocks: Turn ordinary rocks into works of art. Painted rocks can be used as decorations in your garden, as paperweights, or as gifts for friends.
EXPLORE
At home:
- Backyard camp out
- Obstacle courses
- Kiddie pool time
- Berry picking (we have blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
- Gardening (we have two large beds and a dozen pots that give us plenty of veg throughout the summer). This is the perfect time for last minute summer garden projects!
- Reading logs for the library’s summer reading program are due soon. Let’s finish them up!
Out of the house:
- Take Sunday drives
- Spontaneous camping trip
- Family hikes around the neighborhood
- Visit the beach
- Bike ride
- Go for ice cream
- Blueberry picking with friends
- Zoo visit
- Park days
- Neighborhood block party
- As the new school year approaches, check for sign-ups for school activities and sports teams.
- Go to a drive-in movie
- Hit the splash park before summer ends
- NFL Preseason games start in August! Check your local schedule for preseason games and see if you can catch a game.
- Check out a Minor League Baseball game for a fun, affordable family outing. Look up local team schedules for August.
PLAY/WATCH (games and what to check out on TV/online ideas)
- Date nights in (kids watch a movie, parents watch a movie)
- Host an outdoor movie in your backyard
- Family movie night
- Freakier Friday: A sequel to the beloved 2003 film with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprising their roles.
- The Bad Guys 2: The Bad Guys are pulled out of retirement for one last job.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: A new movie about the iconic heroes in a half shell.
- Lego Masters Junior premieres on August 18
- King County Library System online events (for those that live in the Seattle area, if not check out your local library).
- Board and card games
- Mille Bornes
- Five Crowns
- Monopoly
- Catan Family Edition
- Dragonwood
- Chess, Checkers or Backgammon
- Uno
I hope my family fun ideas list for August inspired you.