To make a sponge garden, you will just need to get ordinary sponges, a pair of scissors, a spray bottle, a large plastic container to hold the sponges, and some fast-growing seeds (like broccoli or grass). 

Next, you can use the scissors to cut up your sponges in any shape you want and place them in the plastic container. Then spray the sponges with water and sprinkle the seeds on top of the sponges. Cover the container, but make sure to leave some air holes. Water your seeds regularly and watch them grow over the next few weeks!

Beach days are a great family activity, there is so much to do. Families can spend all day in the water swimming, playing Marco Polo, boogie boarding, or going diving for unique seashells. Make sure to take plenty of breaks so you aren’t too tired in the water.

If swimming isn’t your cup of tea and you prefer to stay in the sand, there is still plenty of fun to be had. Frisbee, volleyball, sand building contests, freeze tag - the possibilities are endless!

A good movie night isn’t complete without snacks. You can’t go wrong with popcorn and there are tons of delicious popcorn recipes out there, especially if you are making homemade popcorn. Try being more adventurous with the oils you use. Or experiment with new toppings like parmesan cheese, everything bagel seasoning, melted chocolate, or anything you want. You could even add in extra toppings like raisins or nuts.

After every good movie, you are dying to talk about it as soon as the credits roll. It’s interesting to listen to what others were feeling during certain moments or how they interpreted different scenes. Once the discussion dies down, finish off the night with trivia. Pick a host and put everyone’s movie knowledge to the test. 

Don’t worry if you can’t get to somewhere like Yellowstone, you can take a hike anywhere. Try looking for local forest preserves or larger parks near you. Even just a walk around the neighborhood can be a relaxing family moment.

In the journal you can include who is with you, what you wear doing, anything you would change, what you rate the memory, and more. There is even a section to attach photos or draw a picture of your memory. It’s a great keepsake, especially having all your experiences in one place. With 144 pages, there is plenty of room for all the memories you cherish in a neat paperback journal. These memory journals come in three different series so you can pick whatever theme best fits you or your kids.

The outdoor series features camping-related activities like fishing, kayaking, and more. It can be used to record any memory, like a family getaway to the beach or a hike in the woods. Whether you are camping, going on a road trip, or even taking a stroll around a park, you can record all your adventures to make them permanent and easily shareable with friends. 

There is also the plant series journals. Covers include cacti, sunflowers, palms, dandelions, and a tropical landscape. If you tried out the sponge garden idea above, that would be a great first log to include in one of the plant memory journals. You could even log different plants you start growing or write about trips to plant stores and what plants you decided to get.

The last collection of memory journals is the retro series. The covers in this series are the rotary phone, cassette tape, camera film, floppy disk, and a music record. These are my favorite covers, what better way is there to keep memories alive than to show things from the past? If you picked an older movie to watch for family movie night, the retro series journal would be a great place to store that memory forever.