7 Easy, Inexpensive Ways to End Summer With a Bang

School supplies are on sale, school paperwork started showing up in the mail, and I have started getting store ads full of school clothes deals. I guess it’s time to face the truth… summer is drawing to an end and “Back to School” is right around the corner.

I am the type of mom who waits and wishes for summer all year long, and this summer seems to have literally flown by. So to enjoy the last few weeks of summer vacation, I have come up with a plan to end our summer with a bang! Here are 7 ideas of fun, easy, and inexpensive ways to end summer with a bang!

1. Water war- We are going to take water fights to the next level with a full on water war! We may invite some friends over and tell them to bring whatever water arsenal they have on hand for this epic summer battle.
2. Lazy day- A full day of PJ’s, blanket forts, popcorn, and movie watching in the living room.

3. Pancake bar- My kids love pancakes, so I decided to make this breakfast favorite, even better by putting out some fun toppings for a “build your own pancake bar”. I have grabbed some fresh strawberries, blueberries and bananas to slice up and use as toppings to decorate with. While at Walmart, I also grabbed some of the new Jif Flavored Spreads in Cinnamon and Maple to use as a delicious and easy topping that the kids can spread on their pancakes. I know this will make my kids #peanutbutterhappy to have a fun and flavorful, unique topping for their pancakes, and I can’t wait to see what kind of pancake creations they come up with!

4. Stargazing- All we need to do is grab some pillows and blankets, then head outside for some backyard star gazing. A snack always helps too!

5. Sunrise Hike- My kids are early birds, but we are going to get up even earlier than usual and head out for a pre-dawn, flashlight guided hike. I have a box of delicious Jif Bars to make us peanut butter happy, and are super easy to bring on the go! So I plan to throw them in my backpack along with some drinks and a blanket, so we can hike to one of our favorite spots where we will enjoy an outdoor sunrise breakfast together!

6. Invention day- my kids love to create new things so we are going to get creative and new invention ideas using household items! The more unique, the better! Bonus points if they invent something that will help them stay organized once school starts! Visit https://urbanmatter.com/inventhelp-reviews-and-frequently-asked-questions/ if you have a seriously good invention.

7. Midnight bake-off- This happened a few summers ago completely by accident. I had the urge to bake late at night, and inadvertently woke everyone up and we all ended up enjoying a midnight muffin snack. It ended up being one of my favorite memories of the summer, so I think we may do it again this year!

What do you do to make the most of the last few carefree days of summer? Share your thoughts and ideas here!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. The opinions and text are all mine.