How to Have a Retro-Inspired Summer with Your Kids

Jun 1

Published June 1, 2024 | Updated April 2026

I fall into that "elder" millennial group, and because of this, I have incredibly fond memories of a *mostly* analog childhood. I did have those original Nintendo sets (you know what I'm talking about), but for the most part..it was outside, backyard, in our kid-sized pools, and with friends riding bikes. We were fortunate to live in a little beach town, so just a hop, skip and a jump across the street, and we were in the sand and sea.

Shoes barely were worn on feet, even to walk on the scalding pavement to the beach or riding our bike.

Our lawn chairs were those aluminum-weaved ones left over from the 70s—remember those?!

Badminton was the family fun activity; the net always stayed up, and birdies would always be scattered among the freshly cut grass.

We took our Igloo cooler, filled with most likely toxic-colored drinks or cola, to the beach, and our floppy plastic beach bags dragged behind us.

We would wait for the ice cream truck to make an appearance on our block, get that little piece of "free" bubblegum with our cold treat, and then compete to see who could blow the biggest bubble.

We would walk to our neighborhood video shop to rent a movie to watch with friends.

We lived in the moment.

We enjoyed every single summer day.

I want my children to have summer memories of lightness and fun, not one with a stressed-out mom wishing away time!!

So, this year, I decided to pull from these simpler times to create our own retro-inspired, intentional summer experience!

A Summer Unplugged

And part of that intention? It's choosing to disconnect a little more. This season, I’m craving a deeper kind of presence — the kind that comes when I’m not scrolling (2025 update: since I wrote this I quit social media and it has been truly amazing!), or half-distracted. I want to really see my kids — the giggles during a game of tag, the stories they tell when we’re not rushing. Stepping away from tech, even just a little bit, makes more room for those slow, sacred moments that actually feel like summer.

When I talk about an unplugged summer, I’m actually not talking about the kids—I’m talking to us, the parents. I know it’s not easy, especially for moms who work from home and still need to check emails or manage things online. But there’s something truly magical about stepping away from the tech, taking a real break from social media, and simply living—soaking up summer with our littles the way we did back in the ’80s and ’90s.

THROW & STICK GAMES || BADMITTON SET || NERF SUPER SOAKERS || POLAROID CAMERA || (reusable!) WATER BALLLOONS || CROQUET SET || RETRO SUNGLASSES || PLAYMATE COOLER || CLASSIC BOOMBOX || NERF FOOTBALL || BEACH BALLS || CLASSIC TOWELS ||

Intentional Outdoor Fun: Games, Adventures & Good Old-Fashioned Play

Outdoor play was a constant in our childhood, and even though I’m personally grateful that my kids love being outside (and ask to be out there most days), let’s be honest… when it’s sweltering, sometimes I’d rather be anywhere else. Still, I’ve found that when we all have something fun to do together, it changes everything.

In the past, I’ve often sat on the sidelines watching my kids get totally lost in their own little world — which isn’t a bad thing at all. But this year? I want to be part of the fun. These are some of our favorite ways to play together and soak up the season:

〰️ A game of Badminton, Bocce, or Croquet — these are classics for a reason and get everyone involved, from toddlers to grandparents. They're simple, nostalgic, and actually make you want to get up and move around.

〰️ Super Soakers — a total '90s throwback, and yes, you will absolutely find yourself getting into it. Bonus points if you surprise your kids with an ambush.

〰️ Nerf Football or Throw ’n Stick Sets — We gave these to the kids for Easter, and it’s become a go-to activity. Perfect for backyard tossing or beach days. (And if you know the joy of that perfectly squishy Nerf spiral, you’re my kind of people.)

〰️ The classic Slip ‘n Slide — I’ll be real: I’m not risking my hips anymore, but watching the kids fly down the slide brings back all the childhood memories. Pure joy.

〰️ Water Balloons — but make them better. While there’s definitely a time and place for the classic version, I’ve fallen in love with the new reusable ones. They’re easier on the environment, safer for little kids and pets, and budget-friendly since they last all season long.

Oh, and don’t forget to grab some extra beach balls to toss over that badminton net, or just around the yard. Best dollar spent at target, ha!

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Indoor Nostalgia: Books, Movies & Memory-Making

One of our favorite things to do during the summer is to take advantage of everything going on at the library! As a kid, our little town library always had the reading club; each week, you read so many books and then get a prize. It was an exciting time! As a pre-teen/teen, when I was too old for the kid-aged program, I was able to volunteer my time a couple of times a week to assist the. younger kids in getting their books and prizes. It was such a great activity, and when I had kids, I looked forward to always bringing them to the library for these experiences, too. So this is a sort of retro-sort-of-modern one. But the nostalgia hits are present!!

Check out your local library to see if they have a reading club. Most do these days, and most are for both kids and adults, so you might as well get in on the fun and pick up some books for yourself. This has been a BIG part of my own self-care and mindset—getting off the phone and the tech and being present in books…or even magazines.

MOVIE NIGHTS

But make it retro—

Do you not have the best memories of going to Blockbuster (or even your neighborhood video store) to pick out a Friday night movie!? I seriously miss those times…

But you can still make this happen.

Once again, it is using the library, the only place that I know of where we can still rent a movie. Plus, it is for FREE, so that is even better!

Make it a full movie night with popcorn, those small boxes of candy we used to get from Blockbuster that you can just grab in the dollar store or your grocery store, or make a homemade treat, like who doesn't want to make some s’mores when watching The Sandlot!

Our Summer Movie Watch-List

The Sandlot

The Goonies

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (end-of-summer focused)

Troop Beverly Hills

It Takes Two

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Monkey Trouble

Back to the Future

My Favorite Martian

Heavyweights

Jurassic Park

Free Willy

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Jungle 2 Jungle

Dennis the Mennis

The Parent Trap

Beethoven 2 (more summer-centered, but the first one is great too for summer, though I tend to lean into it more in the fall)

Zeus & Roxanne

The Retro Summer Experience is Yours to Create

The point of recreating a retro summer experience for your family is to do what works for you—taking the pressure off, having less tech around (mainly those phones!), and getting into the moment. Whether your kids attend summer camp and you do fun evenings on the weekends as a family, or you’re a stay-at-home mom all day with very young kids, you can take from this list, pull from other decades of inspo, and make it work for you. If your main goal is less screen time and more connection, you can make it happen with a little intention—and that’s really what they’ll remember.