It’s ninety degrees, humid, and rainy simultaneously, which means it’s summertime here in Florida. It also means the kids are out of school for Summer Vacation. Summer Vacation can mean fun family trips to faraway places or a few weeks at a summer camp with friends. It can also mean finding things close to home for most of the summer which can also be loads of fun. If you call Jacksonville, Florida home, summertime is also a great time for fun. Whether that be in the outdoors or inside activities, Jacksonville has a lot to offer.
Fun in the Sun and Water
Looking for something to do outside but stay cool at the same time? Then this first set of summer activities is perfect for you. Water Parks and splash pads are a popular way to enjoy the warm weather but still stay cool. Be sure to bring a comfy pair of flip-flops with you. We recommend this month's shoe of the month, the Women’s Yontal Sandal for walking and the fan-favorite Birkenstock Arizona EVA for water activities.
The women's yontal in green is the perfect summer shoe.
Jacksonville Beach
A free and easy day in the water is always easy at the beach. Living near the water, Jacksonville has miles & miles of beach to enjoy. Grab some towels, sand toys, a cooler of drinks, snacks, some shade, and make a day at the beach one of your go-to stops this summer.
Hanna Park Beach & Splash Park
For an entrance fee, you can upgrade your beach day with a little more fun. Hanna Park has a great stretch of 1.5 miles of beach front and also includes a splash park that the kids will love! You can also explore bike trails, hiking trails, a Campground Store and Concession, and freshwater for fishing.
Hanna Park Splash Pad is full of spraying water to keep kids cool
Adventure Landing Water Parks
Lucky for us, we have another summer favorite right here in Jacksonville. Waterparks are all the fun of the beach without the sand. Ship Wreck Island, Adventure Landing’s Water Park, is near beach blvd and has multiple slides, a wave pool, and a kid's area but you can also spend your time playing mini-golf, riding go-carts, or playing arcade games. Pick one or all four and you're sure to have fun no matter what.
Summer Reading
We want to have lots of fun during summer but we also don’t want to forget to keep our kid's minds sharp. Sometimes though, having to read during vacation doesn't sound very fun. Thankfully, there are ways to make summer reading with our kids fun.
Traveling Tales Kits
The Jacksonville local library has come up with a creative way to keep reading during the summer. Head over to the Main Library Downtown and you can check out one of their Traveling Tales Kits. Each kit includes multiple books and can have things like puppets, songs, craft ideas, snack recipes, a music CD, a DVD, or a flannel board story all related to a theme. You can place them on hold online, pick them up at the Mian Library and then return them to any Duval county library near you. All you need is an active library card. This way your kids will keep up with their reading and have fun doing it.
Movies and Music
If you didn’t know, summer is a great time for cheap movies and music. There are tons of different options for summer movie nights or music concerts. Here are 3 of our favorites that we think you should try.
Jumbo Shrimp Family Movie Night
The Jumbo Shrimp are known for their monthly movie nights and summertime is a great time to catch one. For $1 you can sit up in the stands or for $5 you can sit down on the field. With a blanket, a few pillows, family and friends, and the yummy food for sale, Jumbo Shrimp movies make a fun and relaxing family activity. Look for Jumbo Shrimp Family Movie nights in July and August.
Summer Movie Clubhouse
If you want more movie options than just once a month, you’ll also want to check out Tinseltown for their Summer Movie Clubhouse. Tinseltown’s Summer Movie Clubhouse includes recent kid friendly movies at a great price. You can catch a different movie each week for 8 weeks starting June 15 and ending August 3 for only $1.50 per ticket. You can also save on food with $1 off kid's snack packs or large popcorn & large drink combos.
St. Augustine Concerts in the Plaza
If you’re a music lover and willing to make a trip to St. Augustine, you’re in for a treat during the summer. All summer long St. Augustine host the Concerts in the Plaza music series. The concerts take place from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Thursday evenings under the oak trees of the Plaza de la Constitución. The Plaza is located in the heart of St. Augustine between Cathedral Place and King Street, just west of the Bridge of Lions. Each Thursday different performers put on a show from The Gazebo while onlookers gather around in lawn chairs. A few of this year's performers include Billy Buchanan, The Grapes of Roth and Ancient City Slickers.
Music lovers can enjoy good music and nice weather every Thursday night during the summer.
Build and Make Something
These next two summer activities aren’t exclusive to summer but have just recently gone back to in-person or have summer themes to their activity.
Lowes and Home Depot Workshops
Let your little builders use real hammers, nails, and wood to build something they can keep. One Saturday a month both Lowes and Home Depot set up an area in their store for kids to build something fun. You can build in-store or take the kits home with you to build later. If you miss that month's kids workshop you can purchase the kit online and have it shipped to your home.
Michael's Kid's Club Online
If you're looking for something a little more crafty, Michael's may be more your kid's speed. With free and paid online classes, you can fill your kid's summer with creativity. Whether your kid is into painting, mosaics or food, you are sure to find something they’ll like. Registration is easy and you can purchase all the supplies you need from Michael's. Each class has a limited amount of seats so be sure to register early!
Free or Cheap Food
Who doesn’t love all the tasty food available during the summer? We know we do! If you're like us, be sure to give these places a stop this summer.
Free Slurpee Day
The lines may be long but Free Slurpee day is a summer favorite all over the country. If you haven’t ever taken the time to stop by, make this summer your first. On July 11th, aka 7/11, thousands of 7-Eleven stores all over the country welcome guests to stop in to receive one free Slurpee per person. The free offer is limited to one small Slurpee and stores are open 7 am to 11 pm. There’s nothing quite like a Slurpee during summer so make sure you don’t miss this!
Blueberry Picking
Summer is the perfect time for fruity treats and fresh blueberries will give your treats some extra punch. Jacksonville is full of places to get your fill of blueberries with a variety of different places to visit. The Jacksonville Mom Blog’s list of all the local blueberry farms includes times, locations, how to pay, and how to contact each farm. So pick one near you and fill up. Be sure to put the kids in something comfy like a pair of Footmate Tides to keep their little feet protected as well as comfortable.
A comfortable pair of shoes can make all the difference while enjoying summer fun.
Are there any other fun local Jacksonville Summer activities you enjoy? Leave us a comment, we’d love to check them out.
The Women’s Yontal sandal is a great choice for summer, so great you might want it in more than one color. All month long when you buy one pair of Gravity Deyfers, you’ll get 15% off of the second pair of Gravity Defyer shoes! So go ahead, buy the second pair of shoes. You won’t regret it!