

When I close my eyes and think back to the greatest memories of my childhood, they nearly all have one thing in common: summer.
I can smell the sunscreen, taste the ripe mangoes, and hear my mother’s voice ringing through the house to “GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY”. It was, without a hint of exaggeration, the greatest time to be alive.
Then, I grew up.
Like so many boring adults before me, I lost touch with the carefree energy of summer holidays. I replaced day-long pool sessions with client presentations, and beach volleyball matches with text-message battles about school drop-off with my partner.
That rule and schedule-free summer feeling that seemed to elevate me to untouchable God-like status had sadly been lost.
But then I became a father. And with the sleepless nights and poop-filled nappies came a burning desire to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
As parents, we all want the same thing: to keep our kids happy. And if we can recreate special memories from our own childhoods to ensure their summers are as jam-packed and laughter-filled as our own, then it’s a win/win.
Now that summer is officially here, my desire to create those iconic moments is in full swing with my twins. Here are 8 things I did as a child that I’m passing down my kids.
1. The summer sprinkler run.
Setting up a sprinkler, which takes very little effort, is a surefire way to win over your children’s hearts and give you a few hours of freedom to get some laundry done.
We always paired the water play with music, playing “Freeze Dance” as my parents stopped and started the songs. Challenge your kids to stand like a statue as the water pelts them, it’s too fun.
2. The backyard mini-golf tournament.
