The Majority of Parents Have ZERO Activities Planned with their Kids this Summer

If Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer, then why do the majority of parents have no activities planned for their children once they’re out of school? Do you fall into this group? If you do, you are not alone. The sign up for summer camps is around March here. It's hard to wrap my brain around summer time in March. I do however get on it. Not all, but many camps are less expensive than daycare is.

According to a recent nationwide survey of 1,000 parents commissioned by Groupon, 57 percent of respondents said they had absolutely nothing planned for the family this summer. Which is baffling, considering that a whopping 99 percent of those parents DO want to do something fun and exciting with their kids over the summer months. Not all parents can take time off work, or afford a vacation. The thing is, is get aways do not have to be expensive. If you're really strapped for cash, you can have a staycation. It helps to stay in a hotel. There's always something fun and different to do around where you live. Parents were also asked in the survey what the perfect summer looked like with their children, and the results were expensive. According to respondents, the idyllic summer consists of: 

• 6 BBQs/dinners out
• 5 movie/beach outings 
• 2 overseas trips

Though respondents reckon that the total cost for those experiences would come in at around $43,154.87.

“Many parents aren’t aware of the number of affordable local activities they can do with their children over the summer months,” said Greg Rudin, head of fun things to do at Groupon. “By taking full advantage of the amazing things to do around their neighborhood, building long-lasting family memories can be done on just about any budget.” The average family will travel nearly 600 miles together over the summer, according to the survey, with most vacation destinations between four and five hours away by car.

A day at the beach was considered the top family activity, followed by visiting an amusement/water park and having a classic backyard cookout. Most – 85 percent – look for vacation activities within their home state. Parents in the West were most likely to want to take their children overseas with those in the Midwest least inclined to do so. When it comes to travel outside of mainland USA, the Bahamas and Australia are among the dream destinations.

Unsurprisingly, the internet is the top source of inspiration for summer vacation ideas, ahead of word of mouth and traditional advertising, the survey revealed. The survey also reported that parents are now looking to give their children experiences rather than gifts – and said their kids were 18 times more likely to benefit from an experience throughout their entire lifetime than a toy. “Research has shown that people increasingly value experiences over material things, especially with friends and family,” Rudin said. “Now is the perfect time to get out there and create those memories by trying something new that you’ve always wanted to do together.”

Top 10 Essential Family Summer Activities:

  Beach

  Water park/amusement park

  BBQ

  Out of state visit

  Movies

  Road trip

  Hotel stay

  Camping

  National monument visit

  Fishing

Top 10 Dream Family Vacation Destinations:

 

  Hawaii

  Disney World

  Bahamas

  Australia

  Washington DC

  Miami

  New York City

  Virginia Beach

  Canada

  Japan           

For inspiration on some great things to do with your family this summer, click here.

Disclaimer: I did not receive anything in exchange for writing this post.