The Ultimate Guide to Epic Summer Activities for Vegan Families
Summer break is fast approaching and it’s time to start planning an action-packed summer for your vegan family. From camping trips complete with vegan s’mores to fun rainy-day activities, we’ve got you covered with these fantastic ideas that will have your family counting down the days until summer arrives.
Outside Activities
Vegan Summer Camps
Vegan camps are a fantastic way for kids to explore the great outdoors and make friends with people that share their values. From nature hikes to eco-friendly crafts, these camps have it all. Check out what summer camps are near you and sign your little one up.
If you can’t find a fully vegan summer camp, look for eco, vegan, or plant-based day events or weekend festivals that kids can attend. There are some fantastic nature weekend festivals suitable for the whole family with vegan food stalls, craft activities, and talks from vegan writers and eco-activists.
To find the best vegan summer camps for your kids, check out this helpful guide to Vegan Summer Camps for Teens
Camping
What better way to learn to appreciate and respect nature than a weekend family camping trip? Take your bikes or hiking boots and hit the trails to immerse yourself in nature. Don’t forget to bring your BBQ and cook tasty vegan burgers and hot dogs with a side of chargrilled veggies. And definitely don’t forget to make s’mores. A classic for a reason, these tasty treats are easily made vegan! Check out this vegan s’more recipe.
Picnic Adventure
If you are not quite ready for a weekend away camping, you can still enjoy a wonderful afternoon in the summer sun with a tasty plant-based picnic. Get your kids to help pack a basket of vegan goodies and head to your nearest park or beach for a chilled afternoon. Don’t forget to take a frisbee!
Vegan Cooking Class
For older kids, vegan cooking classes are a fun way to learn how to make their favorite vegan dish and learn important cooking skills they will need when they fly the nest. Cooking classes not only allow them to improve their culinary skills, but they also get to meet like-minded people and develop a deeper understanding of veganism.
Visit An Animal Sanctuary
Create a nature scavenger hunt for your kids to explore the outdoors. Make a list of items they can find, such as specific leaves, rocks, flowers, or animal tracks. Encourage them to document their discoveries with photos or drawings. It’s a fun and educational way to engage with nature and learn about different plant and animal species.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Visiting an animal sanctuary is an excellent way for kids to learn about animal welfare and the importance of treating animals with kindness and respect. Animal sanctuaries are safe havens for animals rescued from neglect, abuse, and exploitation, and they offer visitors the opportunity to interact with animals in a compassionate and educational environment.
If your kids are old enough, see if there are any volunteering opportunities. Many shelters are always on the lookout for wonderful volunteers to walk the dogs or promote the shelter through bake sales (with vegan cakes of course!)
Rainy Day Activities
Unfortunately, not every day is going to be blue skies for miles. Some days will be rainy and you won’t want to head outside but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! Try out these rainy-day friendly activities.
Create a Scrapbook
Keeping a scrapbook of all the adventures you have been on is a lovely way for kids to remember their summer holiday. They can scavenge natural materials from your trips to the woods, from camping, or at the beach. They can cut out pictures and quotes from old magazines and newspapers. Get out the paints and pencils and they can draw what they remember from your trips.
If your kids are old enough, see if there are any volunteering opportunities. Many shelters are always on the lookout for wonderful volunteers to walk the dogs or promote the shelter through bake sales (with vegan cakes of course!)
Plant an Indoor Herb Garden
Don’t let the rain stop you from growing tasty food you can use in the kitchen. Help your kids to develop a green thumb by encouraging them to grow a herb garden. You can use seeds from herbs you’ve already grown or they are cheap to buy from the garden center. Gardening helps kids to learn about sustainability, composting and teaches them to care for something.
Create Marvelous Meals
A rainy day is a great excuse to get messy in the kitchen. Create a vegan feast that the kids helped make. Get creative with colorful salads, scrumptious sandwiches, and delectable desserts that will have everyone asking for seconds!
Here are some great websites to check out for kid-friendly vegan recipes:
Explore Earth’s Marvels at a Natural History Museum
Rainy weather doesn’t mean you have to stay cooped up inside. Natural history museums or even your local science museums are great places to keep kids entertained for the day. You can learn all about the world from the smallest of creatures to the colossal dinosaurs.
Ready for a big family adventure? Check out this list of 8 Perfect Vegan Family Vacations by LiveKindly for some dream vacation inspo.
In Conclusion
Summer adventures for vegan families are all about creating cherished memories while developing your family’s love of nature and embracing your compassionate lifestyle. From vegan camps to rainy-day crafty activities, there are endless possibilities for joy, learning, and connection.
We have two wonderful books for children which aim to help them on their journey to understand animal welfare and farming – 100% of our proceeds go towards animal rights organizations (yes, we do this for love, not money!)
The second in a trilogy of beautifully illustrated children’s books, this story about the compelling journey of a young chicken named Cluck, told by a sage parrot.
