This is part of a sponsored collaboration with HBO and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

It’s hard to believe the year went by so quickly, but school is out for the summer – well, for Georgia at least. My northern friends still get another few weeks of summer planning. I’m a total summer baby and love, love, love the warm weather and all of the summer fun that awaits. I’ve been busy for the past few weeks planning some fun summer activities for us to take part as well as just clearing up my work schedule to make room for more family time. So whether we are taking off for a fun family vacation or just relaxing at home watching Sesame Street, I’m hoping we can create a ton of great memories before schools starts again and we’re back to the every day hustle and bustle.

Here are 8 things to do before school starts:

1. Get your backyard ready for outdoor fun

My kids love playing in our backyard, so getting it ready for the summer was step #1 for us! Get out the water games and slides, water hose, kiddie pool – or clean out the full-sized pool if you have one !  Point is – get that yard ready for some summer fun!

Bonus tip: make sure you’ve also gotten your yard treated to keep away those pesky mosquitoes!

2. Start a summer camp at home

I recently shared the fact that I’d partnered with other bloggers to present our very own summer camp at home guide, with 7-weeks worth of activities and resources to keep the kids occupied and learning throughout the summer. You can follow the guide, or start your own based on your kids’ interests.

3. Plan a Family Vacation

Whether it’s a memorable road trip with the family, an action packed theme park adventure, or a totally awesome beach vacation, a family vacation is always an exciting part of summer vacation. My family just got back from our vacation to Orlando and loved every minute of it! For more family vacation ideas, check out the following:

• 9 Insider Tips for your Trip to Universal Orlando
• Guide to Traveling to Jekyll Island With Kids
• Best Local Getaways in the Southeast

4. Start a Butterfly Garden

If you’ve got kids who love nature and a little gardening, starting a butterfly garden is a fun activity they’d enjoy. You’ll need to do a little research online to find the types of flowers that will attract butterflies. Purchase these and let your kids plant their very own butterfly garden in the backyard. Your kids will surely love all the butterflies that show up and be happy at the fact that they planted the garden. Allow them to take care of the garden throughout the summer; it’ll also help them learn some important responsibilities.

5. Do some volunteer work as a family

It’s a good idea to teach your kids the importance of volunteering at a young age. While volunteer activities are far more popular during the holidays, there are many opportunities you’ll also find during the summer.

6. Take on a fun DIY project at home

Earlier in the school year, I had this really lofty idea to redecorate their play room, but never got around to it. I really want to paint one of the walls with some funky chalk paint that they can have fun with along with some reorganizing.  Summer’s the perfect time to tackle a fun DIY project like this where the kids can get involved and contribute some ideas.

7. Plan for learning

Sounds like a not-so-fun part of summer vacation, but one of the most important things to do before school starts is to help prepare the kids for the upcoming school year. We’ve been enjoying some of the cool STEM learning tools they love, as well as working through some math and reading workbooks. Samara also loves this Sesame Street music book which actually helps her a little with her piano lessons.  

8. Share lots of laughs!

No matter what activities you have planned for the summer, the most important thing is that you take the time to enjoy each other as a family and create some precious memories both outside and inside of the home. Don’t forget, you and your family can also enjoy all of your favorite Sesame Street characters all summer long on on Saturday mornings at 9:00 am ET/8:00 am CT on HBO and in Spanish on HBO Latino. It’s our classic Sesame Street with a modern flair to it, as the new season will also include Sesame Street’s usual line-up of celeb guest stars including: Gwen Stefani, Ne-Yo, Pharrell Williams, Gina Rodriguez, and Lupita Nyong’o.

Current and past Sesame Street seasons will also air daily on HBO Family at 8 a.m., while the last five seasons will be available to stream on HBO Now, HBO Go and HBO On Demand.  Learn more at hbokids.com or like HBO on Facebook! 

Will you be enjoying any of these summer activities with your kids? Are there any activities you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments!