Rights of Passage

Today Smoochie performed 4 summertime rights of passage. He played on the slip and slide, learned how to spit watermelon seeds, walked barefoot in freshly mowed grass, and slurped down a freezie pop.

As I was showing him how to spit watermelon seeds, I was reminded of my own summers as a child. I mentally traveled back to the days before air conditioning was common place, when we splashed in a 3ft plastic pool for relief and ate watermelon in slices as big as our heads. Wearing little jumpers that tied at the shoulders. Walking to the little convenience store for candy and carrying our shoes the whole way. Making up games at the park in order to avoid the boredom that inevitably arrives on the longest of lazy summer days.

I realized that someday Smoochie will look back on his summer vacation(s) in much the same manner that I look back on mine. I want to plan a summer for him that includes all manner of new experiences and some of the rights of passage from my childhood as well. I want to be with him and watch the joy as he experiences catching lightning bugs at dusk, gorging on smores next to an open campfire, learning the fine art of the well aimed cannon ball.

I want him to experience all of that and more, but I am finding that I am quickly running out of ideas, and summer has only just begun. On top of that, I am limited by funds having just recently become a stay at home mom. All of this leads me to my question. What other summertime rights of passage can I pass on to my son? What stands out most in your memories? I would love any ideas that would help me make a very long summer a little more enjoyable to us all.