Let's Bring Back '90s Summers

If you're anything like me, your summers growing up looked a little different than they do today.

We spent our days outside from morning until the streetlights came on. We rode our bikes around the neighbourhood with our friends, built forts in the woods, caught frogs and tadpoles, skipped rocks across the lake, climbed trees, and ate homemade popsicles that melted faster than we could keep up. We'd head home for a quick sandwich before running back outside for another adventure.

There weren't tablets, endless notifications, or video games competing for our attention. Life felt a little slower, a little simpler, and somehow a little more magical.

So why not bring that feeling back?

Camping is one of the easiest ways to recreate those unforgettable '90s summers—not just for ourselves, but for our kids too.

Bring Back These Classic Summer Memories

Bike Until Supper

Let the kids explore the campground on their bikes, make new friends, and enjoy a little independence. Remember decorating your bike with streamers or playing follow-the-leader? Those simple moments often became the best memories.

Catch Frogs & Explore Nature

Grab a small net or bucket and head to the pond. Turn over logs, watch for turtles, search for butterflies, or simply see what wildlife you can discover. Don't forget to admire your finds before gently returning them to their natural home.

Homemade Popsicles

Freeze your favourite juice or yogurt into popsicle molds before your camping trip. Nothing says summer quite like sticky fingers and colourful tongues after an afternoon of playing outside.

Water Balloon Battles & Sprinkler Fun

You don't need a fancy water park. A sprinkler, water balloons, sponge tosses, or a few buckets of water can provide hours of laughter.

Build a Fort

Collect sticks, branches, and pinecones to create the ultimate hideout. Kids can work together, use their imaginations, and create a little world of their own.

Catch Fireflies & Watch the Stars

As the sun sets, slow things down. Look for fireflies (where they're found), count shooting stars, or simply lie on a blanket and admire the night sky together.

Play Flashlight Games

Once it gets dark, break out the flashlights! Hide-and-seek, flashlight tag, or shadow puppets around the campsite are just as exciting now as they were decades ago.

Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt

Challenge your family to find pinecones, feathers, smooth rocks, different leaves, or animal tracks. It's a fun way to encourage curiosity and explore the outdoors together.

The Best Part?

These activities don't cost much—if anything at all.

They aren't scheduled, screen-based, or overly complicated. They're the kinds of experiences that build confidence, encourage creativity, and create the stories your children will one day tell about their summers.

Maybe it's time to put the phones away for a while, gather around the campfire, roast some marshmallows, and let kids be kids again.

Let's bring back scraped knees, muddy shoes, bike rides with friends, and evenings spent chasing fireflies instead of Wi-Fi.

Because some of the very best childhood memories aren't made in front of a screen—they're made outside.

So grab your family, invite a few friends, book that camping trip, and make this the summer that feels a little more like the '90s.