According to Phineas and Ferb, there are 104 days of summer vacation (you’re welcome for the earworm), but in Mundelein we have 74 days of summer vacation. I have 101 fun things to do this summer in Lake County. How many have you done? What did I miss?
101 Things to do in Lake County
- Go out for ice cream
- Visit Six Flags Great America
- See a concert at Ravinia
- Visit Independence Grove
- Do your own playground crawl
- Watch a Little League game
- Take a walk in a Forest Preserve
- Go for a bike ride
- Fish
- Camp (in your backyard or Illinois Beach State Park)
- Pick an idea from Little Lake County’s 10 Fun Things to do With Kids in Lake County that Don’t Suck for Grown-ups
- Lay in a hammock
- Visit a restaurant (easier on the wallet when kids eat free)
- Climb a tree
- Splash at a spray park
- Try yoga on the beach at Lindy’s Landing
- Rent a boat
- Wake up early and watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan
- Grab a good book and sit on your deck
- Let your children make a photo album, video clip or news broadcast of your summer goals or highlights
- Watch the Olympics as a family
- Have your own backyard Olympics with fun yard games
- Train for a silly 5-K
- Visit the Lake County Fair
- Attend a nighttime activity with kids
- Enjoy one of the amazing festivals in Long Grove
- March in a Parade
- Blow Bubbles
- Draw with sidewalk chalk
- Visit a Farmers Market
- Make s’mores
- Miniature golf at the world’s most unusual golf course
- Visit the Lake County Discovery Museum before it closes!
- Plant a garden
- See the 30-foot DNA strand at Rosalind Franklin Medical College in North Chicago
- Build a bird feeder
- Grill out for dinner
- Skateboard (my favorite spot is E. Noel Dr., Mundelein)
- Volunteer as a family (Try going to Save a Pet, Bernie’s Book Bank, or Feed My Starving Children.)
- Borrow technology from a library–many now loan out telescopes, video recorders and cameras.
- Write a letter to the President (or state representative or senator; find yours here under “Current Members of Congress” toward the bottom.)
- Borrow a new book from the library, like bird watching, and try and find a new bird.
- Make public art–paint rocks with smiley faces and leave them around town to make other people smile.
- Fix something
- Take something apart (give your kids $5 and head to Goodwill, The Salvation Army or the local dollar store and let them buy something that interests them, and then take it apart!)
- Have a lemonade stand (for a charity like Alex’s lemonade stand, OR just for fun)
- Take a tour! Find a police station, fire station, cemetery, church or something you’ve always wondered about.
- See the stars at an Astronomy Under the City Lights event
- See a play (Kirk Players, Marriott Theatre, Genesee Theatre)
- Visit the Lake County Courthouse inWaukegan
- Ride the train
- Swim in a pool
- Play at the beach
- Pack a picnic lunch or dinner
- Spend a whole day without screens (no phones, tv, Kindle, iPad) and write in a journal instead
- Visit the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest
- Have a water fight while you wash the car
- Play tennis
- Play golf
- Run through a sprinkler
- Take care of family–schedule a dental appointment, or the kids’ back to school physicals (and one for yourself, too!)
- Walk around the neighborhood and find a garage sale
- Fly a kite
- Join us on safari – Playground Safari!
- Build a sand castle
- Watch a parade
- Watch a boat parade (Mundelein has one on Diamond Lake in July)
- Go to the Chicago Botanic Gardens
- Do a messy science experiment (like mentos and diet coke)
- Ride a carnival ride
- See the Grayslake Color Aloft Balloon Festival
- Take a glass blowing class
- Take an art class
- Read a new book
- Read an old book–find your favorite children’s literature and make your own story time
- Rent a paddle boat
- Rain? Go bowling! Sign up for kids free summer bowling or try one of Little Lake County’s favorite places.
- Write a song about someone you love
- Visit the Great Lakes Naval Museum
- Play disc golf
- Visit a driving range
- Water ski
- Road Trip! Visit the Planes, Trains and Automobile Motel in Gurnee
- Rollerblade
- Have a pajama day
- Visit the Volo Auto Museum
- Go to the playground
- Hula Hoop
- Visit a local history museum
- Play at Warren Township Park
- Build a fort
- Search for something weird in your neighborhood (we found this graffiti ninja under a bridge at Hanrahan Park in Mundelein)
- Visit Lambs Farm Farmyard & Attractions (with a petting zoo)
- Get Crafty!
- Make sure you’ve done the whole 2015 LLC list!
- Take a nap!
- Search Little Lake County for a place you haven’t been before
- Hang out at a Cruise Night
- Take and PRINT photos of your kids doing ordinary things
- Watch a drive-in movie
- Do a Random Act of Kindness

BONUS! Our 100 things to do list from last summer is now a printable checklist! Click the link or the picture to print your own.
What is on your not-to-miss list for the summer? Share it with us in the comments section below.
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