Last Hurrah of Summer - 7 things to do before school starts - MetroFamily Magazine
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Last Hurrah of Summer – 7 things to do before school starts

Lake Texoma State Park, photo by James Pratt, Oklahoma Tourism

by Lindsay Cuomo. Photos provided.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 

As the first day of school creeps closer, it’s natural to feel a little nostalgic for those carefree, sunny days. At my house, we’ve found that wrapping up summer with a fun outing helps ease our transition to back to school. If you’re looking for a few last adventures before the backpacks come out, here are seven great ways to savor the final days of summer.

  1. Plan a trip to an Oklahoma beach! Did you know Oklahoma has more than 11,000 miles of shoreline? Take full advantage of these refreshing waters and head to one of more than 3,000 lakes and rivers for some splashing fun! Start planning today at metrofamilymagazine.com/best-beaches-in-oklahoma or metrofamilymagazine.com/oklahoma-swimming-holes.
  2. Play tourist in your own community by visiting a popular place to take out-of-town visitors. This year, MetroFamily readers voted Factory Obscura: Mix-Tape, First Americans Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, OKANA Resort & Waterpark and Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum as Family Favorites!
  3. Organize a popsicle party or ice cream social with your neighbors, friends or family. Go potluck style by having each family bring their favorite flavor or topping to share.
  4. Cheer on Oklahoma City’s newest professional sports team, the Oklahoma City Spark, as they take on the Florida Vibe on July 20-23. Each night has a theme such as Youth Night on July 20 where kids can run the bases after the game. Tickets start at $15 and are available at okcspark.com.
  5. Catch an outdoor movie or concert, many of which are completely FREE. Save the date to see A Minecraft Movie at Little River Park in Moore on Aug. 1 or plan an evening of alternative rock at “Scissortail Rewind” featuring Five for Fighting and Vertical Horizon at Scissortail Park on Aug. 16.
  6. Go retro with a visit to an Oklahoma drive-in movie theater. Stick close to home at the Winchester Drive-in in Oklahoma City or make a day of it and road trip to Tulsa, Shattuck or Sulphur.
  7. Plan an epic animal adventure with a trip to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Wichita, Kan. Tanganyika is a family-owned and operated park offering 15 animal encounter experiences!
Tanganyika Wildlife Park Penguin Meet & Greet

 

What are your family’s end-of-summer traditions? Share your family’s favorite things to do in the comment section below! 

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