Only 9 days of August left, and it’s easy to set our sights on the start of school and forget to be in the moment. In case you missed it, the MN State Fair opened yesterday. Here at the Sauer Family Foundation, we’re sharing stories of visits past and thinking about new foods to try this year.

Now, if you’re a parent, a day at the Fair can come with a lot of added stress as you keep track of children, sunscreen, hydration, nutrition, and balancing everybody’s must-see lists. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, we invite you to refocus.

August is National Family Fun Month. Whether you are at the Fair, at home, or off for back-to-school shopping, think about how you might focus on the fun that each day of late summer can bring.

Fun matters for our kids. One of the biggest benefits of having fun and playing together as a family is it strengthens the parent/child bond. It nurtures the relationship you already have and makes it even better. Family play time builds trust and a sense of safety.

If you need some inspiration; here’s a handy list of bonding activities to get you started, the Sauer FF team staff picks are:

• Colleen: #20 – Frisbee is great as it grows with your family; early days in the backyard can grow into rounds of disc golf that offer quality time for fun and conversation.
• Dan: #15 – I have fond memories of playing with Legos for hours upon hours with my siblings!
• Emma: #12 – In the Mogendorff family, it’s not a vacation if you didn’t play mini-golf. We disagree with the article – the Fun is that we do take it seriously and consider it the pinnacle of advanced sporting skills!
• Sheri: #4 – we ritualized going to the library every Friday directly after school and would read books throughout the week together.

What are the fun activities that your family loves?