Remember those endless, sun-drenched summer days of the 1990s? This year, our family is leaning hard into a nostalgic “90s summer” right here in Fairfield County. Between the sports schedules, the endless snacks, and the general craziness of the world, we wanted to return to a simpler, lower-stress vibe.
We kicked things off with a 90s Family Movie Night Lottery. We dropped the titles of top 90s kids’ films into a basket, and each movie night, we draw one at random. The kids are totally obsessed.
We’ve been picking a film, serving up popcorn and enjoying it as the kids develop a love for the movies we watched at their age. It makes the evenings feel a little magical and completely low-key.
During the day, we’re going totally old-school:
- Rainy Day Classics: Our game closet includes Monopoly, Clue, Candyland, Operation, and Guess Who? for some classic competitive family fun.
- Backyard Energy Burn: Sidewalk chalk, hopscotch, capture-the-flag, and even a hacky sack for quick practice between activities. We encourage the kids to invite friends over to play pick-up hoops, lacrosse, flag football, manhunt, etc. Remember when we used to hang out at our friends’ houses for hours and come up with games to play?!
- Water & Beats: When it gets hot, we crank up a streaming playlist packed with 90s hits, hop in the pool, and make homemade fruit popsicles to cool down. (Even the dogs want in on the pupsicle action!)
One of my favorite childhood memories was backyard “camping.” My friends and I would pitch a tent, make s’mores over the fire pit, and tell stories under the stars.
It was an unwritten challenge to see who could last the longest in the tent while the “nature sounds” from outside were heard. When our daughter has friends over, cue the craft station for friendship bracelets—the perfect way to pass the time—and tuck a few packs of Pop Rocks into the snack bin for a nostalgic treat that always gets a laugh.
This season isn’t about perfection or over-scheduling. It’s about slowing down, laughing through the chaos, and making memories that feel like they were ripped straight from a 90s family photo album. Honestly? I’d love to create a photo album of polaroids from this summer to truly commit to the 90s vibe.
