What are your plans this summer? Are you going away on vacation? Are you planning a road trip? Or are you like me and my family and will be spending another summer at home?
When you are traveling – especially long travels with children – you need to find some way to entertain them. Even if you are staying at a hotel or camping, you need to find something to entertain the kids when you are not off doing fun things.
It’s even more important to find ways to entertain your children if you are having a “staycation” this year and not venturing far from your home.
Admittedly, the summer months are the one time of the year where my husband and I like to “binge watch” our favorite series. After all, there is nothing on regular television except stale, old repeats. We rarely watch regular television during the summer. Instead we use Netflix to catch up on our favorite series and to enjoy movies we might have missed in the theater.
Some great “binge watch” series on Netflix for us grown-ups include Orange is the New Black (season four is now available), Fuller House (we’ve already watched every episode and are looking forward to season two) and The Ranch (a new series with a great cast that includes Asthon Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Debra Winger and Sam Elliot). Fuller House is a family friendly series, the other two are not.
If you are seeking adventure and travels to far away lands (who doesn’t dream of those kinds of vacations?), you should check out shows like Expedition Unknown (I adore Josh Gates!), Extreme Vacation Homes (prepare to get very jealous) and Monumental Mysteries, which explores popular places to visit and examines some little known facts about the locations and even creepy stories. This show is one of my new favorites.
You can even enjoy plenty of great movies from every genre including foreign films and documentaries. My person favorites are horror movies and comedies.
My husband told me that I need to mention the film Frank, which is available on Netflix. He loved it so much he bought the movie, the book about the movie and the movie soundtrack. Personally I think it’s a strange – VERY strange – movie, but my husband loved it. If you are interested in something wacky and will leave you scratching our head, check out the film Frank.
Your kids will find plenty of fun shows and entertaining movies to watch on Netflix too. You can even sneak in some educational programming too. Netflix has a nice assortment of programming for young children and older children that is both fun and educational.
For very little learners you have Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Phonics Farm and Leap Frog. For children who are a little older there is Brain Games, Planet Earth, Bill Nye and Mysteries of the Unseen World.
Of course there are plenty of popular series and movies available for children too. They could watch them on your phone or iPad when you are traveling or at your vacation destination too.
During the summer months, many families enjoy spending as much time outside as possible. Personally I am not a fan of sun, heat or humidity (I prefer indoor things during the summer). If nature is on your mind, Netflix has a plethora of amazing nature themed documentaries worth checking out (most I have seen and highly recommend). Some examples include Planet Earth, Life, Frozen Planet, Wings of Life, Crimson Wings, Oceans, Forests and Deserts. All of these documentaries can be enjoyed as a family. There are occasional scenes here and there where one animal captures and eats another (it’s not too graphic, but it might be unsettling for the littlest viewers). These documentaries are not only incredibly fascinating and educational, they also give you a better appreciation for the world we live in and makes you want to pack your bags and go exploring natures wonders.
If you are looking for some great entertaining for on-the-go to your vacation destination, or if you are enjoying the summer months from the comfort of your own backyard, tune into Netflix for some great entertainment that will last all summer long and beyond.
What is YOUR favorite things to watch during the summer months? What do you recommend?
For more information about Netflix visit Netflix.com. You can also check them out on social media. All of the links are found on their website.
Kimberly
*I have partnered with Netflix to bring you this information. I have received free service and other promotional products in exchange for my participation. There is no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
Cynthia R says
We are planning a road trip across the country, we haven’t done it in years, excited but it’s a lot of work.