5 ways to relax and play when you celebrate Labor Day with your family

Find time to enjoy the last days of summer.

Angela Verges | Contributor

How will you celebrate Labor Day this year? Will you take this day to do a little extra cleaning around the house? Will you make repairs to things you have been putting off?

Let’s emphasize the word “celebrate.” Take this time to celebrate a day off from household chores and that lengthy To Do list.

Labor Day usually signifies the end of summer — swimming pools close, the temperature changes, and people prepare for their back to school routine. This year make your Labor Day celebration a true celebration by doing something fun.

A quick visit to the website of ehow.com provided me with some great ideas on how to spend my Labor Day. The five instructions listed on the website listed include the following:

Have a cookout - Host a cookout of your own or attend one that someone else has planned. Fire up the grill and throw on your favorite picnic foods. Put you senses to work as you smell the aroma of burgers on the grill or chicken kabobs with vegetables. Taste the flavor of juicy corn on the cob.

Make a Labor Day feast - Don’t let poor weather stop you from having a good time. Take your celebration indoors and use your broiler or indoor grill to prepare your favorite foods.

Spend the day at a beach or outdoor pool - Take advantage of the last days of summer. Take the family to a beach and play in the sand with the kids. If the beach is not an option, go to a local pool and play Marco Polo. Splash water and get silly with the kids — you only live once. Side note: If you plan to get really silly, be sure no one there knows you.

Create Labor Day themed crafts - Since Labor Day celebrates workers, pick a profession and create a project based on that profession. Kids can make a paper/cardboard chef’s hat or decorate an apron. As a chef they can help prepare the celebration meal for the day.

Take time to relax - I know this can sometimes be a challenge, with all the things we feel must be done, but it really is okay to relax. Sometimes. Enjoy some downtime activities like watching a movie or reading a book.

As summer comes to an end make this Labor Day the beginning of your next adventure. Say goodbye to the hot days and welcome in the warm breezy days of fall. What are your plans for Labor Day?

Angela Verges is a writer and mother of two who is still learning how to relax and enjoy the little things. She can be reached at awritersdream41@yahoo.com.