Summer Fun for Everyone: Enjoying Summer Vacation as Much as Your Kids Do, Year after Year

by Marla Darius

Turn the long, unstructured days of summer into a season your whole family will cherish.

Summer Fun for Everyone is a practical, faith-filled guide for parents who want to enjoy summer vacation as much as their kids do—without feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Author Marla Darius, mom of five and now a Mimi too, shares simple systems and heartfelt encouragement to help families thrive during the busiest (and most memory-filled) months of the year.

Inside, you’ll discover how

Balance freedom and fun with flexible rhythms and routinesCreate a family mission statement to set the tone for summer and beyondBuild stronger connections through meaningful conversationsTurn everyday activities into lasting family memoriesUse charts, prompts, and planning tools to stay organized and inspired
Packed with reflection sections, practical resources, and customizable family charts, this book is an invitation to strengthen bonds, spark joy, and create a legacy of love and faith that lasts far beyond summer.

Clear off the counter, gather your “ingredients,” and get ready to savor a summer your family will never forget!

144 pages, Hardcover

Published March 31, 2026

About the author

Marla Darius is a wife, mom of five grown kids, nurse, photographer, speaker,
author, and now a Mimi too.

Deeply rooted in faith, Marla has spent decades
serving in the church as a teacher, encourager, and leader.

Her passion is helping families grow stronger together through encouragement, creativity,
and faith-filled inspiration.

In her personal time, she enjoys capturing family time with photography,
organizing home and family life with flair, planning fun outings with loved
ones, zipping around in her Beetle, and dabbling in all kinds of home projects.

Reviews

[Lisa Saruga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for all families, all year long. It not only provides fun activity ideas, but also provides the framework to structure time for the family. It includes a section of charts, tables, and helpful tips to keep you activities organized, and family time structured so that surprises don't interrupt your precious family times. This section even has packing lists for vacations, camping trips, and away-from-home activities. There is an extensive of devotions for kids of all ages, and a separate list of parenting books for the adults. This doesn't only highlight fun things to do, it reveals opportunities to help your children learn, play, and grow in their faith. And the gift to parents is concrete ways to establish routines, and structure chores without feeling like rigidity removes all the fun from family time. Marla Darius's sense of humor feels like a light approach to conquering summer with kids before summer with kids conquers you. So take a bite of this delicious recipe for a sweet summer together.

[Jesse James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Marla's book, and I absolutely loved it. As a new mom who immigrated a few years ago, this book has been a lifeline in helping me understand summer life, family dynamics, and how to balance it all. I’m naturally organized, and now as a mom, I want to make every moment count. Marla’s insights are invaluable—I’ve already marked so many passages I plan to use as my son grows. It’s not just for summer; it’s for daily life. Marla’s ideas are brilliant, and I’m so proud to call her my friend. This is the first book I’ve read by an author I know personally, and that made it even more special. I highly recommend it to all moms, aspiring moms, and even aunts—like me, who can also apply these lessons. For other immigrants, like me, who didn’t fully understand the importance of summer here, this book was a revelation. Now, as a mom, I get it more, and with this book, I know I’ll cherish every precious summer moment with my son

[Kirsten Panachyda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book empowers parents to be intentional with planning the twelve summers they have with their school-aged children. The author builds on the foundation of a family's own identity and priorities with a substantial section of reflection. Instead of offering formulas, lists of tips, or detailed how-tos for crafts or activities, the book leads parents in a step-by-step process that results in a plan that is unique to their family. Summer Fun for Everyone is aimed at Christian families who incorporate their faith into daily life. Although the book itself is widely applicable to this population, I did take away one star because most of the recommended resources are very conservative and some I find problematic.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It builds the foundation and more for you and your family. There is practical and realistic advice built into this that can immediately be applied to your day to day. It goes beyond the summer. It could be applied at different levels all year round. This book gives you things you could even cut out and immediately use yourself….or straight up copy from to post on your fridge. Highly recommend for those who want to improve their family foundation, communication and structure without feeling overwhelmed. A lot of parenting books out there make you feel overwhelmed and lost yet again. This one changes things for the better.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former school counselor, I know how valuable structure and predictable rhythms can be for children, especially during the long, unstructured days of summer. This book does a wonderful job of helping families create meaningful routines without sacrificing the fun and flexibility that make summer special. I purchased it for my daughter, who is a new mom, because it’s exactly the kind of resource I wish I’d had when my own children were growing up. I’m excited for my grandchildren to experience the intentional family memories, faith-filled encouragement, and practical tools this book offers. I highly recommend it to any family looking to make the most of their summer together.

[Heidi Chiavaroli · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Summer Fun, Marla Darius helps families connect and find meaning in the sometimes chaotic rhythm of summer vacation. Filled with lots of great ideas and practical ways to engage kids without breaking the bank, I loved the bountiful tips and ideas for different ages, the summer fun charts, and sample daily ready lists. In a world where kids are on devices and screens more and more, Marla gives parents helpful and meaningful ideas for a summer of fun. In this book, you will find something for everyone!

[Kelly Arena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marla’s love for families is evident throughout every page of this book. Beginning with encouraging families to have a mission statement, she demonstrates the importance of a strong foundation within the family unit to help guide families through all seasons - including summer! In the busy world we live in with hectic schedules, Marla graciously invites families back to the basics, where prioritizing each other is key in order for families to thrive. Her creative advice and practical steps helps bring structure, love and fun to families!

[Chris G · Rating 5 out of 5]

All parents would benefit from this book. Excellent tools to identify end goals specifically for your family’s summer are provided along with fun pictures, charts, and work sheets as examples of possible practices you might institute. The conversational writing style makes for an enjoyable read. The humor and personal stories, such as the surprising results of the “Backward Dinner,” makes it clear that these insights come from real-life experience.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is certainly a "journey of empowerment" for all parents, grandparents and caregivers. Not only does Marla offer practical tips and resources for planning a fun-filled summer, but she offers her experience, wisdom and faith to help build a healthy family foundation. What an unexpected gift to all who step into these pages.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where was this book when my kids were small?
I always started summer with high hopes of doing tons of fun and creative activities with my kids, but I never had a good system to help me accomplish those goals. This book helps families plan, organize, and follow through, so those precious but unstructured weeks of summer aren’t wasted doing the same old mindless stuff.

[Alicia Daw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marla clearly wrote this book with so much heart, and from a plethora of experience. As a homeschooling mom of 2, I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration to implement with my kids and this book did exactly that. My kids also love browsing through it and have enjoyed the beautiful artwork. 10/10 recommend for any parent!

[Rebecca Clift · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that gives ideas, experiences, methods, etc, with what worked for her family of 5 children. There are many ideas for filling summer days (and others, too) without breaking the bank. Marla writes like a friend, warmly and friendly. A great resource, no matter the size of your family!

[Bonnie Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! Young families can really benefit from these ideas even if you just incorporate a few of them into your summer plans. The summer fun chart is a great place to start!