We know it’s May but we can’t help looking towards Summer and we’re so excited to share with you our 2024 Guide to Summer. Inside we’ve got summer travel, outdoor activities, date nights, summer fun, and more. The Greater Lansing Area, and Michigan as a whole, are full of activities to get you ready for the Summer Season! Whether it’s holiday events and activities, resources for Pride Month, Juneteenth, crafts and activities, summer reading and more, we have you covered in the Lansing Mom Guide to Summer In + Around Lansing.
As always thank you to our Co-Title Sponsors, Potter Park Zoo, Experience Grand Rapids, Uncle John’s Cider Mill, Globetrotter Travel, and CATA for making this guide possible.
- Events
- Potter Park Zoo
- Experience Grand Rapids
- CATA
- Uncle John's Cider Mill
- Globetrotter Travel
- Hammond Farms
- Lansing Parks and Recreation
- Howe's Greenhouse + Flower Shop
- Cleats Bar + Grille
- Summer Camps
- Summer Travel Tips and Mom Hacks
- Michigan Roadtrips
- Pride Month, Juneteenth and July 4th
- Summer Home Projects
- Summer Family Photography
- Farmers Markets and More
- Get Outdoors
- At Home Activities
- Books To Read
We’re with you, we’re ready for Summer In + Around Lansing in all the same ways that you are! We are SO EXCITED to be hosting some events for the community and hope you’ll join us! Below we’ve rounded up some events that will keep you looking towards warmer days and the celebration of a new season!
Lansing Mom June Connect: Aligning with Yourself for a Fulfilled Life
- Introduction to Human Design for aligning yourself with who YOU are! Please note we will need your birth date and time for this event. Lansing Mom Owner Katie Jones will be leading us through a brief introduction to Human Design and sharing how it’s helped her to live a life that she feels she was meant to be living and how you can find your purpose within yourself, your passions, desires, and more.
- Food and Beverages are being graciously sponsored by Grace Braatz-Opper of Modern Woodmen.
- Lansing Mom Webpage connecting you with all Lansing Mom Connect Attendees
- Shopping with Clover Joy Collective
- So many more surprises we can’t wait to share! As always Lansing Mom Events have something special just for you, maybe it’s a photo booth, maybe it’s a chair massage, as we finalize these details we’ll post the updates in our Event Page on Facebook!
Lansing Mom Playdates
Other Fun things to Do this Summer:
- Check out Summer Festivals and Fairs
- Create your own Mural Tour or follow ours here
- Head to the Lansing River Trail
Get ready for an unforgettable summer adventure at Potter Park Zoo! Explore our newest species, the majestic okapi and elusive Canadian lynx, during our extended hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Don’t miss out on the thrill of camel rides and a visit to our interactive farmyard where you can mingle with friendly goats. With our doors open 364 days a year, Potter Park Zoo is the perfect destination for family fun all summer long! Start planning your visit today!
Don’t miss the following events!
- River Cleanup (June 1) Cleanup Participants receive free admission to the zoo!
- Zoo Nights June 13, July 18, Aug. 22, Sep. 12
- Zoo Days (July 9-10)
- Twilight Adventures (June 8, June 21, July 20, Aug. 10)
Be sure to check out the Potter Park Zoo website, Instagram and Facebook to stay connected!
Easy to get to and easy on the family budget, Grand Rapids is a perfect summer getawaywith kids. Toddlers and tots will have blast at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and Lena Meijer Children’s Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Older kids can race go-karts at Craig’s Cruisers and tackle the aerial courses at Tree Runner Adventure Park. All ages will enjoy seeing 2,400 animals at John Ball Zoo, making furry friends at Deer Tracks Adventure Park and visiting the wildlife ambassadors at Blandford Nature Center. For a true taste of summer, visit the Millennium Park beach and splash pad – voted one of the nation’s 10 best – just five minutes from downtown GR. Plan your family adventure in Grand Rapids today!
Consider using CATA for an enjoyable city tour this summer. Start by visiting the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens on the MSU Campus, a 7-minute walk from Route 18’s Service Road stop. Then, head to the Abrams Planetarium next to MSU’s Ramp 1, reachable via any of the routes traveling to Ramp 1 during the summer. The Impressions 5 Center located in Downtown Lansing is a brief 5-minute walk from Route 1’s East Michigan Avenue stop. And finally, both Potter Park Zoo and Sycamore Park are accessible from Route 8’s Lindbergh stop.
Join Uncle John’s for their opening weekend and visit their first of three Craft Shows this year featuring over 125 vendor booths.Both the Bakery and Taproom will be open from 9-6pm. You can grab lunch from the Food Truck and spend the day at the cider mill. There will be Live Music from 1-4pm outside the Taproom.
Globetrotter Travel is a full-service travel agency serving the Greater Lansing Area for nearly a decade. We plan trips all over the globe and U.S. and specialize in family travel, honeymoons, multi-generational group trips, destination weddings, river cruises, ocean cruises and specific bucket-list destinations and trips including African Safari, Antarctica Expedition, and Australia/New Zealand, to name a few. We also send a ton of Michiganders to warmer weather in Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean, especially in the cold winter months.
Keep up to date with Globetrotter Travel here. Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram too!
Hammond Farms has the area’s largest selection of quality landscapes materials including mulch, topsoil, compost, sand and gravels. Create your backyard oasis with quality pavers & retaining walls from Unilock, Fendt, High Format, and more. With 5 convenient locations, we’re just around the corner!
Be sure to vist the Hammond Farms Website for more information.
Everything looks better with flowers… So whether you’re celebrating the birth of a child, the kindness of a friend, the closing of a business deal or sending your condolences, flowers from Howe’s Greenhouse & Flower Shoppe LLC make any occasion Extra Special! We’re a local family owned DeWitt, MI florist with a lovely variety of fresh flowers and creative gift ideas to suit any style or budget. We hope you enjoy your online shopping experience with secure 24-hour ordering right at your fingertips at howesflowershoppe.comWe’ve been providing flowers to the area for 100 years. Throughout the year we provide:
Sympathy and funeral flowers from the heart: We will design and deliver a funeral arrangement that beautifully conveys your expression of sympathy and serves as a lovely memorial to the deceased.
The beauty of flowers at weddings and events: Our talented design staff is ready to help you plan the bouquets, arrangements and on-site decorating for your dream wedding or a special occasion. Call in advance and set up an appointment for a consultation.
In search of awesome summer camps for this summer?! Check out our Guide to Summer Camps.
Nobody gives good advice like a Mom. Check out our Tips and Hacks for a Summer of fun!
- When Traveling with Kids Bring These!
- Summer Must Haves for Moms
- Connect with Your Teens This Summer
- The Best Sun Protection for the whole family
- Tips for Flying With Toddlers
- Tips for a Smoother Road Trip with Toddlers
- Baby Items for Travel with Babies
- Plan a Friend Trip
- Top 10 Must Haves for RV Camping with Kids
Looking to travel this summer but want to stay close to home? Check out our guides to awesome road trips in Michigan!
There is always so much to look forward to with Summer Holidays! Check out our sections below for Holiday Fun and Education!
Pride
- Books to Read with your kids to celebrate LGBTQIA+
- Supporting LGBTQIA+ Parents with Rooted Counseling
- Lansing Pride
Juneteenth
Independence Day
We love the Summer Season because it usually means a Summer Clean in our homes! Check out our resources below for Summer Cleaning!
- Need some help with your organization? Check out our partner Easy Life Organizing to help with all your organizing and cleaning needs this season.
- Beginners Guide to Essential Oils
- 6 Weeks to Declutter Challenge
- Tips for Helping Your Kids Clean out Toys
- Things to Ditch this Earth Day
- Five Spaces to Declutter Right Now
- Create a Garden with Your Kids
- Gardening Stores In + Around Lansing
As we look towards Summer we know family photos will be something on many Mama’s Lists! Check out our resources here!
Summer means the return of many of our beloved outdoor markets and more! We’ve got them all rounded up for you right here! Make a list to check them all of this Summer and Fall before they’re gone, or commit to a ritual to visit the same one every week and support our local farmers!
Ready for the warmer days, sun-kissed skin, and summer blooms? We’re ready for you to get outdoors too! Check out some of our favorite spots here!
- Top 12 Summer Toys for Kids
- 10 Fun Summer Activities
- Where to Swim within 30 minutes of Lansing
- Summer Berry Picking
- Best Ice Cream Shops
- Family Friendly Spots to Fish
- Five Things to Do On Campus Before Classes Resume
- Putt Putt Golf Places
- Go Thrifting
- Geocaching
- Check out Harris Nature Center
- Check out the Eastside Neighborhood
- Storywalks
- Binder Park Zoo
- Family Biking
