Share with Kinder Ice Cream the nostalgic summer memories you’d love to recreate for your DC

[EllieMumsnet]

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We all have memories etched on our minds of the happy times we spent as children - before we grew up and had to start adulting. Summer days filled with light, joy and carefree fun. Maybe for you it was long afternoons playing in the back street, and the sound of the ice cream van, or perhaps it was a visit to the seaside where you spent happy hours building a sandcastle or discovering crabs in rock pools. It's these kind of memories that make childhood special, and perhaps now that you're a parent you're planning to re-create them for your own family. If so, Kinder Ice Cream would like you to share your memories and inspire others.

Here’s what Kinder Ice Cream have to say: "KINDER is now entering the world of ice cream, bringing to KINDER fans the care-free, summer feeling that ice cream stirs up, together with three tasty treats, for families to choose from – the delicious KINDER Ice Cream Stick, the convenient KINDER Ice Cream Sandwich and the iconic KINDER Joy Ice Cream."

What are the memories that stick in your mind and have a special meaning? What are the things your parents did that you'd like to do with your children? Maybe you built a kite with your mum and then took it to the park and watched it soar! Perhaps you remember your first trip to the cinema and the smell of popcorn and ice cream? Did you build a fort out of cardboard boxes in the garden with your dad and then take great pleasure in smashing it to bits?

If you have a favourite summer memory you'd like to re-create for your children, share it on the thread below and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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Days at the beach exploring all the rock pools

We had a childrens guide to Britain book, and my mum drew a line around the area she'd be prepared to drive to. My brother and I spent hours and hours deciding on the 2 places we each got to choose to go to. I loved deciding!

Spending the summer on the beach in Hayle. I have the best memories for summers there with my sister. All day on the beach, floating around on the lilo and then back to the caravan with sandy feet for a bbq!

I’m actually watching my summer memories being relived now in my son. His best friend of 7 years has moved onto the next road to us, literally 60 seconds walk away. So them being 10, we are allowing them a certain amount of independence, to go between the houses and even walk to the local shop together, as long as they are home before dark (and me and the other mum are in constant contact) I watched them walking to the other house in that spring twilight and remembered that feeling of childhood freedom. It’s beautiful.

camping int he garden in our own bedsheet fort!

Oh my goodness, summer childhood memories are the best! Our parents didn't have a lot of money, so our 2 week holidays were a Big Thing each year. A fortnight in our (actually really knackered) 1950's tin can caravan (RIP) always down in Devon or Cornwall. Long sunny days, on the beach early every morning spending our time snorkelling, rockpooling, bodyboarding, swimming and sandcastles.
I suppose to adults it didn't seem much, but we were so so happy... Sadly the caravan eventually fell apart, but my own little family love camping 'staycations' too. We love to be outdoors and at the beach. Playing in the waves and building sand creations is a firm favourite with my DS, I can't wait for him to get a bit bigger so he can come and catch some surf with me :)
I truly hope my little ones can always appreciate and find the joy in these simple moments. They really are the best in life and even now, many years later, make for such fond memories.
And as a parent, there's nothing more special than being able to share with your own kids the things that you loved as a child. It's magical

Lucky enough to live near the beach so summer days spent building sand castles and eating chips on the beach

Cycling to the park with my friends, or to my friends house to cycle to other places, cycle to the shops for my mum or mum's neighbours and getting a treat for our efforts, often buying cigarettes for them with a hand written note explaining that the cigs weren't for me. Playing tennis or football or kerbsie, or kiss chase, or petting a dog that was being taken for a walk, being shouted to come in by my mum and asking/begging for an extra 5 mins only to repeat the whole process 5 mins later. Set up den (camp) in something my mum needed badly at the time to which I was oblivious. Playing in the woods without any cares in the world or next to the local river with the same gay abandonment. Happy happy days

Freedom to just play out and explore with your friends without worry. Now my daughter isn't allowed to leave the street and there are always parents watching them play.
What I can recreate is trips to the beach, plodging in the sea and playing on the 2p machines. She loves that as much as me. We also love building forts and having picnics xx

I have lovely memories of Scottish beach holidays as a child...although I kept my coat on in a lot of the photos!

I'd love for my DC to have a taste of the 80s childhood. Making dens outside from sheets and sticks, collecting rose petals to make perfume and crafting mudpies. Listening out for the iconic sound of the ice cream van and running inside to beg for some money!!

building dams in the stream that ran through the park near our house, with my friends.

Summer Christmases spent in New Zealand with family. Going to the beach everyday and having a BBQ for Christmas lunch.

We used to make tents in the back garden, by pegging two large sheets to the washing line, and then pulling the sides out and holding them down with bricks. We'd then fill our tent with cushions and sit in there scoffing crisps and pop.

Sometimes, we'd go up to the little bridge over the river and play Pooh Sticks and walk down the public footpath through the field of cows, pretending not to be just a little bit scared of them if they came over to say hello.

Being chased by wasps - you don't see so many these days

I remember spending summers with my Grannie on the Black Isle in Scotland. She had a house called Clunie and there was a horse in a field next door that we fed carrots to every day. It was idyllic, something I'd love my children to experience. Unfortunately my Grannie sold Clunie and moved somewhere more practical for someone of her advancing age (she's 90 now!) but I have the fondest memories of that time of my life

i remember endless days playing in a woods behind our house, making dens in the tall ferns and dams in the streams that criss-crossed the woods - it seemed like carefree bliss at the time

Childhood ferry trips to our family in Holland, exploring the country with locals was great

During the Summer holidays we would go to the beach quite often and my dad would take us in the caves to have a look around. I always enjoyed that. It was like a little adventure wondering what you were going to find next.

I'd love to do the same with my kids in the next few years when they're old enough.

I remember glorious sunny days (at least that's how I remember them) in a chalet in a holiday camp on the Isle of Wight.

My favourite summer memories were getting on the train to go and spend a week at my Grandma's in the seaside town of Arbroath in Scotland. On the beach promenade there was a wonderful miniature railway and miniature buses and a fire engine that took you for a ride along the length of the beach. This year I am taking my children there by train and do the same things I did as a youngster.

I used to love making a ‘den’ by putting a blanket over the Rotary washing line. I used to eat my lunch in there and play there most of the day. I’d love to do this with my 2dc this summer...hope we have some good weather!

Paddling pool in garden, lots of friends over and genuinely enjoying my parents company

Playing for hours in the garden with nothing more than a couple of sheets and some pegs to build a den with which I then spent ages in reading, colouring or playing with toys

My favourite moments were taking a coach trip to the seaside for the day. We would do that every summer, bury ourselves under the sand and build sandcastles all day and eat chips on the beach! The best memories. I love to go the seaside now but i drive rather than coach as i cant bear those anymore!!! xx