Family matriarch Trish and her daughter and son-in-law use play as a way to teach the kids valuable life lessons about health, partnerships, relationship-building, culture and tradition. They routinely use nature and their surroundings to incorporate play into their day by hiking and biking together, and using their backyard for creative play. They also build games around the five senses, which is a great way to learn through play.

Here are some of their ideas to try with your family:

• The next time your family plays I Spy, discuss how sight is one of the five senses, and then really explore the attributes of each chosen object. Go beyond the obvious descriptions and challenge everyone to observe the details.
• For touch, place different objects in a box and take turns guessing what’s inside. Is it spaghetti or worms?
• Take a walk outside and talk about the different odors and try to identify them. How does one flower smell different from another?
• Observing different sounds while on a hike can also be turned into a game. What kind of bird is singing? Is that a cricket chirping?
• For taste, have a blind taste test and take turns identifying different fruits or ice cream flavors.
• As a final tip, try putting an imaginative twist on an old favorite. For example, don’t just play tag, try zombie tag instead.

We want to know how you play. Post your playful pics on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #summerofplay and #playmatters or add them to our SUMMER OF PLAY Facebook gallery. Not only will you be entered to win our SUMMER OF PLAY CONTEST, you'll help inspire other families, too.

Need more play ideas for your family? Check out our SUMMER OF PLAY GUIDE for hundreds of play ideas that don't require much more than a fun attitude.