Margo Farrell includes 5-year-old daughter Arianna and 1 1/2-year-old son Lucas on her walk to do weekend errands. (Donna Erickson)

Has it been a while since you let your hair down as a parent? Well, today's the day to start. The relaxing, less-formal days of summer lend themselves to play and memorable family fun. And it's easy to get in that mode when you include your children at various turns in the day's events.

Thirty-four-year-old Margo Farrell, marketing researcher and mom to 5-year-old daughter Arianna and 1 1/2-year-old son Lucas, has discovered that you can make everyday moments special with the kids, even when checking off errands on a weekend "to-do" list.

"My husband and I lived in West London, England, for five years where we enjoyed walking from our home to the post office, hardware store, restaurants and boutiques," she says. "Walking was such an integral and pleasant part of our lifestyle that we intentionally looked for a family home in a 'walking community' when we returned to the States."

Now in Minneapolis, walking to neighborhood shops to do Saturday errands has become routine.

"The kids look forward to the jaunt all week long," she says. "We might pick up a gallon of milk at the co-op, find a birthday gift at the toy store or wander over to the bakery to grab freshly baked breadsticks for a special treat. Whether I have only a few minutes, a half-hour or even an entire summer day ahead of me with the kids, there is so much joy in discovering what is around us, right where we live."

Here are some easy, do-together summer ideas to enjoy where you live:

  • On a walk in a park, along a shoreline or in the woods, tell your children to be on the lookout for nature's "chairs," such as a smooth-sided boulder, tree stump or a cozy patch of grass.

    Stop, relax and share a special snack that you brought along. Tell a story from the point of view of a squirrel, blue jay or the ant crawling on your cookie.

  • Visit your local zoo and let your kids be the safari photographers. Organize the photos on your computer when you return, for your own family nature show.

  • Sit on a hillside or special viewing spot and watch a sunset on a summer evening. Take turns describing the colorful changes in the sky.

    Donna Erickson's award-winning television series, "Donna's Day," is airing on public television nationwide. Watch it in the Twin Cities at 7:30 a.m. Fridays on tptLife on channels 13 and 17. Her latest book is "Donna Erickson's Fabulous Funstuff for Families." Sign up for Donna's e-newsletter at donnasday.com. Visit donnasday.com and link to the new Donna's Day Facebook Fan page.