Our First Lemonade Stand: A Simple Summer Day That Turned Into Something Special 🍋
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Sometimes the best memories come from the simplest ideas.
Last weekend, my kids decided they wanted to set up a lemonade stand. It was their first time ever doing anything like it, and honestly, what started as one of those “sure, we can try it” moments turned into such a fun family project and a successful little business experiment!
Building the Stand from Scratch 🛠️
When I think neighborhood lemonade stand, I think folding table, folding chair and maybe an umbrella for some shade. My kids (and husband) had bigger plans! Off they went to Lowe’s to pick up some scrap wood and old fence posts to build the lemonade stand themselves. The boys were absolutely thrilled to use their new Stanley tool sets and belts to help dad in the garage on a project that was truly their own. They loved working as a team and watching it come together piece by piece, and it gave the whole experience a real “we made this” feeling.
Lemonade Time!
Once the stand was built and the paint was drying, it was time to make the lemonade! There’s nothing better than a cold, refreshing, glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. Powdered mixes are great for a quick summer treat, but this was a special day and we weren’t cutting any corners! I took the kids to Target to pick up a few bags of lemons and a few other necessary supplies.
Once we got home, we went all in on homemade lemonade:
We juiced fresh lemons with our favorite citrus juicer (12-15 lemons total)
Made a simple syrup on the stove (2 cups sugar, 2 Cups water)
Mixed everything together with cold water (11-12 cups total)
Stirred and chilled it until it was perfectly refreshing (add 🧊)
It was a little messy, a little chaotic, but completely worth it. Plus, who can resist the cute pucker face of a 5 year old who “accidentally” licked a lemon (rest assured- no germs were added to the big batch of lemonade, we set this one aside for ourselves!).
Setting Up the Stand
Once our lemonade was chilled, we headed out to set up shop! Our friends were spending the afternoon kayaking and paddle boarding at our neighborhood lake so we thought we would tag along. It was a prime spot to snag all of our tired, sweaty, thirsty neighbors after an afternoon of water play, fishing and running! They set the price at $1 per cup of lemonade and added cookies as an extra treat. I bought some cute summer napkins to serve up our cookies- pro tip, use an outdoor napkin holder to keep them from flying away in the breeze!
The Big Surprise: đź’µ
In about an hour and a half, they made $62!
People were incredibly kind and generous—some paid extra, some stopped just to chat, and a few even came back for seconds. We accepted both cash and Venmo, which made it easy for everyone to participate. We quickly realized that, while everyone loves a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day, what people really love is seeing kids get outside, be adventurous and have some fun! I think the kids earned more in their “tips” than they did on lemonade sales.
Watching the kids realize they were actually “earning money” was so fun! The best part, watching them generously share their earnings with their friends who helped flag down some customers!
Final Thoughts đź’
What started as a spontaneous idea turned into a full-on family memory. From building the stand to squeezing lemons to counting out their earnings, every part of it mattered.
The boys are already planning to reuse their stand for hot cocoa this winter!
Cheers,
𝓜𝓲𝓪