7 Times That Are More Magical on the Front Porch

A front porch is a magical place. It’s public and private. It allows you to be part of the larger world around you while having time to yourself and your family. You can wave hello to your neighbors without having to stop what you are doing or make small talk, or if you’re feeling social you can invite them to come join you.

It’s the best, and it makes everything and every time (or at least these seven times) better. So go ahead — take a step out your front door and take a seat.

Some of us have no problem jumping out of bed in the morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Others take a more drawn-out approach to waking up, slowly accepting the fact that we have to face the day.

Whichever best describes you, those first few moments can be greatly improved by carrying your coffee out of the kitchen, and taking time to sit with it on the front porch. In particularly hot weather, those (ever-so-slightly) cooler early morning hours might be your only opportunity to enjoy the outside before the heat of the day sets in.

So few people sit down with a pen and paper to write a long letter these days, but the front porch is the perfect location for the activity — especially if you feel like you don’t have anything to fill your correspondence with. Narrate a play-by-play of the bird feeder or the progress of the neighbor’s garage sale — I guarantee sitting outside will result in loads of inspiration. And don’t forget to sit on the front porch while you read the eventual response to your missive!

Who didn’t love making a big ol’ mess with finger paints and glitter as a kid? You might be recreating this now with your own children or spending some solo mindfulness time with an intricate coloring book; either way, the front porch is a great spot to indulge your inner creativity. You can find inspiration in nature, and if your kids manage to get more paint on themselves than the canvas, it isn’t too hard to just rinse them and the entire front porch off with one pass of the garden hose.

You might initially think a porch is too loud or not private enough, but taking a nap on the porch has a distinct advantage: It guarantees you won’t accidentally sleep the entire afternoon away. While a hammock or rocking chair might be preferred, any ol’ chair and a footstool will do.

Let’s be honest — this whole article could have just been about seven times to drink an alcoholic beverage on the front porch. Enjoy a post-work drink on the porch in the evening. Or have a glass of wine on a Saturday afternoon.

Story time could just be you and a good book, or it could be you, a little one, and your best Wild Things voice. It can also involve a whole gaggle of people hanging on every word as you spin a yarn or recount a misadventure. Whatever your version of story time, the front porch is a place to get lost in or act out a tale.

A pre-bedtime ritual of brushing and braiding your child’s hair — or your own! — while sitting on the front porch is a great way to bring your day to a close. And the absence of blue light before bed should make your sleep all the better, so maybe you’ll magically become one of those morning people.

What other moments do you enjoy on your front porch?