Summer break is finally here, and my kids are becoming eager to start our summer of fun! Over the years, My son and I have enjoyed making bucket lists of kid’s activities to do during each season. As the school year comes to an end, we begin to brainstorm any ideas we can think of that relate to summer time. My son tells me about any ideas that he has, no matter how big, and I jot down recipes, and activities that I want us to make and do together. We truly look forward to our summer activities list every year.
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Summer Fun Chart
I have created an outline of many different kids activities for you and your family to enjoy this summer. I like to break down our weekdays into different categories, so that we have something new to look forward to each day. Each day has it’s own unique set of kids activities that fall under each category. I let my son choose one or more activities from that particular day of the week to focus on, so that we aren’t rushing through our list. View our full week of kids activities below, and continue reading for a more detailed description of each activity. Feel free to add any summer fun traditions or activities that you wish to do with your kids this summer to the chart!
Make It Monday
Make it Monday is a day to get really creative! I think that it is very important to encourage creativity in children any chance possible. When children learn through creating, they are learning how to become problem solvers. They begin to rely on their own abilities instead of giving up, or searching for someone else to do something for them. Creativity that is practiced often, expands a child’s threshold for boredom, and strengthens their ability to focus for longer periods of time. You may even notice that some of these activities will lead your child to make up new ideas that branch off of one another. Here are 10 kids activities that you can do with your child this summer to promote creativity, and crush mid afternoon boredom.
Rock Painting
Do you remember about 4 years ago when everyone painted and hid rocks around town for kids (and adults) to find? I really wish this would make a come back! You could go many different directions with rock painting. The rocks could be bugs, animals, food, types of desserts, people. The possibilities are endless, and your children can then use the rocks to create a new game!
Make Milkshakes
This is an easy recipe type of activity that is simple enough for the littlest of hands to help (with some guidance). Big kids and toddlers can help to add scoops of ice cream, milk, bananas, syrup, and other add ins to make different flavors.
Makeover Day
I am excited to add this new kids activity to our list this year! At this time, I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter who loves to dress up and pretend to put on makeup. On makeover day, you can have your kids decide on your outfit for the day, and do your hair and makeup however they wish. Your girls will love to make mommy pretty, and if you have an older son like I do, they will get a laugh at making you look as ridiculous as possible. (I will warn you to maybe do this on a day that you don’t have plans to leave the house)
Draw Portraits
This can be self portraits or drawings of each other. This is a really fun way to see yourself through your children’s eyes, or to see how they view themselves in doodle form.
Cupcake Decorating
Make this as simple or as intricate as possible. You can set up a decorating station of different colors of frosting, sprinkles, fruit toppings, and candles for decoration. Pretend that it is someone’s birthday, or choose a winner for most creative!
Play dough
Most moms that I know despise play dough. I however, really love it! I know, I know, don’t take my mom card. Play dough is a great creative outlet to make so many different things. It is also a great sensory toy for toddlers. Make a friendly competition to see who can make the best monster by adding in pieces of cut up paper for hair and teeth. Get really silly, and add in some googly eyes!
Lemonade Stand
This is a 2 in one creative activity! First, involve your kids in making a fresh pitcher of homemade lemonade. Then, Take it outside on a picnic table, or set up on a wooden crate along with some paper cups, and paper money to pretend to sell lemonade to each other.
Coloring Contest
Get out all of the coloring books, and have each kid pick out their most favorite page. After coloring, place a paper first place ribbon on the winning page, or pages!
Make Brownies
Is there any desert better than a hot and crumbly homemade brownie, with a cold glass of milk? Brownies can be easily made straight from a box, or you can find a homemade recipe to make together. Any brownie is a good brownie to me, no matter how it is made!
Paint Party
Get out all of the paints, brushes, and maybe even some small canvases, and let their imaginations run wild creating their perfect masterpiece! Then, have them hang them up for display in their bedrooms or in the living room for the day!
Take It Out Tuesday
This is a day to get out of the house! I like to schedule the majority of our weekly outings on the same day each week, so that I’m not asked “Can we go here today?” a million and one times. By setting a certain day to get out of the house, I can just say, “We can on Tuesday” or whatever day that you choose to be your “Go somewhere fun, day”! This also gives your child an extra special day to look forward to throughout the week, because they know that they will be going somewhere fun or doing an extra special activity outdoors. Here are 7 kids activities that you can do with your child outside of the home this summer!
Go To The Park
Plan a special day at the park! Some parks have nearby ball fields where you can take your kids to play soccer, or t-ball if you bring your own balls, bats, and gloves. Even if you have the smallest of parks in your neighborhood, you can bring some of your own things from home to make the day extra special, or let your kids get creative on their own by using their imagination with what they see around them. My kids love rolling down the big hill at our park, picking up rocks and sticks to draw in the sand, and they could play on the playground all day long if I let them. You can take a basket full of snacks, and set up a picnic at a nearby table or lay out a blanket for an old fashioned picnic. Don’t forget the sunscreen and sun glasses!
Go To The Movie Theater
Our movie theater has special days during the summer where they play popular movies from the previous year or years before for a discounted price. They sell tickets, popcorn, and drinks for $2 a piece (I’m almost positive that it use to be $1 each). Take a moment to check out the theater in your town to see if they have special summer viewings like this for a fun and cheap movie experience.
Set Up A Tent On The Trampoline
This is an at home outdoor activity that will feel like a camping experience, without all of the bugs and dirt. Set up a small tent on the trampoline, or on a pallet on the ground. Bring in snacks, flashlights, books, battery operated lanterns, blankets, and pillows. Take turns telling creepy stories, or silly stories for smaller kids who may be easily frightened.
Chalk On The Trampoline
This is another trampoline activity, that will provide 30 minutes or more of fun! This activity is good for toddlers that love to color and draw on everything in site! You can put them in a closed in trampoline with different colored chalk, and let them color all over the place! You can then leave their creations to be washed away by the rain, or spray it off with a water hose.
Go To The Skating Rink
Skating was always a fun activity for me as a child. My sister and I would go to the skating rink to have our birthday parties, and continued to go occasionally throughout the years growing up. It was always a fun experience! Recently, I took my kids to the skating rink for the first time, and they both loved it! My 2 year old daughter wanted to just take off on her own. I didn’t let her of coarse, but she would have if I let her.
Go Bowling
I do have to say that bowling is not my thing. I just can’t seem to get the hang of it, or any sport for that matter. My son, however, loves bowling, and is actually quite decent at it. My toddler likes to pick out her bowling ball (Purple every time, of course), and set it up on the bowling ramp that is usually available for little ones, and those who may not be able hold the weight of the heavy ball. Make it a whole family experience, and order pizza and drinks for dinner!
Visit The Aquarium
The Aquarium is such a fun place for toddlers especially. I remember taking our son when he was about 2 years old, and he was amazed. He couldn’t stop saying “Nemo! Nemo!” as he pointed to the fish. We plan to go back this summer so that our daughter can enjoy seeing all of the fish and ocean life that they have to see.
Water Wednesday
My kids, like many, love to play in water! They love splashing in mud puddles, rolling in dirt, and running through the sprinklers. Water Wednesday is a fun day to put on bathing suits, spend some time splashing around making messy fun, then cooling off with a nice cold popsicle. These 7 kid’s activities are sure to keep you and your kids cool and entertained this summer.
Go To A Water Park
For my son’s seventh birthday, he was gifted a summer pass to a water park near our house. I love experience gifts, because they keep on giving, and create life long memories. We also have a splash pad at one of our local parks that is open to the public at no cost. If you are not able to go to a water park, or do not have a splash pad in your area, you can create your own at home and have a splash day!
Have A Splash Day At Home
To create a splash day at home, you can turn on the sprinklers, and set up a kiddie pool, or a small splash pad. Then you can bring out any water squirters and pool toys for extra fun.
Have A Water Balloon Fight
This has to be my son’s favorite outdoor water activity! One fun thing that we like to do when having a water balloon fight is to fill up all of our balloons, and put them on the trampoline where we will have the water balloon fight. If your trampoline is enclosed like ours, you wont have to worry about trying to find balloons all over the yard after they have popped. They will all (or mostly all) stay on the trampoline for a much easier pickup afterwards. Also, if you have toddlers, they find it so hilarious to just jump around with a bunch of water balloons!
Play Car Wash
This one is for you, parents! I love a fun kids activity that also completes a chore! Put some suds in a bucket, and have your kids help you wash your vehicle for a 2 in 1 game and job well done! I will say that my oldest child (7) has now caught on when he is actually just doing chores, and is sometimes reluctant to get excited about an at home car wash, but toddlers will think that washing the car is so fun, and I now sometimes offer cash when my son does big jobs like this that aren’t so fun for him anymore.
Spray Tag
Think laser tag, but with spray bottles! I don’t think that we have ever done this activity other than with water guns, but using spray bottles is such a good alternative if you don’t have water guns at home, or if you don’t want to store water guns for the seasons that they aren’t being used.
Save The Dinosaurs!
This water/ice game will keep your kids entertained for an hour or more! To play, first place small toy dinosaurs into the holes in an ice cube tray. You can also use Lego people or any other small objects. Then fill up the tray with water, and place into the freezer. After the water has frozen solid, pop the ice cubes out, and have your child free the dinosaurs using a paint brush and a small cup of warm water. Show your child how to dip the brush into the water and rub over the ice. They will slowly be able to see the dinosaurs are being freed!
Thinking Thursday
This is a day to get those minds wondering! You can use this as a learning day for things that your child wants to know more about. My son often asks “tomorrow can we learn about…” and he will say things like tsunamis, volcanos, or space. I sometimes keep a list of all of the things that he wants to learn about, so that we might look into it later. Here are my favorite kids activities to keep my children learning all summer long!
Science Day
My kids love mixing “potions” with water and food coloring to see what colors they can make. My son calls the mixing of anything “doing science”. Last year for Christmas, I bought him a book of science experiments for kids that we haven’t been able to do much with in these busy past few months, but we can’t wait to get into it this summer!
Computer Game Day
We have used and loved ABC mouse for years now! It is a learning website for kids that is so fun and interactive, that your child doesn’t even think of it as a “learning” game. We love to use ABC mouse as a tool to keep my kids up to date on what they have learned during the school year, but also to help them master and build on skills that they may need some brushing up on. We also love PBS Kids for fun and educational games. Wild Kratts has been one of my son’s favorites for years now. Computer Game Day can be saved for a rainy day when it’s too yucky to be outside.
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are great boredom busters! They are as easy as writing down a few things that you have around your house, or in your yard, and having your child go find them. Before my son could read, I would draw pictures of the things that he could find. A fun way to shake up a traditional scavenger hunt is to have your child take pictures of the things that they find using a camera or your phone.
Go To A Science Museum
Going to a science museum is a fun and educational summer field trip! My son recently visited the science museum with his first grade class, and we plan to again go as a family this summer.
Star Gaze
I remember laying on our trampoline as a kid and looking up at the stars. You can lay out a blanket on a trampoline or on the grass, and look for constellations in the night sky! My son loves space and learning about the moon. He was gifted a telescope for Christmas last year, and we plan to really get into learning about space, constellations, and the planets this summer.
Complete Workbook Pages
Every summer for the past 3 or 4 years, I have purchased the School Zone Big Books. We have used the preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade versions for my son. We have also used their cut and paste and smaller reading books as well. I think that continuing with reading and writing over the summer is important to keep those skills fresh going into the next school year. We may do 2-3 workbook pages a week, or if my son is really just having fun with it I will let him do as many as he wants to in a day. I also will sometimes leave the workbook in the car for my son to do on long car rides.
Reading
On any random rainy day, or during mama’s quiet time, have your child grab a book and find a cozy place to read, or look at picture books, or magazines! Reading is something that I really want to encourage more this summer break. During the school year, my son reads for 10 minutes everyday after school for his homework, and I plan to continue this throughout the summer with both of my kids. My daughter is 2 1/2, so she can not read, but I plan to read to her for 10 minutes, or have my son read to her when he does his reading.
Family Fun Friday
Fort Day
My Kids love to make forts! First, gather all of the pillows, blankets, and chairs that you can find in the house. Arrange chairs so that blankets can easily hang across. Use shorter chairs and coffee tables for smaller tunnels that lead to the outside of the fort. Throw in pillows, and take in some snacks for a cozy and fun fort experience. These fort building kits also look like so much fun!
Family Game Day
For family game day/ night, break out all of your family’s funnest games! Make it an extra special night by ordering pizza, or making your own! This kids activity could include board games, games on the tv, or any game that you can come up with together as a family. Some of our family’s favorite games are Candy Land, Jenga, Chutes and Ladders, and Bingo!
Movie Day
Movie days are my favorite! We know that when it’s a rainy day, that we will be throwing down some blankets and pillows, and watching our favorite movies. We sometimes make this extra special and have our own at home movie theater, complete with popcorn, candy, home made movie tickets, and play money. I found the cutest at home movie kit on amazon that would be perfect for creating an at home theater experience.
Yes Day
Have you seen the movie? Yes Day is a day when the parents have to say yes to anything that the kids ask (with limits and rules of course). Kids think that this is so fun and silly. Sometimes we can get caught up in saying “not right now” or ”no” more than we stop to take a minute to do the things that our kids want to do with us. This is a great kids activity to make them feel really important, and to have some fun together as a family! (You will want to remind them to not go overboard with their requests) Haha!
Family Picnic
A family picnic is an easy kids activity to throw together, and is a great way to get the kids involved with helping to prepare a fun lunch. You can take this picnic to the park, in your back yard, or right on the living room floor.
There it is! Our summer of fun kids activities list!
I hope that this list gives you some inspiration for fun things to do this summer, and I would love for you to add your own kids activities in the space provided!
Happy Summer!
Courtney
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