There are so many fun summer activities that you can do with your kids this summer! There is no need to keep them stuck inside staring at a television or computer screen.
TV shows and video games only provide a limited time of entertainment before parents start hearing the dreaded whiny voices saying “I’m bored” every five minutes.
Make this summer full of fun with these magnificent ideas that are entertaining for not only the children but the parents as well!
Outdoor Summer Activities
It is always a great idea to go on a hike! Find a local trail or hill and walk the entire path. It is nice to just have chats while going on a walk. If you find is a little pond with ducks your child can feed them! Sounds fun? Bring a bike with you and get the scenic ride together. Everyone will enjoy it. This is a great way to stay active in the summer and allow your children to get in touch with nature. Print the scavenger hunt and bring it with you. Kids will get entertained and active finding things around. Find fireflies? Catch them in the jar! Just be sure there is no rain ahead!

Photo credit: Sunny studio, shutterstock.com
- Check these awesome ideas for scavenger hunts
Printable Bug Scavenger Hunt. The download is free from Preschool Powol Packets.
Printable Nature Scavenger Hunt. Great to learn nature and free to download from Stay at Home Mum.
Printable 4th July Scavenger Hunt. Getting ready for July 4th? Consider this free printable, plus it is editable! Created by Erin Thomson’s Primary Printables.
Forest Scavenger Hunt from Paper Bluejay.
Use these types of leaves flashcards from FUNtastic Simon to learn the shape and name of each leaf.
My nature walk activity mini journal. - Catching fireflies
14 Fun Facts about Fireflies
Guide to Catching Fireflies in Mason Jars
Beach Activities
Although every child loves to spend a day on the beach, sometimes you need extra ideas to keep them entertained. The first things your child will do of course swimming and building sandcastles. This always seems like a great hit among children. Let them scour the sand in search of some beautiful shells to make necklaces, bracelets and crafts later at home! Bring some sand home and your child can make outstanding art projects!
- Check these awesome ideas for seashell craft
Make a Mermaid Tiara. Step by step guide how to make a mermaid tiara from Creative Green Living.
Make Mermaid Necklace. Complete your tiara with a mermaid necklace from Mama.Papa.Bubba.
Make a Crystal Seashells. That easy experiment from Little Bins for Little Hands will bring a lot of fun for kids.
Make Ocean Discovery Bottle. Your child will be very excited to create this bottle from The Imagination Tree. Plus! It makes waves and bubbles!
Make Seashell Necklace. DIY video tutorial how to make a seashell necklace from Kids Activity Blog.
Make Seashell Snails. Colorful little snails from Meet the Dubiens.
Make Seashell Fishes. Bring friends and create a party with snails, fishes, and lady bugs.
Make Seashell Lady Bugs. Design rainbow ladybugs from Still Playing School. - Sand Art Ideas for kids
Tide Pool Art for Kids. This activity from Buggy and Buddy is great for sensory play!
Sand Paper Art. DIY colorful sand art from Kids Play Box.
Sand Castle Art. You can create a sandcastle at home! No beach needed.
Make Your Own Colorful Sand. DIY how to make a colorful sand from Mom Wife Busy Life.
Home Made Aqua Sand Recipe. More sand activity: super cool handmade aqua sand from Play Learn Grow.
Sand Art Bottles. DIY sand art bottles from Diana Rambles.
Sand clay recipe and handprint keepsake (save small seashells for this craft).
Backyard Activities
Does your child like the treasure hunt? I bet she does. So plan one or two around the yard or around the neighborhood. Start a lemonade stand (you can make ice popsicles as well!). It gets very hot in the summer and not only is a fun activity, but it will also help to cool them down while giving them a tasty snack! Do not get a chance for camping? Make one in the backyard. Play water balloon fight, practice rope skipping, make a race track or zip lines.
- Ideas for race tracks
Pool Noddle Race Track. Fun track for kids.
Backyard Race Track. Make it short, make it long!
Car Tunnel. Build a cool truck tunnels together with kids. - More fun activities
6 fun ways to jump rope. Jumping rope is not only a fun game but also improve your child’s gross motor skills and coordination.
Songs for rope jumping – add even more fun for this activity.
Ideas for backyard obstacle course from frugal Fun for Boys.
DIY car wash with pool noodles from Mom Endeavors.
Build lego zip lines. - Start a lemonade stand
Free lemonade stand printables and homemade recipe (sugar-free option).
Another design for lemonade stand from Whipperberry.
Mr Lazy Lemonade Recipe.In addition to lemonade make refreshing Popsicle for these hot days:
Gummy bears Popsicle
Breakfast Popsicle
July 4th Popsicle - Treasure hunts
Cardboard treasure chest tutorial fun, easy and made from recycle material.
Trough out a pirate party for your kids. Check out ideas, you will find a lot of inspirations.
Make a pirate treasure chest, you kids will be excited to find it.
Bubbles Fun Time
Are you tired of bubbles that pop as soon as you blow them? No anymore! Try making your own bubbles and wands. Summer is a time for bubbles fun! So, make them a lot.
- Check these bubbles recipe and DIY bubble wands
Homemade giant bubbles every child will love from Happy Hooligans.
Homemade bouncing bubbles from A Little Pinch of Perfect.DIY Bubble Beaded Wands from The Artful Parent.
DIY Bubble Shooter from Kids Activity Blog.
DIY Homemade Wands from A Few Short Cuts.
July 4th Bubble Wands. Don’t miss it!
Get inspired by these Blue Hill Hand BubbleWands. - Check more fun activities with bubbles
Bubble Bin Sensory Play from No Time for Flash Cards.
Buble Painting from 101Childhood.
Painting with bubbles is so much fun, try this one.
DIY Lava Bubble Lamp from Juggling with Kids.
DIY how to make gelatin bubbles with a video tutorial.
Bubble Science. What can you use to make bubbles?
Sidewalk Chalk Activities
Make sidewalk chalk paint and of course, use it to paint the sidewalks afterward! It’s better than painting walls or other things that they should not be painting, right? Make the sidewalk paint and brushes at home in a rainy day and get ready for the sunny days.
- Follow these recipe and DIY tips to make your own chalk
Boring of a regular sidewalk chalk? Give it new life – make a paint. DIY how to make a sidewalk paint.
Great spray sidewalk chalk recipe from Play Learn Grow. Add additional hints to every sidewalk picture with this spray.
Color changing squirty chalk. Sounds fun, right?
DIY Sidewalk chalk pops. Fun and easy to make.
Glow in the dark chalk recipe. Wait until dark to see your picture.
Soap foam sidewalk chalk. - Get inspired by these incredible photo chalk projects
Summertime chalk photo ideas
Amazing things to do with sidewalk chalks - Educational games with sidewalk chalk
Check these fun educational games collection from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom.
10 Sidewalk chalk ideas to keep kids entertained. - Make a paint brushes
Nature paint brushes
Another great sample of nature paint brushes
Feed the Bird
Birds are back! If you did not get a chance to feed birds all winter, this summer is a great time to start! It is very important to feed the birds all year around. Here are excellent crafts you can make together with your children and get closer to nature.
- Birdhouses
Make a recycled birdhouse. This project will cost you a 0! As it, all made from recycle material.
Junk Store Birdhouse from Fave Crafts with step by step instruction. Easy and fun, let’s try it. - Bird feeders
Pine cone craft bird feeders. Step by step tutorial with pictures how to fill the pinecone with seed. Really cool activity for kids.
How to make a gourd bird feeder another great tutorial to try.
Make birdfeeders in different shapes: heart, circle, star and more. Here you will find how to make it.
Indoor Summer Activities for Rainy or Hot Days
Another fun project could be having the kids make a summer journal. Have them document all of their favorite moments and memories throughout the summer from beginning to end. They can be creative and draw pictures and everything! Or even glue in some photos that were taken from a camera! This will be a great thing to look back on for parents and children as the years go by! Especially if they create a new journal every year, this could be an ongoing project become a tradition with their own kids! They’ll thank you for that one, I’m sure.
Not leaving the indoor activities, you can spend the rainy day practicing origami skills, weaving looms, making a shadow puppet theater. Especially with younger kids, this could be hours of entertainment, trust me. Maybe even try setting up a way to do indoor mini golf! This might require moving around some furniture so that nothing gets hit or broken, but this could be a lot of fun for the whole family. Plus it would be a much cheaper alternative than actually going out to play mini golf.
- Practice origami and make paper projects
Make paper boats and bring them to the beach, or your child can play with them in a pool.
Fill the backyard with these cute and easy to make frogs.
Very cute little mermaid and enjoy your time with kids.
Make a crown. Every princess needs a crown, or maybe two.
Folded paper bracelets– make it, color it, personalize it. - Great resources for summer journal
Scrapbook ideas for summer journal from Nature Store.
Create your own nature journal this summer.
Make this summer nature journal! They are really great and you can take to the walk. - Promoting fine motor in a fun way. Let your child make weaving looms
DIY popsicle weaving looms for creative time. It is a great way for little explorers to discover texture and patterns.
Nature weaving looms – the amazing way to explore the nature for kids.
Q-tips weaving looms to practice their techniques.
Explore these weaving techniques to get ideas for your next art project.
Paper plate weaving doll hammock – DIY tutorial plus video.
Cardboard weaving looms – make a beautiful art and decorate the wall in your child’s room. - Play a puppet shadow theater
DIY puppet show theater – help your children express their emotions through the play.
Shadow Puppets for the play.
Quiet Time Summer Activites
One more summer activity for kids to keep their hands busy and improve fine motor skills. Play sensory bins! You can play it at home, or on the backyard.
- Examples of sensory play
Digging for spaghetti worms
Sunflower sensory bin
Pond sensory bin
Zen garden sensory play
Fairy garden in a box
There are tons of things that you can do with your children over the summer. Don’t let the months that they are out of school flash by before your eyes. Make the most of it so that you can hold and cherish these memories that they will remember as they grow older.