Summer is upon us, and that means three months without the kids in school. As excited as I am for a more relaxed schedule and all the fun summer activities with the kids, it’s always exhausting to think of ways to entertain the kids during the summertime. While James will be in camp most of the summer and Charlotte will be doing a mix of camp and activities, there’s not a lot of options in our town for August and there are a few days and weeks here and there when there’s nothing on the agenda. Plus, there are all the summer weekends (I was recently thinking that a weekend camp would be a big money maker, right?). I’m trying not to have every minute planned this summer and give the kids lot of time to play and enjoy just being kids and for some spontaneity and family time. But we definitely need some summer kids activities to keep everyone from fighting and causing trouble (which is what happens in our house when the kids get too bored or antsy). I know I’m not the only mom who is both excited and anxious about school getting out and filling the next three months, so I thought I’d share a list of fun summer kids activities.
Now obviously these activities are a bit more geared towards my younger kids, but I think they would work for kiddos a few years older than James too. At a certain point, I think they become tweens and just entertain themselves, right? Lol one can dream but I’ll wait to find out more about that. In the meantime, here are my favorite summer kids activities that are just as much fun to do if you’re hanging around all summer or off to a favorite (or new!) destination.
Beach
Pool
Building Sand Castles
Riding Bikes and Scooters
Fishing
Hiking
Visiting the Zoo
Strawberry Picking (one of our favorite things to do in summer – more on it here)
Theme Parks (Legoland, Disney, you name it)
Summer Fairs (we’ll hit every one that’s in our town or nearby and it’s always one of the most memorable summer kids activities imo)
Mud Table (a fun sensory activity)
Water Table
Bounce House
Sprinkler
Tag
Races
Movie Theater (one of our favorite activities for a rainy day)
Playgrounds
Splash Pad
Library (there are always lots of drop in classes at ours)
Sidewalk Chalk
Painting (I put out paper and let them do in the driveway for a mess-free activity)
Nature Center
Bubbles
S’Mores
Golf
Tennis
Pickleball
Rollerblading
Street Hockey
Capture the Flag (one of my favorite summer kids activities for older kiddos)
Planting a Vegetable Garden
Watering the Plants
Washing the Car (one of those summer kids activities that truly serves everyone lol)
Stomp Rockets
Obstacle Course
Water Balloons
Water Gun Fight
Slip ‘N Slide
Make Your Own Popsicles
Outdoor Movie Night
Make a Backyard Obstacle Course
Scavenger Hunt
Hop Scotch
Lemonade Stand (activities that teach them the value of a dollar are my favorite!)
Make Flower Bouquets and Crowns
Weed the Garden
Friendship Bracelets
Put on a Play or Puppet Show
Make Up a Dance and Perform It
Paint Rocks
Mini Golf
Any summer kids activities I should add to the list?
Some more of our favorite outdoor toys and activities:
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