101 Easy Summer Activities for Kids

101 Easy Summer Activities for Kids

This is our last summer before Jack starts school (give me a moment while I bawl my eyes out).

So I’m still used to helping him find things to do throughout the day – and he’s pretty good at using his imagination on his own as well.

However, I know that many parents are starting to look for simple summer activities for kids now that school is getting out.

I put together this list of 100 fun activities for kids – most of them are pretty simple and require little to no cost (though a few of them might be more of a splurge).

I’ve also put together a printable version of this list, which you can signup for below. You’ll also get a fill-in-the-blank “Summer Bucketlist” to help you make your family’s list of must-do activities. When you signup, you’ll also receive several other printables from other bloggers, which I will talk about more at the end of this!

Grab your FREE Summer Printables: Summer Bucket List and Activity Guide

You will also receive other summer-related printables in this bundle

Send it to me!

By signing up, you agree to be added to multiple blogger's newsletters

1. Blow Bubbles
2. Age Appropriate Puzzle
3. Make chalk art – with chalk or the newly popular chalk paint (totally washes over the driveway perfectly!)
4. Attempt to break a world record
5. Make pottery – at home with a pottery kit or at a place like Color Me Mine
6. Go on a walk
7. Play night games
8. Paint a self-portrait
9. Movie night with popcorn
10. Camp in the backyard
11. Family bike ride
12. Start a YouTube Channel
13. Make cookies – we have lots of easy cookie recipes to choose from.
14. Have a lemonade stand – make sure to use our best lemonade stand lemonade!
15. Go on a picnic – make sure you bring a waterproof picnic blanket!
16. Go to a splash pad
17. Go to the zoo – we love the Denver Zoo!
18. Attend a free museum day
19. Play frisbee  (or pick up Disc Golf – our family’s favorite)
20. Family room sleepover
21. Go camping – make sure you take one of our popular dutch oven recipes with you.
22. Join a summer reading program – many libaries and book stores do this
23. Make play dough – this play dough recipe is SO easy.
24. Go on a bug hunt
25. Dollar Tree Shopping Spree – $3 limit
26. Go to garage sales – give each child a bunch of quarters to use.
27. Run through the sprinklers
28. Go to the pool
29. Feed the ducks
30. Make donuts – a donut pan is a must-have for this!
31. Have a dollar dinner – give each child a dollar (or two) to buy something from the store for dinner. Anything goes! Then eat everything together.
32. Have a garage sale – here are our best yard sale tips.
33. Go bowling – the Kid’s Bowl Free summer bowling program is an amazing deal.
34. Make snow cones – I’d love to get a snow cone maker someday!
35. Play board games – here are some great board games for families and some fun preschooler-friendly board games.
36. Go on a hike – make sure you read our best tips for hiking with children!
37. Make cupcakes (cupcake wars!)
38. Make cookies for neighbors
39. Skype with grandparents – or download Marco Polo (or favorite app)
40. Play at the park
41. Make homemade bubbles
42. Do Mad Libs
43. Go on a long drive and play road trip games
44. Make a sand castle
45. Make wooden cars from craft kits and race them
46. Make sail boats
47. Act out skits
48. Star Gaze
49. Make a time capsule
50. Write letters to family members
51. Make pizza together as a family – our easy pizza dough recipe is always a hit!
52. Build LEGO towers
53. Make homemade ice cream – gotta love a good ice cream maker!
54. Rent a Redbox and make popcorn
55. Go to sand dunes and sled on them
56. Go on a nature hunt
57. Fly Kites
58. Make paper airplanes – here are some really fun ones to make.
59. Tie fleece blankets to donate
60. Make shrinky dink crafts
61. Do a crossword puzzle
62. Read a book together as a family – these are all great books for kids
63. Wade in a river
64. Go on a train ride
65. Do a science experiment
66. Go to a musical or play
67. Go on a picture scavenger hunt – give each child a list of different things they need to take a picture of, a disposable camera, and then have fun seeing what they came up with. This may require adult supervision/driving. We used to do this at malls for birthday parties when I was younger.
68. Have a water balloon fight – these water balloons are AMAZING!
69. Build an indoor tent/fort – we love our Teepee Joy!
70. Make caramel popcorn
71. Go to some kind of sporting event
72. Make s’mores
73. Go to a trampoline park
74. Play rock, paper, scissors
75. Go to a pet rescue center and play with the animals
76. Go to a beach or lake
77. Write a story
78. Play I-Spy (Jack’s favorite game!)
79. Go on a tour (many towns have free tours at different venues)
80. Clean your room
81. Have a magic show – a magic kit will keep them busy for hours!
82. Make a carnival in your backyard
83. Go to a Farmer’s Market
84. Plant a garden – here are a few things we learned about gardening our first year
85. Play with glow sticks
86. Go berry picking
87. Make banana bread
88. Make popsicles
89. Make a track and have Hot Wheels races
90. Swing on swings
91. Have a dance party – or play Just Dance
92. Have a water gun fight
93. Make banana splits
94. Wash the car
95. Go to a parade
96. Go Mini Golfing
97. Go fishing – these are some great kid’s fishing kits
98. Play in the rain
99. Color – with a coloring book, color wonder, or even on an app
100. Sing songs around a campfire
101. Listen to an audiobook – here are the best audiobooks for kids of all ages

What are your favorite summer activities?

Make sure you signup below for the printable version of this list and a fillable Summer Bucketlist.

Grab your FREE Summer Printables: Summer Bucket List and Activity Guide

You will also receive other summer-related printables in this bundle

Send it to me!

By signing up, you agree to be added to multiple blogger's newsletters

By signing up to receive these, you will also get:

• A vacation checklist from What’s up, Fagans?
• Reading Journal and Printable from Overstuffed
• Summer activity list and bucket list from me!
• Kid’s cleaning printable from Pulling Curls
• Summer reading printable from Tips from a Typical mom
• Road trip journal from Your EveryDay Family