101 Easy Summer Activities for Kids

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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!

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.

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

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