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!

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

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

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

Blow Bubbles
Age Appropriate Puzzle
Make chalk art – with chalk or the newly popular chalk paint (totally washes over the driveway perfectly!)
Attempt to break a world record
Make pottery – at home with a pottery kit or at a place like Color Me Mine
Go on a walk
Play night games
Paint a self-portrait
Movie night with popcorn
Camp in the backyard
Family bike ride
Start a YouTube Channel
Make cookies – we have lots of easy cookie recipes to choose from.
Have a lemonade stand – make sure to use our best lemonade stand lemonade!
Go on a picnic – make sure you bring a waterproof picnic blanket!
Go to a splash pad
Go to the zoo – we love the Denver Zoo!
Attend a free museum day
Play frisbee (or pick up Disc Golf – our family’s favorite)
Family room sleepover
Go camping – make sure you take one of our popular dutch oven recipes with you.
Join a summer reading program – many libaries and book stores do this
Make play dough – this play dough recipe is SO easy.
Go on a bug hunt
Dollar Tree Shopping Spree – $3 limit
Go to garage sales – give each child a bunch of quarters to use.
Run through the sprinklers
Go to the pool
Feed the ducks
Make donuts – a donut pan is a must-have for this!
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.
Have a garage sale – here are our best yard sale tips.
Go bowling – the Kid’s Bowl Free summer bowling program is an amazing deal.
Make snow cones – I’d love to get a snow cone maker someday!
Play board games – here are some great board games for families and some fun preschooler-friendly board games.
Go on a hike – make sure you read our best tips for hiking with children!
Make cupcakes (cupcake wars!)
Make cookies for neighbors
Skype with grandparents – or download Marco Polo (or favorite app)
Play at the park
Make homemade bubbles
Do Mad Libs
Go on a long drive and play road trip games
Make a sand castle
Make wooden cars from craft kits and race them
Make sail boats
Act out skits
Star Gaze
Make a time capsule
Write letters to family members
Make pizza together as a family – our easy pizza dough recipe is always a hit!
Build LEGO towers
Make homemade ice cream – gotta love a good ice cream maker!
Rent a Redbox and make popcorn
Go to sand dunes and sled on them
Go on a nature hunt
Fly Kites
Make paper airplanes – here are some really fun ones to make.
Tie fleece blankets to donate
Make shrinky dink crafts
Do a crossword puzzle
Read a book together as a family – these are all great books for kids
Wade in a river
Go on a train ride
Do a science experiment
Go to a musical or play
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.
Have a water balloon fight – these water balloons are AMAZING!
Build an indoor tent/fort – we love our Teepee Joy!
Make caramel popcorn
Go to some kind of sporting event
Make s’mores
Go to a trampoline park
Play rock, paper, scissors
Go to a pet rescue center and play with the animals
Go to a beach or lake
Write a story
Play I-Spy (Jack’s favorite game!)
Go on a tour (many towns have free tours at different venues)
Clean your room
Have a magic show – a magic kit will keep them busy for hours!
Make a carnival in your backyard
Go to a Farmer’s Market
Plant a garden – here are a few things we learned about gardening our first year
Play with glow sticks
Go berry picking
Make banana bread
Make popsicles
Make a track and have Hot Wheels races
Swing on swings
Have a dance party – or play Just Dance
Have a water gun fight
Make banana splits
Wash the car
Go to a parade
Go Mini Golfing
Go fishing – these are some great kid’s fishing kits
Play in the rain
Color – with a coloring book, color wonder, or even on an app
Sing songs around a campfire
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

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