Top: Busy Toddler | Bottom Left: I Heart Crafty Things | Bottom Right: Pretty Providence
I hope you're all having a great summer so far! With the summer boredom creeping up on us, we've collected all of our favorite summer activities and put them all in one place. These activities cover a range of ages, and all of them take advantage of being outside in the warm weather as much as possible!
Let's do another song lyric: "There's 104 days of summer vacation and school comes along just to end it, so the annual problem of our generation is finding a good way to spend it." - The great Phineas and Ferb.
Educational Activities
Summer can be a great opportunity to get kids engaged in learning by showing them how cool it can be! There are so many great ways to do it.
- These Easy Homemade Lava Lamps look so cool! And are even easier than they look.
- This Watermelon Volcano from Little Bins for Little Hands looks so cool! And the best part is that none of the watermelon has to go to waste, all the good stuff can be scooped out and enjoyed.
- These Critical Thinking with a Catapult by Sylvan Learning look like a sneaky way to get your kids to enjoy learning.
- Teambuilding!! I'm actually dying to try this Teamwork: Cup Stack by Ms. Sepp's Counselor Corner myself!
- This experiment, Make Hot Ice with Baking Soda and Vinegar by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls, has to be seen to be believed! The kids will be amazed.
- These Space Lander Mission by Vivify look super fun. A great way to use some creative skills and be entertained at the same time.
- Using Lemons to Make Batteries has always amazed me. Preschool Inspirations has laid out the steps to replicate it and show your kids how cool it is!
- My husband is an engineer, and he loved the idea of these 5 Engineering Challenges with Clothespins, Binder Clips and Craft Sticks by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls.
- Even I want to play with this Magnetic Slime from Frugal Fun 4 Boys !
Creative Activities
One of the best ways to bust boredom is to let kids unleash their creativity with a few fun crafts and art projects.
- Homemade play dough is easy to make and this recipe for long-lasting Homemade Play Dough is our favorite!
- These Melted Bead Suncatchers from the Artful Parent are so cute! And a great low mess craft.
- This DIY Sidewalk Fizzy Foam Paint from The Tip Toe Fairy is a great spin on your classic sidewalk chalk.
- Doesn't this Magazine Art from Le Dada de l'Enfant Terrible look so cool?! And it's a great way to get rid of those magazines you have hanging around. If you don't have any, a quick google search will do the trick.
- These Nature Paintbrushes by Messy Little Monster look like such a fun idea! They'll be fun to make, and to use!
Budget-Friendly Summer Fun
Let's be honest, in those 104 days of summer vacation, we need to make sure these activities don't add up to too much spending. These ideas are all budget-friendly, only need a few cheap things to put together, and some of them you may already have at home!
- Blanket forts can provide DAYS of fun! Check out this post with tips and tricks on How to Build the Best Blanket Fort
- This Craft Stick Harmonica by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls looks like a great way to keep everyone entertained, and you probably already have all of the supplies already.
- How about a Backyard Movie Night? All you need is an air mattress or some blankets, and a laptop!
- This Stress Ball by A Thrifty Mom looks so great, a fun little activity that they can play with all summer.
- This Simple Color Scavenger Hunt from I Heart Crafty Things is such a great idea! A great way to get everyone running around outside.
- And if the scavenger hunt wasn't enough, this Garden Name Plate from Parents is another great way to get kids to start playing with their surroundings.
- These Bubble Snakes from One Little Project look awesome. Supplies are cheap, or even free if you already have them, and they'll get everyone outside together.
- Another oldie but a goodie. If you haven't shown your kid how to Paint with Water, you're missing out. No Time for Flash Cards is doing the good work by letting everyone know about it.
- I've always been intimidated by Geocaching, but Teach Mama has shown how it can be a great activity for kids and parents alike!
Cool Down
If you're in a place where the summer heat is gonna get you down, instead of staying inside and running the air conditioner on full blast, use some of these ways to get outside and cool off!
- Ice Cream in a Bag is such a fun thing for kids to make, and to eat!
- How cool are these Frozen Dinosaur Eggs from The Imagination Tree?
- How cool does this Leak Proof Water Blob by Homemade Toast look? It looks like a giant waterbed!! I love it!
- Water Balloon Baseball by Overstuffed seems like the best way to spend a summer afternoon!
- Want an activity that will cost you nothing and entertain your toddler for hours? This Pouring Station Activity from Busy Toddler should do the trick.
- These Magic Ice Cubes are easy and SO refreshing on a hot day! Our kids love watching them melt!
- This Babies' Bubbly Ball Pit from My Small Potatoes looks so easy to put together, but I'm sure it would keep a toddler busy for hours.
- A Pinata without the sugar? yes please. These Water Pinatas from Meaningful Mama are the perfect solution to a hot summer day.
Summer Games
Here are some of our favorite DIY games and activities. They're easy to assemble and will provide hours of entertainment afterwards!
- Please tell me I'm not the only one with fond memories of playing cornhole? This DIY Mini Cornhole is the perfect manageable size and is just as fun as the big one.
- How adorable are these Printable Summer Bingo Cards ? We have 4th of July Bingo, too!
- I love escape rooms, and I'm sure kids would too. This DIY Escape Room Challenge from Pathway 2 success make sit easy to make your own.
- Doesn't this Glow in the Dark Bowling game by KiX Cereal look incredibly surreal?! perfect for those warm summer nights.
- This may be an oldie, but it's a goodie. Sometimes it just takes a fresh idea to keep everyone entertained. These Summer Activity Jars from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom are a great way to mix things up.
- Marshmallow Shooters are so easy to make! They're completely hurt free, and are so fun to play with. Happiness is Homemade lays out the instructions so you can bring these to your backyard too.
How are you going to bust the summer boredom? Have you found any good techniques to keep your kids off of their screens? or at least limit their time? Let us know!
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STEM guide
What a fun list of ideas! Our family loves making our own play dough too! A great rainy day activity. We just did another fun experiment on how to make your own bouncy balls too that I think you'd enjoy!