Outdoor and indoor fun summer activities for kids and families to enjoy.
Summer is here! No more early breakfasts or school. There is less structure to our days and more time to play. There are also more opportunities to hear, “Mom, I’m boooored!” from our kids. (Unless that is just at our house…) So, what summer activities for your kids do you have up your sleeve this year?
If you don’t know yet, don’t worry. Here is a list of many activities you can involve your kids in this summer that won’t break the bank. Whether you plan fun summer activities at home or go out to a location near you, there are many different things you can do with your kids during summer vacation.
Summer fun activities you can do at home.
Read to your kids.
Read. Read. Read.
The fun thing about reading is that you can do it anywhere. You can read sitting on the couch, laying on the floor, inside a fort made of blankets and furniture, or in the backyard.
It does not matter where you read, just that you read to your kids. It also does not matter how old they are. You can still read to them.
You and your kids may have fun taking turns selecting books to read. You can check out books from your local library if you have read (many times over) all of the ones you already have at home and you want to try something new.
If you are stumped about where to start in selecting good books, you can ask your local librarian for ideas, look at lists of award-winning books, or check out Sarah Mackenzie’s website Read Aloud Revival for book lists and inspiration about reading aloud with your kids.
There are many resources available to you. Just jump in and start reading.
Build something.
Build what? Well, anything that you can think of!
Your kids can build a fort out of furniture and blankets, build models, build with blocks, or craft sticks. They can build things big or small.
When kids build, they use their creative imaginations to envision an idea and then work to see it come to life. They learn from their mistakes and try again.
Yes, sometimes there are tears, but they are working to create something and learning as they go along.
Play together.
Do you play with your kids very often? Summer is a great time to do so.
You can get down on the floor with little ones, or pull out some board games or cards to play with kids who are older. Charades, tag, or games you make up together are a lot of fun, too.
Plan to play something together each day.
Water play ideas
Play in the sprinklers.
Do you remember those days growing up when you played in the sprinklers, running around in your bathing suit on the front or back lawn? It is still a fun activity for kids!
So, turn on those sprinklers and let them run around, yelling and laughing together.
Have a water balloon toss.
Kids can have a blast with this game. Our job as referee parents is to make sure the water balloon toss game doesn’t turn into a water balloon let’s-all-gang-up-and-attack game.
Or, the kids can make a target and take turns throwing the water balloons at the target. They can be creative in how they do this.
Learn something new together.
Is there something that came up during the school year that you and your child didn’t have time to dive deeper into finding out about? Do you have a one day we will _____ mental list? If so, summer is the perfect time to dust it off.
Pick something you and your kids want to learn more about and learn about it.
Plan media free days.
Part of the fun of summer is freedom-the freedom to have time to explore ideas, interests, and learn new things. Our kids’ learning is limited if they are glued to the TV or playing video games a lot during the summer.
To give them time to explore other ideas and interests, plan for some media free days at home.
You can also limit the amount of media they use each day on the days when you do allow it.
Summer fun activities you may find near you.
Attend church events.
Does your church have a Vacation Bible school? Do they have movie nights, music events, or concerts during the summer? Check your parish bulletin or call the office and find out.
Attending parish events is a way to support your church, have fun as a family, and get to know the people in your parish better.
Visit your local library.
Books. Fun. Books. Free. Books. Movies. Books. Music. Books. What’s not to love about your local library?
Many libraries have summer reading programs for kids from preschool to teenagers. Some libraries have reading incentives for adults, too, in the summer. You can go to the library weekly to get new books to read at home.
Your library may also have events for kids during the summer. You can pick up a schedule of events to see what they have planned for the summer. Go early to get a seat when you do attend an event!
We have enjoyed, magic shows, firefighter demonstrations, puppet shows, reptile shows, animal shows, and many reading and craft events at our local library over the years.
Go see a movie for a discount.
Do you have a movie theatre near you? Find out if your local movie theatre hosts a Summer Movie Express each summer. The theatre shows two movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week and only charge $1 per person to get in to see the show. The movies are not new releases, but for $1 per person, it is fun to see them on the big screen (and enjoy the air conditioning!).
Play at the park.
Young kids usually don’t tire of going to the park! You don’t have to go to the same park as you usually do. Look for other parks near you to go to for variety.
Invite friends to join you. You can set up a regular park date weekly or however often you wish.
Go swimming or take swimming lessons.
If you don’t have your own pool, check and see if a local recreation center has a pool you can go to. They may have lifeguards on duty during set hours when you can pay a fee to get in. They may offer swimming lessons, too, for all ages.
Get together with friends.
When our kids see friends during the school year at school or at various activities they are involved in, summer can seem endless if they don’t have the opportunity to see their friends very often.
If possible, schedule time for your kids to get together with their friends.
Plan sleepovers with friends or Grandparents.
Depending on the ages of your kids, sleepovers can be a fun activity to do during the summer. You can host a sleepover with one friend for one night or plan a stay over at their Grandma and Grandpa’s home for a few days. Spending time with their grandparents gives your kids and parents the opportunity to grow closer and create special memories together.
When planning summer activities for kids, use your creativity.
Do not limit yourself. Also, ask your kids what they want to do. You may be surprised at their answers!
What do you plan to do this summer with your kids? You can comment below and share your ideas with everyone.
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