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Summer is going to be here before you know it!! Summertime is supposed to be packed full of fun activities to keep your kiddo’s busy! It doesn’t mean having to go the pool every day all day, below are some awesome affordable activities to do this summer!
So sit back and keep reading to get inspiration for ideas that you can do with your children! It will help keep them entertained, create tons of awesome memories, and be filled with smiles and laughs!
Outdoor Activities:
Butterfly Garden: I have seen so many people buying these kits off Amazon where you can grow your own butterfly garden. It comes with live caterpillars and a container for them. You can watch them grow and eventually transform and turn into butterflies!
Sidewalk Chalk Paint: Create sidewalk chalk paint at home or you can buy some. If you create at home, it is made with cornstarch, water, and food coloring. 1 cup water, 1 cup cornstarch, and food coloring. Mix the paste, pour into separate bowls, and then add food coloring to make colors. Paint on the sidewalk with paintbrushes, and when it dries the colors will be a lot bolder.
Fairy Garden: Consider creating a fairy garden. You can buy a little house to put in a planter, that your kids can paint up. Then put all kinds of pretty plants around it, and you have a little fairy garden!
Treasure Hunt: Create your own treasure hunt in your back yard. Make a little map of things to find from one destination to another and then let your kids go on the hunt. You can say find the planter with purple flowers, then go to the tree with the treehouse, etc. They will love finding what is at the end. It could be a fun snack or toy!
Sprinkler Fun: If you have a tarp, lay it out on the ground, then place the sprinkler on top. Kids can slip and slide around and play in the water. They can run and glide on it as well, for extra fun.
Kite Flying: If you have some wind one day, grab a kite and get outside. Kids will have lots of fun watching their kite fly high in the sky.
Water Balloon Fight: Have an epic water balloon fight. Create areas where people can hide, even if it is a chair or bale of hay. Then kids and even parents can run around having fun tossing balloons.
Water Beads: If you have a little pool or even a water table, think of getting water beads. They swell up when they are soaked in water. Kids absolutely love these and provide hours of fun. So if you have a plastic kid pool, toss them in and let your kiddo’s play. You can even use a plastic bin to play with them in.
Back Yard Camping: Pitch a tent in your back yard. Let your kids enjoy camping but not going too far! They will love sleeping in a tent! Then in the morning, you can head in for a hot breakfast or shower!
Movie Night: Rent a movie and have a bunch of snacks and treats ready to go. Make it like you are at a movie theater and just have fun with it!
Squirt Gun Painting: Grab some liquid watercolors and a few water guns, and have fun. Just hang a few pieces of white paper from a tree or put them up against the fence. Then fill your water gun with some water and liquid water colors and let your kids spray the paper. They will create fun art and have a blast playing. The paint is washable so it won’t make a huge mess. Grab some cheap guns and your dollar store and put a different color of paint in each one.
Visit Beach and Collect Shells: If you live near a beach, make a day of it and go and collect shells. Pack some sandwiches and ice cold drinks and just have fun! Then you could come home and create a craft with the shells you found.
Luau: Have a luau in your backyard. Hit up your local dollar store or party supply store for fun grass skirts, lei and more. Then just have a fun night and act like you are in Hawaii.
Farmer’s Market: Hit up your local farmers market for some great deals on produce and bake goods. Let your kids help pick out some fruits and veggies and then create a tasty meal!
Lemonade Stand: Consider letting your kids do a lemonade stand! It is a fun way for them to enjoy the day and make a little money!
Yard Sales: If it is yard sale season, let your kids have a few dollar each. Then go to some yard sales and let them decide what they want to buy. They will love searching around for a neat new toy!
Indoor Activities:
Paint Night: Hit up a craft store or shop online for painting supplies. You could do paint by numbers or grab blank canvases and let your kids and you create whatever you would like.
Origami: Look up some tutorial videos on YouTube or buy a book. Then help your kids learn how to make origami items!
Baking: If you enjoy baking then have a day of making fun sweets with the kids. Then take the goodies and deliver to friends and family! Or if you want to leave some out and freeze the rest. Kids love to be hands on and help, it can be a lot of fun making memories in the kitchen.
Homemade Bird Feeders: Grab some bird seed, string, peanut butter and pine cones or toilet paper rolls and make a bird feeder. Tie the string to a pine cone or toilet paper roll, so it can hang from a limb on a tree. Then smear peanut butter all over and roll it in bird seed. Then hang on a tree limb and let the birds enjoy!
Homemade Ice Pops: Grab a mold for ice pops and let your kids make their own ice pops for those hot summer days. Pinterest has tons of recipe ideas if you need help deciding. You could do some fresh fruit and your favorite lemonade mixed in. Just have fun, and I am sure the kids will enjoy testing out their creations.
Library: Most libraries now have tons of programs that go on during the summer. From reading programs to fun crafts to get kids
Talent Show Night: Let your kids each create a talent, along with the parents. Then have a fun night at home showing off your talents. Whether it is singing a song, dancing, twirling a baton, etc.
Build Forts Inside: Create your own forts inside, and let your child play away. Use the table or couch to be a side to hold up the fort. Just grab all your blankets and pillows and then let your kids have at it.
Smore’s Inside: Looking to create a fun classic treat, but are at home and don’t have a campfire. Create a smores like you would, and then wrap in aluminum foil. Place in oven at 400 degrees and cook for 5 minutes or until the chocolate and marshmallow have all melted.
Lots of value here. Way to be an unstoppable mom! Cheers!
Thank you so much!
So many creative ideas! Some I have tried, but you have many I haven’t tried. They do require leaving the house, but we take advantage of free programs at the library and parks. And we also have a free splash pad.
I love finding fun free programs around my area. They just redid our splash pad area at the local waterpark/swimming pool. I can’t wait to try it out.
You have so many great ideas here! We are definitely hoping to do some camping this summer–and spending time at the pool!
Thank you! We love finding new and creative ways to have fun.
This is a fun list! It shouldn’t cost a fortune to entertain kids, especially when kids generally appreciate the simple things. Thanks for sharing!
We LOVE treasure hunts and forts! Those are our favorite activities together. I am pretty good at planning the hunts and our boys are better at making forts than ever! Great ideas.
That is great! I love that they get involved in making the forts.
What a great list. Love all of them. The library is definitely our to go place since she loves reading. But letting the kids make lemonade stand is such a refreshing idea. I think she would love it.
Thank you! With technology a big part of life we need them fun activities to help balance it. Love hands on learning and fun!