Let’s get ready for summer! It’s the time of sunshine and lazy days. But not too lazy, because we’re checking out 100 fun summer activities for kids to help beat the boredom.
With a simple structure, and plenty of ideas for sunny and rainy days, you’ll have plenty of affordable ways to make summer fun. The best part is that many of these activities are fun for everyone, so you can join in on the memory-making.
Around here most summer camps are already booked solid by mid March. Am I the only one who thinks that’s kind of insane?
We’ve got three kids between the ages of 5 and 11, so finding summer camps and activities can be a real challenge. Seriously, it’s so hard to find activities that both tweens and kindergarteners will enjoy.
And did I mention that my husband and I both work from home? So, yeah…it may sound like we can just hang with the kids drinking blueberry wine slushies. But if we’re not prepared with a plan, then summer can be disastrous.
100 Summer Activities for Kids
I’m not really a fan of bucket lists (summer is supposed to be relaxing, right?)
So my kids and I spent time coming up with 100 kid-approved summer activities for kids that fit into a “Daily Theme”:
- Make Something Monday
- Try Something Tuesday
- Wander Somewhere Wednesday
- Thoughtful Thursday
- Fantastic Friday
We also made sure to include ideas for both rainy and sunny days so there are no excuses! 🤣
Want an easy, printable version of this list? Click here to grab your free copy.
Make Something Monday
Sunny Day Activities
- Make s’mores
- Make a fairy garden
- Make flower crowns
- Make a race track in your backyard
- Make a bouquet with wildflowers collected from your neighborhood
- Make a rock garden
- Make a lemonade stand
- Make & fly your own kite
- Create a unique ice cream flavor
- Make your own garden stone
Rainy Day Activities
- Bake cookies together
- Make a meal together
- Decorate crazy hats with items around the house
- Make a pillow fort
- Make a family video
- Decorate masks together
- Make a homemade bird feeder
- Make a time capsule
- Make a homemade puppet theater & put on a show
- Make paper airplanes
Try Something Tuesday
Sunny Day Activities
- Plant a vegetable or herb you’ve never planted before
- Try a new sport
- Try to build something with things you find in the backyard/garage
- Try splatter painting
- Try to see how long you can hula hoop or jump rope
- Try a shaving cream slide
- Try to beat one of your own records (eg. Monkey bars, distance on bike)
- Set up a treasure hunt in the backyard
- Try a game that kids played 30, 40, 50 years ago
- Try to catch bugs like butterflies or lightning bugs
Rainy Day Activities
- Have a mud day
- Learn origami
- Try a Lego Challenge
- Learn a new card game
- Learn a magic trick & put on a magic show
- Try a new food
- Have an anagram contest (see who can make the most words out of another word)
- Try a new restaurant
- Try to fix something that’s broken
- Learn a few words in another language
Loving these ideas? Click here to grab your free printable list.
Wander Somewhere Wednesday
Sunny Day Activities
- Go to the farmer’s market or a local farm
- Find a new park to visit
- Go explore a new neighborhood
- Go on a photo walk. Take photos together and compare perspectives
- Go to a free local concert
- Go to a state park for a hike or a splash in the water
- Research a local historic site and then visit it.
- Go to a baseball game
- Go geocaching
- Go on a scavenger hunt
Rainy Day Activities
- Go to the local library
- Go bowling
- Go roller skating
- Go see a show at the local children’s theater
- Go to a local children’s museum
- Take a kids class at your local craft or hardware store
- Go see a movie at the movie theater
- Go to an open play session at your local gymnastics or bounce house provider.
- Find an indoor pool or water park
- Window shop at the local mall.
Thoughtful Thursday
Sunny Day Activities
- Go out for ice cream and pay for the person in line behind you.
- Clean up some litter in the neighborhood
- Take treats to your local police or fire station
- Help take care of a neighbor’s yard.
- Do chores around the yard to earn money for your favorite charity
- Put coins in random people’s parking meters
- Put away all the carts left out in a parking lot
- Help a stranger load bags into their car at the store
- Write a thank you note and make a treat for the garbage collectors.
- Help play with the little kids at the park.
Rainy Day Activities
- Read books to each other
- Make food pans for the homeless shelter
- Bake cookies for a neighbor
- Have a donation day & clear out old clothes & toys
- Make and mail cards to grandparents
- Make and mail cards to cousins
- Make a care package for some soldiers
- Make scarves to donate to the homeless in wintertime.
- Do something extra special for a sibling or parent.
- Make pet beds for shelter animals out of fabric scraps and old linens
Love these ideas? Click here to grab a free printable copy of this list.
Fantastic Friday
Sunny Day Activities
- Have a picnic
- Roll down a grassy hill
- Play messy slime party games
- Run through the sprinkler
- Have a water balloon fight
- Have a squirt gun fight
- Catch fireflies at sunset
- Camp out in the backyard.
- Do a shaving cream craft or activity
- Have a bike decorating contest for Independence Day (or just because!)
Rainy Day Activities
- Have a dance party
- Make it a movie day
- Have a pajama day
- Mother/Son or Father/Daughter dates
- Have a backwards day
- Have a video game day
- Play Minute-to-Win-it games
- Camp out in the living room
- Play board games
- Have a ‘Yes’ Day
Want more fun summer activities for kids? We’re always adding more fun crafts and activities to our Kids Crafts and Activities page. It’s a great place to look for new games to play with your kids, easy crafts for all ages, and even more free printable to enjoy together.
Grab Your Free Printable Summer Activities List Here
And there you have it – summer activities for kids with at least two things to do for nearly every day of the summer break.
Most importantly, the list was partially created by a kid! Which means there’s no excuse for hearing “I’m bored” during the next three months!
As an added bonus, I’ve got an easy-to-use printable version of these summer activities for kids. It’s available FREE for subscribers. Just add your name and email to the form below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
Don’t want to subscribe? No problem! I’ve also got this list available for small price in my shop.
Now I want to know…
What summer activities do you have planned for your kids?
What summer activities would you add to this list?
This post was originally published on June 2, 2016. It has been updated with fresh ideas, new graphics, and an improved printable checklist.
Tamara says
It’s true. Summer is supposed to be relaxing but I often find it to be more intense. In an awesome way, though. I’m ready for it, and all these activities!
Leslie says
More intense…that’s the perfect way to put it. I think we’re both looking forward to the break, this list just gives us the extra push we need to make some new memories.
Jen says
Pinned! Love this list. Summer is pretty much my favorite time of year. I love the freedom and the magic of it all.
Leslie says
That’s saying a lot coming from someone who lives in the desert! I’m partial to fall, but Summer’s definitely a special time of year.
Kristen says
This is SO helpful! I am pinning, great ideas!
Leslie says
Thanks Kristen! I know there are tons of summer lists out there so I’m glad you found this helpful!
Nina says
You’re so right! And I see “bucket lists” the same way—more like idea generation rather than a must-do list. That’d be way too much pressure! Most of my summer to-dos are pretty simple and they’re things I’d do every summer. I think that’s one of the beauties of seasonal traditions is that we do them over and over yet we love and look forward to them every year! One thing I for sure want to do this year because we missed out last year is to see fireworks.
Leslie says
I tried to keep this list to the kinds of things we should be doing anyway. Otherwise it would feel more like a chore, you know? Fireworks are definitely a favorite around here. Hopefully you get to go see some this year!
Janine Huldie says
We still have 3 more weeks of school here in NY, but I am so going to refer back to your list as we get closer now. Thanks so much, Leslie for sharing here!! 🙂
Tammy says
Thank you for this great list! I am going to print it off and keep it accessible when the kiddos are looking for something to do!
Nellie says
LOVE LOVE LOVE the donation idea during rainy days! So good. Thank you for all of this, the boys especially love to read to each other now that they can both read. It’s pretty awesome to watch too. 🙂 This was right on time as we are preparing to end school in a few weeks!
Laura - The No Pressure Life says
Oh man, I can’t wait for warm weather! These are great ideas. A fairy garden is definitely on our list.
STEPHANIE ABBOTT says
Great ideas for this mom of littles! Pinned to a couple boards. I cohost a link party on Wednesday’s. We’d love to have you join!
Annie says
Pinning this for my 3-year-old (who is home with me all day, every day :P)!
Lindsey says
Great Ideas! Pinned. Thanks for sharing at #iDIYedthat
Kristina Rees says
Found you at Coffee and Conversation. Great Ideas. I love have one place to get ideas. Definitely pinning this.
Kate Hollingsworth says
This is a fantastic list Leslie (and I’m so glad you included a printable!). Thanks for sharing at To Grandma’s House We Go ? xx
Mother of 3 says
What a fun idea to break your list into themed days! Love this. Pinned.
Mother of 3 says
Visiting once again from #familyFunliky and shared all over.
April says
I am totally in summer planning mode, so I love this. So excited and nervous for summer. Only nervous b/c 4 all day….yikes…
Chloe Crabtree says
What a great list! I am sending the link to this post to my daughter! Some of these won’t work for a 2 and 3 year old, but a lot of them will! Thanks for sharing at Celebrate Your Story!!
Kimm at Reinvented says
Those are great ides and plenty of them. Makes me miss my kids being little – briefly:).
Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday.
Mary - the boondocks blog says
Lots of great ideas to keep the kids busy all year long. Where were you when my kids were younger? Lol! Pinning.
Laurie says
Love the list of ideas! Thanks so much for sharing them. Pinning!
Sam @ A Happy Home In Holland says
You have some really great ideas here – I have pinned for later as I think this help keep the boredom at bay for my two girls during the holidays 🙂
Mary Leigh says
These are really great ideas! I especially like that you have them in themes during the week! Im stopping by from SITS Girls and I’ve saved this to Pinterest!
Jennifer-BeforeTheyreGrown says
I really like how you divided summer activities into rainy day and sunny day activities. I live in Florida so we have lots of Rainy days all summer long. Great idea. Thanks
visiting from Sits Girls Sharefest
Gentle Joy Homemaker says
Good ideas and list. It is important to keep some type of structure going… w/o overwhelming Mom! 🙂
Lori Hill-Smith says
So many great ideas to keep the kiddos busy this summer!
Denise says
So much fun all on one list. Thanks for sharing with us at Waste Not Wednesday. Looking forward to seeing more from you this week. Don’t forget to hop over and link up.
April J Harris says
I agree with you about the term ‘bucket list’ – but I love this great list full of wonderful ideas! Pinning and sharing on Twitter. Thank you for bringing this post to the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Hope you have a lovely week!
Katie says
I’m so ready for my first summer as a SAHM with this list of activities. I’m so looking forward to all the fun I’m going to have with my son!! Thanks!
Tammymum says
Some great ideas for keeping everyone entertained. I think we might go for a picnic this afternoon in fact. Thanks for joining us at #familyfun
Alicia Owen says
Love lists like these! No matter how many you come across, you can always find new ideas! Thanks so much for sharing this huge list! Summer is all about having fun. 🙂
Tracy Albiero says
Thank you! I needed a list like this. This will be perfect this summer! #Fridayatthefirestation
Teresa Les Chander says
Great ideas! Thank you for the list. My kids are going to love these! Hopefully Summer weather gets here soon.
[email protected] says
Thank you so much for all of the wonderful ideas. I am really looking forward to warm weather when the kids can go outside. This list makes me so happy. Spring is almost here!
Wrae says
I loved this! Pinned to two boards. I will use this for sure with my kids.
moozi says
Our kids really need this ,,,,,,,
Our kida are only bond to wife and phonse
Thank you so much for it
Marina Teramond @ NMPL says
I absolutely agree with you that without some kind of plan the summer will be disastrous when you have children and need to satisfy their needs. To tell the truth, any summer we spend with our children and not always we travel during this time. Really often my ideas for entertainment run out. I’m so glad that I found a lot of new ideas for myself to enjoy not only my children, but also the whole family. What most impresses me is that there are ideas for any weather and on rainy days you will not have to be bored. I’m really inspired by your idea of building something with things we can find in the backyard or garage. It is so original and not typical, that you will certainly be engaged in the process and you can do it with the whole family, becoming close-knit. Also, I really want to try to beat one of our own records with my children. I think it can help you to develop your confidence and have fun at the same time.