Fun, Simple Ideas for an Unforgettable Summer
If you’re anything like me, you want your kids to have a magical summer without spending a fortune or losing your mind trying to entertain them.
I’ve been collecting photos of all the fun things we’ve done over the years, and I thought — why not put together a massive list of 100 summer activities for kids?
These ideas are realistic, screen-free (for the most part), and perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids too.
I’ve mixed in our real-life activities with simple new ideas anyone can try.
Whether you’re home all summer or just need a few go-to ideas for weekends, this list has you covered.
Let the memory-making begin. ☀️
📌 Don’t lose it, pin it for later!
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Fun Summer Activities For Kids!
1. Play with kinetic sand in a kiddie pool
We used colorful kinetic sand in a plastic kiddie pool and added buckets, scoops, and mini construction trucks for hours of imaginative play.
2. Build a backyard fort with sticks, sheets, or cardboard
Let the kids design it themselves. Add pillows inside for the full “clubhouse” effect.
3. Go camping
Whether it’s in the backyard or at a real campsite, kids love the adventure. Bring flashlights and marshmallows.
4. Make homemade popsicles
Pour juice or yogurt into molds, add fruit slices, and freeze. Healthy and fun.
5. Visit the zoo
Feeding animals and spotting their favorites makes for a full day of excitement.
6. Do a nature scavenger hunt
Print a list or draw your own. Look for pinecones, feathers, wildflowers, or bugs.
7. Have a playground adventure
Try a new one you’ve never been to! Bonus: bring snacks and stay for lunch.
8. Make a giant cardboard floor puzzle
Cut up a large box, let kids draw their own scenes, then mix up the pieces.
9. Blow bubbles in the backyard
Big wands, bubble machines, or homemade bubble mix — any version is a win.
10. Make a mud kitchen
Give them bowls, spoons, and old kitchen tools and let the pretend baking begin.
11. Silly spaghetti sensory play
Colored pasta in a kiddie pool plus kitchen tongs equals total joy (and easy cleanup).
12. Paint kindness rocks
Write sweet words or draw little designs, then leave them around town or a park trail.
13. Have a water balloon battle
Pro tip: Use the self-tying ones. Your sanity will thank you.
14. Wash the family car together
Give them sponges and let them “help.” Expect lots of giggling and wet clothes.
15. Outdoor art & crafts day
A blanket in the grass, big paper, markers, stickers — let them create and be messy.
16. Make fresh-squeezed lemonade
Teach them how to juice lemons and set up a little stand (even if no one walks by).
17. At-home spa day
We did face masks on a rainy day two summers ago. Bonus points for cucumbers on the eyes.
18. Create a DIY obstacle course
Use pool noodles, cones, jump ropes, hula hoops — anything you have!
19. Drive battery powered toy cars around the yard
Helmets and all. Your toddler will feel like a boss.
20. Play “Nature I Spy” on a walk
“I spy something green, something round, something crawling…”
21. Cool off at a splash pad
No setup, all fun. We brought goggles and went wild at our local park.
22. Fly paper airplanes and see whose goes farthest
Decorate them with markers and give bonus points for tricks.
23. Get ice cream
Go out for cones, sundaes, or Italian ice. It’s a classic summer treat.
24. Make friendship bracelets
Even preschoolers can string chunky beads. Older kids can try patterns.
25. Go to the circus
We always go see the Zerbini Family Circus right down the road from our home every summer.
26. Paint with water on the driveway
No mess and oddly satisfying. Toddlers love this.
27. Play fairy princess in the yard
A very fond memory from last summer with Hailee. We went out in the yard after dinner, with no plan. I let her lead and she wanted to play fairy princess.
Sometimes you don’t need an activity or a plan.
28. Have a pajama walk
Right before bedtime, let them walk the sidewalk in PJs and rain boots.
29. Swim in the pool
Vanessa’s favorite part was her floaty. Add goggles, noodles, and splash games.
30. Play restaurant
Let them “cook” pretend meals and take your order.
31. Watch fireworks
Bring headphones for babies and snacks for everyone.
32. Do a glow stick bath
Throw a few glow sticks in the tub, turn off the lights, and it’s instant fun.
33. Play nail salon
We traced hands on cardboard and painted nails with acrylic paint.
34. Grow sunflowers in a pot
Cheap seeds, soil, water, and sunshine. Let them check it every day.
35. Make s’mores
Doesn’t matter if it’s over a fire pit or in the microwave. They’ll love it.
36. Read books under a tree
Bring a blanket and a stack of favorites. Add snacks and call it a “book picnic.”
37. Try water balloon batting practice
Hang them on a string or toss them gently. It’s like baseball but wetter.
38. Make wind chimes
Use sticks, yarn, bells, beads, or even painted lids. Let them hang it proudly.
39. Cardboard Vase Activity
I drew a base on a small sheet of cardboard and punched holes at the top. The girls went on a flower hunt to fill their vases.
40. Create a chalk mural
Let them take up the whole driveway. Bonus if they use their feet and hands.
41. Bubble painting
Add food coloring or washable paint to bubble solution, blow bubbles onto paper, and watch the colors splatter.
42. Play freeze dance with a Bluetooth speaker
Let them go wild dancing — then freeze when the music stops. Instant giggles.
43. Paint a clear shower curtain
Lay it out on the lawn and give them paintbrushes and sponges. It’s like a giant outdoor canvas.
44. Catch fireflies at dusk
Use a jar with holes in the lid, watch them glow, then set them free.
45. Squirt gun wars
Filling up these water buckets and having a squirt gun fight is a weekly summer ritual around here.
46. Build a LEGO village outside
Bring the bin out on a picnic blanket. Everything’s more fun in the sun.
47. DIY water sponge balls
Cut up sponges, tie them together with string, and soak. It’s a reusable water balloon!
48. Deliver cookies to a neighbor
Let the kids help bake and decorate. Package with ribbon and walk it over together.
49. Make a DIY water blob
We used painter’s plastic, ironed the sides shut over parchment paper with an iron, filled it with water, and let the girls jump and roll on top!
50. Create a family summer playlist
Let each kid pick a few songs. Play it during dinner, dance breaks, or drive-thru ice cream runs.
51. Sprinkler fun
The classic summer move. We’ve done plain sprinklers and even made a pool noodle one once!
52. Make a pretend drive-thru window
Use cardboard boxes and let the kids take turns being the car and the cashier.
53. Go to an arcade
It’s loud, it’s chaotic, it’s kid heaven. Even Vanessa loves the lights and buttons.
54. Host a stuffed animal picnic
Set out a blanket, tiny plates, and all their favorite plush guests.
55. Foam spray fight
We used fluffy foam soap. Warning: it gets wild!
56. Make salt dough ornaments
Let them press handprints, leaves, or cookie cutter shapes, then paint once dry.
57. Go to a fair
We never miss our local fair for food, rides, games and more.
58. Try tie-dyeing old t-shirts
We laid everything out in the driveway and used rubber bands and squeeze bottles.
59. Make oobleck
Just cornstarch, water, and food coloring — it’s gooey, messy, and totally fascinating.
60. Build a fairy house with sticks and moss
Use a flower pot or carve out a little space in the garden. Add glitter for fairy dust, obviously.
61. Visit the aquarium
Vanessa loved the jellyfish and colorful tanks. Bonus: it’s air-conditioned!
62. Make homemade ice cream in a bag
All you need is heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a small Ziploc. Put it inside a bigger bag with ice and salt, then shake until it becomes soft serve!
63. Ice cube painting
Freeze watered-down paint in an ice cube tray with popsicle sticks. Let the kids glide them across paper as they melt to reveal colorful art.
64. Toy ice dig
Freeze little toys in ice cubes or muffin tins. Give kids tools like droppers or spoons to dig them out.
65. Outdoor tic-tac-toe
Use sidewalk chalk or sticks and stones to make a board in the grass or driveway and take turns playing.
66. Water gun squirt painting
Fill squirt guns with diluted washable paint and let the kids spray it onto a big sheet of paper or canvas outside.
67. Make balloon rockets
Thread a string through a straw, tape a balloon to the straw, and let it fly across the yard when you let go.
68. Fill the bucket race
One full bucket of water, one empty — kids use a sponge to transfer water back and forth until the second bucket is full.
69. Make snow cones
Use crushed ice or a snow cone machine and let kids pour flavored syrups or juices on top.
70. Corn in a kiddie pool
Fill a kiddie pool with dried corn kernels for a sensory play experience that’s clean and easy. Got the idea after playing in one at a fall festival.
71. Pool noodle fishing
Cut pool noodles into little circle shapes and toss them in a kiddie pool. Give kids little fishing nets to fish them out.
If you have different colored pool noodles and matching colored buckets you could make it into a color sort challenge.
72. Slip n’ slide
Set up a plastic tarp on the lawn or get a slip n’ slide, wet it down with a hose, and add a little baby soap for extra slide.
73. Balloon tennis
Blow up a balloon and use fly swatters or paper plate paddles to keep it in the air.
74. Glow in the dark bowling in the yard
Put glow sticks inside empty water bottles and use a ball to knock them down in the dark.
75. Double sided tape nature art
Create a frame out of sticks, line it with double sided tape, and let kids stick on flower petals, grass, leaves, and other nature finds.
76. Stained glass sidewalk chalk art
Use painter’s tape to create geometric shapes on the driveway, then color each section with chalk. Peel the tape off to reveal a “stained glass” design.
77. Pool noodle hockey
Cut pool noodles in half to use as hockey sticks and play with a lightweight ball or balloon on the lawn.
78. Water balloon basket toss
Use laundry baskets or buckets and tape a sign on that say 10, 20 30 etc. for points. Line them up and have kids try to toss into the baskets.
79. Twister in the yard
Spray paint colored circles on the grass and call out directions just like the classic game.
80. Water balloon spelling race
Write letters on water balloons and place them in a bucket of water. Give kids a word to spell and they race to find the right letters.
81. Sponge darts
Draw a bullseye on the driveway with sidewalk chalk, then toss soaked sponges and try to hit the center.
82. Silly chalk sidewalk obstacle course
Use chalk to create silly directions like “hop on one foot,” “twirl,” and “walk backwards” all along the driveway.
83. Water balloon toss
Cut circles out of a sheet of cardboard and label them with point values. Kids try to toss balloons through the holes to score points.
84. Dandi-lions
Cut a circle of cardboard, draw a lion face in the middle, and poke holes around it. Kids hunt for dandelions and fill the holes to create the lion’s mane.
85. Sidewalk chalk town with roadway
Draw roads, buildings, and parking spots with chalk. Add toy cars and dolls for pretend play.
86. Stack pool noodle pieces with shaving cream
Cut pool noodles into rings and let kids build towers using shaving cream as the “glue.”
87. Kiddie pool letter match
Fill a kiddie pool with foam letters. Write the alphabet on the driveway with chalk. Kids match the floating letters to their chalk counterparts.
88. Fill the water table with ice
Dump in a whole tray of ice cubes and a few toys for a cool sensory surprise on a hot day.
89. Glow stick ring toss in the yard
Crack glow sticks into rings and toss them onto water bottles or cones once the sun goes down.
90. Make your own kite
Use string, paper, and sticks or straws to design a simple kite, then run and fly it in the yard or park.
91. Nature faces
Go on a nature walk to collect flowers, twigs, leaves, and grass. Then glue everything onto a cardboard circle to make silly or creative faces.
92. Make paper bag lanterns
Cut designs into lunch bags, fill with battery-powered tea lights, and set them out at dusk.
93. Nature cutting sensory bins
Fill bins with leaves, stems, and grass. Give kids scissors to snip and explore texture and sound.
94. Outdoor movie night with projector screen
Hang a white sheet, grab a projector, and make popcorn for a cozy backyard theater experience.
95. Squirt gun cup race
String a plastic cup through a piece of string and hang it between two points. Kids use squirt guns to move the cup from one end to the other.
96. Shadow tracing
Tape down a roll of paper outside, line up toys in the sun, and let kids trace their shadows.
97. Make puffy sidewalk paint
Make puffy sidewalk paint. Use squeeze bottles or paintbrushes for fun 3D sidewalk art.
98. Hang a sensory pod swing
Perfect for cozy, calming moments in the shade. Add a blanket or pillow and let them gently sway.
99. Fill the water table with bubble foam
Whip up water and tear-free soap in a blender until fluffy. Pour into the table for bubbly fun.
100. Ice cream volcano experiment
Create a super cool vinegar and baking soda reaction with this fun ice cream volcano experiment.
101. Milk jug water balloon toss
Cut the bottom off empty milk jugs to use as catchers. Toss water balloons back and forth using the jugs.
Here’s to the best summer ever
Whether you try just a few of these or go for all 100 fun summer activities for kids, remember — it’s not about perfection. It’s about connection.
Let your kids get messy, stay up late, chase bubbles, and just be little. You’re making magic just by showing up and saying yes to fun.
Save this list, share it with friends, and come back anytime you need a spark of inspiration. Happy summer, mama ☀️
