Summer with kids can feel exciting, busy, and sometimes a little overwhelming all at once. Between trying to keep everyone entertained, managing the heat, and hearing “I’m bored” before lunch, many parents start searching for fresh activity ideas fast.
The good news is that creating meaningful summer memories with your kids doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Simple outdoor games, creative projects, water play, family outings, and screen-free activities can go a long way toward making summer feel fun and memorable.
Whether you’re looking for outdoor summer activities, rainy-day ideas, toddler activities, or creative family fun, this list includes over 100 summer activities to help keep kids busy, curious, and having fun all summer long.
52 Outdoor Summer Activities for Kids
Warmer weather and longer days create the perfect opportunity for outdoor summer activities that help kids burn energy, explore, and stay active.
1. Play in a sprinkler.
2. Go on a neighborhood scavenger hunt.
3. Play flashlight tag at night.
4. Visit a local u-pick farm and pick summer berries.
5. Swim at a local pool.
6. Camp in your backyard.
7. Create a sidewalk chalk art show.
8. Visit a new playground.
9. Try out geocaching. Download the geocaching app to find caches (treasure) at specific locations marked by coordinates around the world.
10. Make a lemonade stand.
Many of these outdoor summer activities work especially well for toddlers and elementary-age kids because they encourage movement, creativity, and hands-on play.
11. Wash the family car.
12. Go to a baseball game.
13. Have a water balloon fight.
14. Enjoy a day at the beach or lake.
15. Plant a vegetable garden.
16. Have a water gun fight.
17. Build a fort in the woods.
18. Get or make snowcones.
19. Go on a nighttime nature walk and look for fireflies, bats, and other night creatures.
20. Make a homemade water table.
21. Go on a family bike ride.
22. Go fishing.
23. Visit a state or county fair.
24. Go stargazing.
25. Enjoy a local outdoor concert (many towns/cities host free activities for kids, such as outdoor concerts).
Outdoor summer activities don’t need to be elaborate to become lasting family memories. Sometimes the simplest traditions end up being the most memorable.
26. Fly a kite.
27. Play in the rain and make an umbrella fort.
28. Collect sticks, moss, and stones to make fairy houses.
29. Visit a local farmers’ market.
30. Have a hula hoop contest.
31. Go bowling.
32. Host a garage sale.
33. Play Dribble, Dribble, Drench, a water-themed version of Duck, Duck, Goose using a watering can.
34. Play capture the flag.
35. Have an egg and spoon race.
36. Buy ice cream or popsicles from the ice cream truck.
37. Jump rope.
38. Have a scooter/bike parade. Decorate handlebars with ribbons or streamers and invite neighbors to parade around your neighborhood.
39. Roll down a hill or go box sledding.
40. Draw your shadow with sidewalk chalk.
These kinds of simple outdoor activities can also help break up long summer days without requiring expensive outings or complicated planning.
41. Go to a drive-in movie.
42. Have a water balloon toss.
43. Play in a kiddie pool with something other than water (i.e., jello, oatmeal).
44. With inexpensive magnifying glasses, go on a bug hunt.
45. Play foursquare (draw it with sidewalk chalk).
46. Hide treasure and make a map with clues.
47. Host a family summer Olympics.
48. Watch fireworks.
49. Climb a tree.
50. Watch a sunset.
51. Build a sandcastle.
52. Go to the zoo.
Related: 30 Fun Outdoor Games for Kids and Families
30 Inside Summer Activities for Kids
When temperatures climb too high or rainy days keep everyone indoors, these indoor summer activities can help keep kids entertained without relying entirely on screens.
1. Go indoor camping.
2. Build a blanket fort.
3. Set up an inside obstacle course.
4. Visit a museum.
5. Have a family movie night with a popcorn bar.
6. Visit the library.
7. Put on a family talent show.
8. Learn a new card game.
9. Create a painter’s tape race track.
10. Have an indoor picnic.
Indoor summer activities can be especially helpful on extremely hot days, rainy afternoons, or when kids simply need a quieter activity at home.
11. Take a popsicle bath.
12. Put on a fashion show with clothes you have at home.
13. Have a dance party.
14. Make ice cream.
15. Go to the movies on a discount day.
16. Play some Minute to Win It games.
17. Choose a chapter book and do a family read-aloud.
18. Do a puzzle or have a puzzle race.
19. Have a spa night with homemade facials and paint nails.
20. Write a story together as a family.
Many of these indoor activities also encourage creativity and quality family time without relying heavily on screens.
21. Play bingo with some dollar store prizes.
22. Take a virtual tour of a museum in a different state or country.
23. Play charades.
24. Set up indoor bowling with water bottles and a ball.
25. Write a letter to a friend or relative.
26. Play hide and seek.
27. Do a kid’s yoga class on YouTube (Cosmic Kids is good).
28. Play balloon tennis (make paddles out of paper plates and popsicle sticks).
29. Play Pictionary.
30. Have a family game night.
Related: 100 Free Summer Activities for Kids
11 Arts and Crafts Summer Activities for Kids
Creative summer crafts are a fun way for kids of all ages to create, experiment, and use their imaginations.
1. Make your own playdough.
2. Learn finger knitting.
3. Have a family art show – display artwork and have a fancy snack.
4. Learn to make origami animals.
5. Make ice paint.
Creative summer activities can also become fun keepsakes and memories your kids will look back on long after summer ends.
6. Collect and paint rocks.
7. Make pasta necklaces.
8. Create tie-dye shirts or socks.
9. Make puppets using paper bags or paper plates and put on a puppet show.
10. Draw/create pictures and take them to a local nursing home.
11. Pick flowers and press them in wax paper.
Related: The Summer Slide: What It Is & 7 Fun Ways To Prevent It
6 Food Fun Activities
Cooking and food activities can become some of the most memorable summer moments for families, especially when kids get to help. These simple summer food ideas also give kids a chance to help and try something new in the kitchen.
1. Make ice cream in a bag.
2. Research a different country’s foods and customs and plan a dinner based on that country.
3. Make microwave s’mores.
Food activities are often some of the easiest ways to get kids involved in hands-on learning and family time during the summer months.
4. Build ice cream floats. Kids usually love experimenting with different float combinations and flavors.
5. Create a no-bake treat.
6. Make popsicles.
Related: 6 Easy Popsicle Recipes for Kids
9 STEM Activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
STEM activities help kids explore, experiment, and learn through hands-on play. Many of these activities also use simple household materials you may already have at home.
1. Build marshmallow catapults.
2. Experiment with different paper airplane designs.
3. Use toothpicks and mini marshmallows to build structures.
4. Conduct some kitchen science experiments.
STEM summer activities can help kids stay curious and engaged while still feeling playful and fun during school break.
5. Have a Lego or Duplo building challenge.
6. Make sailboats with sponges or pool noodles, pencils/straws, and paper for sails.
7. Make your own bubble mixture and make giant bubbles.
8. Freeze little plastic toys in an ice tray and try different ways to “free” them.
9. Make a marble run on the wall using toilet paper, a paper towel roll (or other recycled items), and painter’s tape.
Related: STEM Learning Excitement Can Be Cultivated Early
Summer activities don’t have to be expensive or elaborate to create meaningful memories with your kids. Often, the simplest moments like running through a sprinkler, building forts, making popsicles, or staying up late to catch fireflies become the memories children remember most.
Whether your family tries a few of these ideas or keeps coming back to the list all summer long, we hope you have a fun, memorable, and safe summer together.
And sometimes, the activities kids remember most are simply the ones where everyone slowed down and spent time together.
