150 Fun Summer Activities & Idea For Kids

by admin July 2, 2021

Summers are here! And with summer, comes the mammoth task of keeping children entertained.

The last thing you want from your kids at home is constant nagging about being bored or long hours of screen time.

And that’s why we have come up with a great bucket list of fun summer activities and ideas for kids that you can do at home. Hop onto the section that excites you most.

Summer Fun Activities & Ideas for Kids:

Summers are perfect for outdoor activities. Let your children grab some fresh outdoor air and daylight to brighten their mood and boost their overall well-being.

Outdoor Summer Activities & Ideas

1. Start a Garden

There is no better time than summer break to start your very own garden. Gardening is a joyous activity for the entire family and a pretty good one at keeping kids mindfully busy.

2. Ride a Bike

Summer is a perfect time to learn how to ride a bike. This fun summer activity for kids also doubles up as a great exercise to keep kids healthy and fit.

3. Explore Outdoor STEM Learning

Why not indulge in some infotainment to keep summer boredom at bay? These outdoor STEM activities will not only entertain your kids but also make learning fun!

4. Learn to Fly A Kite

Nothing can beat the joy of watching your first kite fly. This summer make it a point to teach your kids how to fly one.

5. Balloon Darts

Trade the old dartboard for water balloons pinned onto cardboard (or a tree trunk) and let fun outdoor game of balloon darts begin.

6. Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a great way to exercise those muscles and get children moving. Whether you are a big family or parents to a single child, hopscotch can keep everyone entertained.

7. Play Tag

Another classic outdoor game for kids that never fails to entertain and delight kids. Bonus points for parents joining in!

8. Obstacle Course

An obstacle course is an affordable fun summer activity that promises hours of fun and a great way to practice gross motor skills.

Make use of hula-hoops, yoga bricks, jump ropes and other common things lying around the house to make a challenging year fun obstacle course.

9. Go Camping In the Garden

You don’t need to go on a camping trip for summer fun. Simply pitch a tent in your backyard and let your kids enjoy.

10. Play Jump Rope

Another fun summer activity to keep children fit. There are just so many jump rope games that you can play with your kids to keep them entertained on a cool summer evening.

11. Bring Out Those Water Guns!

A super cool summer activity for kids, this one is always a big hit. Just line up a few cups on the ground and knock them off with your water guns.

12. Climb Trees

Who doesn’t like climbing on trees? Let your kids build their motor skills with this fun summer activity.

13. Splash Pool

Splash pools are a wonderful way to let off steam for kids. Simply throw in a beach ball or two for that additional summer fun!

14. Make Giant Bubbles

Who can say no to bubbles?! This is a sure shot fun summer activity that never disappoints. Adults love it too!!

15. Water Balloon Cricket

Water balloons make for the best summer props to keep children gleefully occupied. Just grab a plastic bat, a couple of water balloons and let the fun begin!

16. Nature Walk

Summer breaks call for nature walks. Pack a small meal and head off for a rejuvenating nature walk with kids.

This is for adventurous kids and hands-on parents. If you are one of those parents who like their kids to have that extra fun, we suggest you take this summer activity that will put your building skills to use and give your child a real lesson on engineering.

18. Play With Pom-Pom Shooter

Have a pom-pom shooter tournament and see who can land their pom-pom tree farthest. Hours of fun guaranteed!

19. Go Fishing

Take a fishing trip to a nearby stream. You never know when you get lucky!

20. Chalk Murals

Let your kids express their creative side by drawing gigantic chalk murals on the sidewalk. This is a perfect summer activity for a single child.

21. Water Bag Piñata

If bursting piñata wasn’t enough fun, fill up some balloons or big plastic bags with water and let your children have a blast popping them!

22. Water Dance

Kids just love chasing water from the sprinkler. Make it more fun by playing some music and inviting them for a fun round of water dance.

23. Visit a Local Farm

Farm visits are always fun (and educational!). Take a trip to the nearest farm and let your kids learn all about the summer vegetables and fruits.

24. Make a Waterbed

No child can say no to a waterbed! Let your kids roll and wobble on this cool summer prop for hours of fun.

25. Balloon Badminton

Engage in a fun game of balloon badminton to banish summer boredom blues. Little more explanation here

26. Water Balloon Hunt

This is a fun twist to treasure hunting. Instead of a treasure, let your kids hunt for hidden water balloons outdoors.

27. Outdoor Jenga

This summer fun idea appears straight out of some movie! We bet adults will join in too for this fun summer game.

28. Pool Noodle Tic-Tac-Toe

How about a giant tic-tac-toe? Simply use pool noodles to make the tic-tac-toe grid and small different coloured discs to make 0’s and X’s for an enjoyable, competitive game session.

29. Frisbee

Frisbee is a quintessential summer activity for kids and adults! Be it your backyard or a nearby park, you cannot possibly go wrong with a fun game of Frisbee.

You can also replace Frisbee with a ball and simply play catches with it. Kids just love these simple games. It also strengthens hand-eye coordination!

30. Bean Bag Toss

Why not work on numeracy skills while having a blast with this fun outdoor summer activity for kids!

All you need to do is just draw few numbers on your sidewalk and let your kid toss the bean bag on the called out number.

For older kids, you can write big numbers and give them simple mental math problem to solve. Like 5+4, 10-8, 12+6 , 3 times 5 and so on depending on your child’s grade.

This easy-peasy summer activity is certain to keep your child engaged and learning while having fun!

31. Have Fun Playing Corn Hole

Get your children to burn off their extra energy with this enjoyable summer game for kids.

32. Toss & Rhyme

We absolutely love this summer idea that works wonders with kid’s literacy skills. Playful learning at its best!

33. Water Balloon Juggling

This is such a great summer activity for kids, especially single children, as it is a single player activity. Let your kiddo learn to juggle, but with water balloons!

34. Water Limbo

Nothing can entertain kids as much as a game of water limbo. It is just that summer activity you are looking for!

35. Trampoline

A fun session on the trampoline makes for a perfect physical activity for kids. It is great for parents as it saps off kids of that extra energy.

36. Yard Scrabble

Yard scrabble promises a fun summer evening activity for everyone. Plus, it is a great way to build your kid’s vocabulary.

37. Wind Chime

This is such a wonderful and soothing activity to indulge in! With just a few commonly found materials, your kids can make this pretty wind chime to hang in the garden and watch it swing in the cool summer evening breeze.

Curious about how and why the wind blows? Check out our fun post on wind science activities for little learners!

38. Lawn Twister

Wondering how to entertain a bunch of kids in summer? Try this DIY Giant Twister to get your kids moving and laughing.

39. Sidewalk Foam Paint

Kids love foam!! Let them get creative on the sidewalk and show off their inner Picasso with foam paint!

40. Rush To The Swings

Children just love swings! Let your kids enjoy swings in a nearby park and enjoy the feel of cool summer breeze offtheir face.

Summer Brain Games

41. Riddles

Riddles work astonishingly well at entertaining kids and exercising their brains. Make sure to throw in some in your child’s summer schedule.

Bring on some fun brain games for kids to keep them off the summer slide and give them the necessary brain exercise. We promise your kids will not complain.

42. Puzzles

Indulge in an age-appropriate puzzle and make it fun by timing it! Puzzles work wonders for spatial skills and are a great brain game for children who like some alone time.

43. Read Together

Why not explore a new reading genre in summer? Be it science fiction, biographies or silly humor… whatever interests your child.

44. Family Journal

Summer is a great time to trace back your family history and write a family journal. This is one summer activity for kids your child (and the entire family!) will forever cherish.

45. Would You Rather Questions

Children love these questions! They are funny and thought-provoking – all at the same time.

46. Science Fun

Build love for science with an array of fun science experiments. Who knows, they could help your kids come up with their next science fair project.

47. Try Story Writing

Encourage your kids to give a shot at story writing or comic writing. Such a fun way to entertain kids in summer!

48. Give Coding a Shot

Learning to code is a superb way to utilize the summer break. Be it offline or online coding activities, they definitely make for an apt brain game for kids.

49. Building Activities

Construction and building activities are an amazing way to keep kids engaged on hot summer afternoons.

And you don’t necessarily need store bought blocks. There are plenty of loose materials your kids can tinker with. Like try building structures with coins!

50. Origami

Origami is such a mess free brain game for kids! With plenty of tutorials available online, this is one summer activity that is really affordable.

51. Guessing Games

Exercise your child’s brain with these quick, fun guessing games! We bet there would never be a dull moment again.

52. Try Filmmaking

Why not let your child experiment with filmmaking and learn to make videos! It is quite a 21st century skill.

53. Card Games

Card games are fun and just the right brain game to keep children happy and learning.

If you have a child who shies away from math, we strongly suggest trying math card games. These games work secretly at numeracy skills and make math learning enjoyable!

54. Make a Map

This is such a great summer brain game activity for kids. Encourage them to start with their room and then progress to their lane.

55. Rebus Puzzles

These Rebus picture puzzles are simply superb at entertaining kids at home! Much like brainteasers, they give picture clues that lead to a word.

56. Quizzes

Quizzes are not only a wonderful way to test how much you know but also a super quick way to learn something new.

And this list of quizzes from National Geographic covers a wide range of topics to suit every child’s interest and is certain to excite them.

57. Sorting Games

Sorting games are excellent at keeping children mindfully busy while polishing their critical thinking skills and at the same time giving parents a much-needed break.

58. Brain Games Kids

This is a fun online brain game for kids that packs in a range of puzzles, labyrinths, mazes, sudoku and much more to keep your children entertained during summers.

59. Mekorama

Work on your child’s spatial reasoning skills with this interactive online game.

Mekorama is an online puzzle game that is just right to bid bye to boredom blues.

60. Mentalup

Mentalup is a comprehensive resource for online brain games for kids. Plenty of options to choose from make it a favourite with parents as well as kids.

Nighttime Activities in Summers

61. Nighttime Stroll

Explore your neighbourhood at nighttime to observe it in a different light. Your kids will be amazed to observe how night transforms a busy neighbourhood into a quieter place.

62. Catch Fireflies

Summers bring along these fascinating insects that are sure to catch and simply watch in wonder. This is one summer nighttime activity that is not to be missed.

63. Shadow Puppets

Shadow puppets guarantee lots of fun and imagination. Just right for a family night, this nighttime activity is a great hit with kids.

64. Flashlight Tag

Mix in tag with hide and seek and the drama night brings along and you get a cool game of flashlight tag. Sounds fun? We bet it is!

65. Star Gazing

Summer nights are just right for stargazing. You are certain to make memories spotting the constellations and planets in the sky.

66. Nighttime Stories

Recommended for older kids who like mysteries and spooky stuff. Gather around in a comfy setting in your backyard and narrate ghost stories or simply discuss some fun ghosts facts.

If that’s too much for your kids, try detective stories for kids for a good adrenaline rush.

67. Camp Out!

How about camping out at night? Summer is the perfect time for this nighttime activity with kids. Add in ice-lollies and cool drinks for an extra punch!

68. Outdoor Movie

Outdoor movies are one of the most exciting nighttime activities for kids. Play an old favourite or simply project your family videos for a night of fun.

Maybe it could be a great idea to explore STEM movies for kids for wholesome family infotainment.

And yes…Keep popcorn handy!

69. Drive-In

Who doesn’t love a drive-in? Discover new or revisit the old favourite spots to keep children joyful.

70. Be Read Under The Stars

What we really mean is ‘listen’ under the stars. Give audiobooks or podcasts a try at nighttime and you’ll be surprised how fun they are at night.

71. Play Board Games

Engage in an outdoor session of your favourite family board game at nighttime. And don’t forget to bring in the nighttime snacks to add on some pleasure!

Summer Nature Activities

72. Bird feeder

Recycle an old empty toilet roll into a bird feeder and watch birds visit your yard.

73. Make T-Shirt Bag

Repurpose an old t-shirt into a cool bag to do your bit for nature. Be a green warrior and make it for the entire circle of family and friends.

74. Nature Faces

Gather a few leaves, sticks, fallen flowers, grass and whatever you can find in your natural surroundings and make a face using these natural materials.

75. Wind Catcher

This is a perfect nature activity for kids in summertime. It not only makes a lovely addition to your yard but also helps your child learn how to make something out of nothing!

76. Leaf Print Mandalas

This is a super cool nature craft for kids. Colourful and vibrant, it is eye catching for sure.

77. Nature Wreath

These wreaths are absolutely gorgeous and a great summer time nature craft for kids.

78. Alphabet Rocks

These nature crafts are just great for little learners and hit right at the spot to stop summer learning loss.

79. Leaf People

Unleash your child’s creativity with this summer activity for kids. These leaf people are super cute and great props for any story narration.

80. Nature Paint Brushes

How about making zero-waste paint brushes with some leaves and twigs. Simply gather a bunch of leaves and tie them around at one end of a stick/twig to make your very own nature paint brush.

81. Dandelion Blow Painting

We absolutely love this nature craft and think it is a great artsy way to keep young children entertained during summer break.

82. Leaf Confetti

Children can literally spend hours making this beautiful confetti, all the while exercising their motor skills.

All you need is a simple hole-punch (bonus points if you have the fancy different shape ones) and some fresh leaves right from your backyard.

83. Nature Weaving

We are great fans of this activity. It makes for a perfect summer activity on a warm day.

84. Zentangle Rocks

Kids will love making zentangle rocks that are not just pretty but also work wonderfully well as paperweights.

85. Stone Puzzle

What a fun way to combine nature with puzzles. Simple and easy to make, they are sure to keep your kindergartener busy.

86. Skip Rocks

Reminisce your childhood days with skipping rocks at a nearby pond or lake.

87. Make Mud Pies

Children love this sensorial activity and summer is the best time to make (and bake) mud pies. Let them get messy!

88. Bug Journal

Encourage your kids to look out for bugs and make a bug journal documenting their observations.

This is sure a fun way to learn and spend summer.

89. Leaf Prints

Make leaf prints on a warm summer day and use the paper to wrap a gift.

90. Nature Memory Game

This is such a cute memory game for kids that uses natural materials. Just the right summer activity for kids.

91. Bee Watching

Come summers and bees are buzzing all around you. This time take a closer (and be cautious) look at these gentle insects and try learning about bees!

92. Make Rock Towers

Remember stacking stones atop each other as a child? Bring back forgotten nature activities for kids this season.

93. Leaf Sensory Bag

You can never go wrong with a sensory bag for kids. But this summer, try this nature inspired sensory bag.

94. Natural Scent Jars

Pick up a few herbs from your kitchen garden to make these wonderful Natural scent jars.

Simply place the herbs in different jars and let your child guess which jar has what herb!

95. Leaf Necklace

Use a yarn, a sturdy small twig and fresh leaves for this wonderful fine motor activity.

Tie one end of the yarn to the twig and let your child thread the leaves to make some pretty leaf necklaces.

96. Garden Soup

This summer activity is a super hit with kids.

Summer is the time to indulge in water play! Combine it with natural loose parts and let your kids make a garden soup.

97. Frozen Flowers

Another summer activity that allows children to get wet, this one is so pretty you would want to join in with the kids.

To make frozen flowers, simply freeze some fallen flowers from your garden with water in a muffin tin. Once the ice is set, take them out for a sensory play session.

98. Nature Cutting Tray

Set up a nature-cutting tray for your kids to help them exercise those fingers and practice the essential scissor cutting skills.

This summer activity is certain to keep them busy for hours! Just make sure your kids do not put any of the materials in their mouths and supervise at all times.

99. Nature Montessori Tray

Great for building observation skills, this is a must do summer activity for every preschooler and kindergarteners.

100. Rainstick Bottles

Such a fun activity for kids! This one is sure to keep them entertained.

101. Make a Terrarium

Terrarium is an awesome nature inspired project for kids. It is a great way for kids to learn about plants and habitats.

102. Bird Nest

Challenge kids to make a bird’s nest using the same materials that birds use. Such a fun STEM activity!

103. Nature Sun Catchers

These beautiful Sun catchers are perfect for streaming sunlight in! Just perfect nature craft for kids.

104. Leaf Butterfly

Turn dried leaves into beautiful butterflies and dragonflies with this creative summer craft for kids.

105. Pressed Flowers Bookmarks

Let your little readers make these nature inspired pressed flowers bookmarks for their family and friends. They make such a pretty gift!

106. Birdseed Ornaments

Don’t just wait for winters to show up to make these eye-catching birdseed ornaments. They are real quick, easy-peasy to make and would definitely invite more birds to your yard!

107. Journey Stick

Heading off for a hike or a nature walk? Make sure to make your journey stick on the way…such a fun summer activity!

108. Rock Caterpillar

This rock caterpillar will definitely be the best addition to your garden this summer! Sure to keep kids busy and entertained creatively.

109. Pressed Leaf Art

Make eye-catching masterpieces using leaves or flowers. This summer activity is perfect for preschool and kindergarten.

Summer Arts & Crafts

110. Ice Cube Art

Summer is the time to have fun with ice and this cool summer activity for kids packs in lots of fun (and science!).

111. Pour Painting

Pour painting promises a lot of fun and just the thing to try with kids who are over with the usual artsy stuff.

112. Try Stippling Art

Learn a new art form and give Stippling art a shot! This stunning art form uses pointillism to bring pictures to life and is a great summer activity to prevent boredom.

113. Keep Sketch Pad

Keep a sketchpad for summer and compare how you have honed your skills over the time.

114. Make Shrink Charms

Such a fun way to spend a summer afternoon making these cute charms! This is a must try summer activity.

115. Screaming Cup

Make a screaming cup and experiment with the science of sound. Such a cool STEAM activity for kids to try in summer!

116. Shaving Cream Art

This is such a fun art activity for kids. It allows kids to get messy while creating the art. What could possibly keep kids more entertained?!

117. Sock Puppets

Make some sock puppets to spice up your story sessions.

118. Sand Clay Prints

Why not make sand clay prints of the entire family every summer and watch little hands grow!

119. Squirt Gun Painting

This summer art activity is sure to keep kids happy and busy for hours.

120. DIY Kinetic Sand

This one never fails to entertain kids irrespective of the season. But summers definitely make this messy play special.

121. Make a Scrapbook

Scrapbook is a great art project idea for summers. Let your children unleash their creative side and list down their summer memories in their scrapbooks.

122. Marble Painting

Line an empty shoebox with an art paper. Put in blobs of watercolor on the paper and roll in a few marbles to make this beautiful abstract art.

123. Tie & Dye

This is such a fun summer art activity for every child. Repurpose an old plain t-shirt into a vibrant summer tee.

124. Washi Tape Art

Such a pretty way to make an art and keep kids busy during summer!

125. Weaving

Weaving is such a beautiful craft and is hands-on in teaching kids patience. Great for concentration as well!

126. DIY Spinners

These paper spinners are wonderful at keeping children busy and giving parents the much needed quiet time.

127. Soda Bottle Planters

Give new life to old soda bottles and save the environment from plastic pollution by recycling them into planters. Adult supervision necessary here!

128. Give Paper Mache a Try

Such a great craft to utilise the extra time (and sun!) available in summer! Besides, they also make pretty trinket holders.

129. Paper Hand Fans

Your kids will love making these cute paper hand fans. Simple and easy to make, they are a must try summer craft for kids.

130. Make Play Dough

Playdough is a forever favourite with kids. This summer, help them whip up their own batch of no-cook play dough rather than heading for the store.

131. Hot Air Balloon Craft

There is something about hot air balloons that gets everyone excited. While a ride in a real hot air balloon might not always be doable, this craft surely is.

132. Finger Puppets

Make some finger puppets for imaginative play and let your kids have fun!

133. Paper Flowers

Make a bouquet of paper summer flowers that last long after summers are gone.

134. Kitchen Roll Farm Animals

Such a fun way to recycle an empty kitchen roll tube into farm animals! We bet your kids will love making their own version of farm animals.

135. Pot Painting

Let your kids paint flower pots in summer colors and let out their inner artist.

136. Alphabet Letter Craft

Don’t let summer break lead to learning loss. This cute alphabet letter craft will make sure your preschooler remembers his letters forever!

137. Counting Sticks

Don’t lose track of numbers and get your child interested in maths with this cute counting sticks craft.

138. Zoo Animals

Making these zoo animals will certainly keep your child entertained in summer and work wonders for their creativity.

139. Make a Kite

Summers are perfect for kite flying. This summer instead of buying one, make your own kite.

140. Popsicle Crafts

Who could think popsicles could keep kids busy in summer and far from boredom!

In fact, there are tonnes of crafts you can make with popsicle sticks. From easy-peasy popsicle monsters to a DIY Catapult, the options are endless.

141. Toothpick Crafts

These humble toothpicks can be used to make some real crafty things and real cool STEAM projects as well!

142. Family Tree Craft

Why not utilise summer time to trace family history and make a family tree!

143. Crazy Glasses

Kids will love making these crazy paper glasses and flaunting them!

Cooking Ideas for summers

144. Give Baking a Try

Try baking this summer to keep kids busy and purposefully engaged. Plus, they get to eat the yummy treats they bake.

145. Make Sandwiches

Kids are more likely to eat what they make. Lend them a helping hand and let them learn how to fix their own sandwiches.

146. No Bake Granola Bars

Involve your kids into making these delicious no bake granola bars while inculcating a habit of eating healthy.

147. Lemonade

Let your kids make a pitcher of refreshing lemonade to cool off on a warm summer evening.

148. Ice Lollies

Children just love Ice Lollies! And you know what they love more? Making them! Yes, it can be a little messy but definitely lots of fun.

149. Guacamole

Guacamole is such a healthy dip and so easy to make. Let your kids make this healthy dip for their sandwiches and crackers.

150. Make S’mores

Your kids will never say no to this delicious summer activity! S’mores make a perfect dessert for every occasion.

Time For Fun!

With this mammoth list, we are sure you will find plentiful ideas that will click with your kids and make their (and yours too!) summer fun, entertaining and memorable!

This post may contain Amazon affiliate links, which means that we earn a minuscule (< 5%) commission if you purchase.

The post 150 Fun Summer Activities & Idea For Kids appeared first on KidPillar.