100 Fun Summer Activities for Kids and Parents

Summer is the perfect time to create lasting memories with your children without breaking the bank. From outdoor adventures to creative indoor projects, these 100 activities will keep your kids entertained and learning throughout the sunny season.

Nature Summer Activities for Kids

Maximize those long, sunny days by immersing in nature with these fun activities. Remember to bring sunscreen and bug spray!

1. Bird Watching: Capture photos and track your sightings using an app or guidebook to identify the birds.
2. Herb Gardening: Grow fresh herbs in containers made from household items like coffee cans or mason jars.
3. Cloud Watching: Lay on a blanket and find shapes in the clouds, taking turns to describe them.
4. Bird Feeder Making: Craft feeders to attract and observe birds in your yard.
5. Fairy Houses: Create tiny homes using natural materials like moss and bark.
6. Pick-Your-Own Farms: Visit local farms to pick fruits, vegetables, or flowers.
7. Butterfly Garden: Plant flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, turning your garden into a wildlife habitat.

Rainy Day Activities for Summer

Don’t let the rain dampen your spirits! Here are some engaging indoor activities for those wet days.

1. Movie Marathon: Enjoy a day of movies with popcorn and plenty of snuggles.
2. Fort Building: Use pillows or cardboard boxes to create an epic fort.
3. Lego Projects: Build a Lego castle as a family project, adding to it throughout the summer.
4. Indoor Camping: Have a family slumber party with sleeping bags on the floor.
5. Hairdos: Experiment with new, fun hairstyles using non-permanent colors.
6. Origami: Craft animals and shapes from paper and give them as gifts.
7. Breakfast in Bed: Take turns serving and being served breakfast in bed.
8. Marble Races: Race marbles down a track made from a pool noodle.
9. Time Capsule: Create a family time capsule with notes and unique items to open in the future.
10. Paper Airplanes: Compete to see whose airplane flies the farthest.
11. Card Games: Enjoy classic games like Crazy Eights, Fish, or Poker.
12. Charades: Turn your summer adventures into a fun game of charades.
13. Furniture Rearrangement: Plan and rearrange the furniture in a room together.
14. Home Projects: Tackle a home project, like organizing the garage, as a family.

Local Sites for Families to Visit

Make the most of your local area with these fun and educational outings.

1. Diner Counter: Enjoy a meal at a classic diner.
2. Free Concerts: Discover local concerts and nurture a love for music.
3. Demolition Derby: Witness the excitement of a demolition derby.
4. Flea Markets: Hunt for treasures at flea markets or garage sales.
5. Local Carnival: Enjoy rides, games, and sugary treats at a local carnival or fair.
6. Picnics: Have a picnic at a park, playground, or even in your backyard.
7. Theatrical Performances: Attend a puppet, community theater, or a touring Broadway show.
8. Matinee Movies: Catch an afternoon movie at a bargain theater.
9. Road Trips: Take a day trip to explore a nearby city.
10. Minor League Baseball: Enjoy a family-friendly minor league baseball game.
11. Historic Sites: Visit local historic houses or farms to learn about the past.
12. Farmers’ Markets: Savor fresh, local produce and treats at a farmers’ market.

Summer Activities for Kids that Exercise Their Brains

Keep the learning going over the summer with these brain-boosting activities.

1. Brainteasers: Challenge your minds with brainteaser games.
2. Riddles: Enjoy a book of riddles and try writing your own.
3. Summer Homework: Get a head start on summer homework assignments.
4. Puzzle Races: Race to complete 100-piece puzzles.
5. Family Interviews: Document family history by interviewing older relatives.
6. Reading Clubs: Join a summer reading club or create your own.
7. New Skills: Learn something new together, like juggling or playing an instrument.
8. Chapter Books: Read a chapter book aloud as a family.
9. Science Experiments: Conduct fun science experiments at home or visit a museum.
10. Comic Books: Write and illustrate your comic books.
11. Journaling: Keep a daily journal or bullet journal to document summer highlights.

Artsy Summer Activities for Kids

Unleash your child’s creativity with these artistic endeavors.

1. Rock Painting: Paint rocks to use as garden ornaments or gifts.
2. Summer Mural: Create a family mural on a large piece of paper, adding to it throughout the summer.
3. Sidewalk Chalk: Decorate your walkways with colorful chalk drawings.
4. Sketch Diary: Keep a summer sketch diary and share your drawings.
5. Photoshoots: Plan photoshoots with different outfits and poses.
6. Music Making: Play traditional instruments or make your own.
7. Playdough: Make homemade playdough for endless molding fun.
8. Clay Projects: Create and bake clay sculptures.
9. Pressed Flowers: Make pressed flower pictures with wax paper.
10. Dramatic Performances: Put on a play or do improv with homemade costumes.
11. Beading: Create jewelry or decorations with beads.

Summer Activities for Kids that Promote Exercise

Keep your kids active and healthy with these physical activities.

1. Water Blobs: Create water blobs from plastic sheeting and duct tape for outdoor fun.
2. Obstacle Courses: Build a backyard obstacle course and time each other.
3. Tree Climbing: Safely climb trees for a natural adventure.
4. Kite Flying: Fly kites in an open field.
5. Fishing: Spend a day fishing at a local pond or lake.
6. Bubble Gum Contest: See who can blow the most giant bubble.
7. Water Balloon Baseball: Play baseball with water balloons for a refreshing twist.
8. Water Gun Races: Race cups along a string using squirt guns.
9. Hula Hooping: Have a hoop contest to see who can hoop the longest.
10. Jump Rope: Jump rope solo or together, singing rhymes as you go.
11. Park Activities: Take advantage of local park activities.
12. Canoeing: Rent a canoe and paddle around a local lake.
13. Balloon Tennis: Play tennis with balloons and homemade paddles.
14. Lawn Games: Try croquet, bocce ball, or HORSE.
15. Miniature Golf: Play at a local mini-golf course or create your own.
16. Rain Play: Embrace the rain by playing outside and making mud pies.
17. Backyard Games: Organize games like kickball, frisbee, and tag.
18. Badminton: Set up a badminton net for family tournaments.
19. Hiking: Explore nearby trails on foot.
20. Biking: Go on family bike rides.
21. Stone Skipping: Teach the kids to skip stones at a local pond.

Nighttime Summer Fun

Enjoy the cool evenings with these nighttime activities.

1. Backyard Camping: Set up a tent and sleep under the stars.
2. Lightning Bug Catching: Catch and release lightning bugs.
3. Drive-In Movies: Experience a classic drive-in movie.
4. Bonfires: Roast marshmallows and make s’mores.
5. Outdoor Movie Nights: Project a movie in your backyard for a cozy night.
6. Audiobooks: Listen to audiobooks under the stars.
7. Stargazing: Spend an evening stargazing and identifying constellations.

Summer Activities for Kids and Their Friends

Strengthen social bonds and enjoy group activities with friends and family.

1. Cookie Baking: Bake cookies and deliver them to a neighbor.
2. Treasure Hunts: Organize a scavenger hunt or photo hunt around town.
3. Backward Day: Have a day where everything is done backward.
4. Backyard Cookout: Host a cookout with a burger bar or sundae station.
5. Board Game Night: Invite friends over for a night of board games.
6. Sleepovers: Host a sleepover with movies, games, and snacks.
7. Playground Meetups: Regularly meet friends at the playground or pool.
8. Neighborhood Garage Sale: Organize a garage sale to make extra cash.
9. Virtual Family Chats: Video call relatives to share summer adventures.
10. Nursing Home Visits: Spend time with residents playing games or singing songs.

Cooking Projects for Kids

Introduce your kids to cooking with these fun and educational projects.

1. Homemade Pizzas: Let kids choose their toppings and help with the prep.
2. Kids Cook Dinner: Encourage them to plan, shop for, and cook a meal.
3. Fresh Lemonade: Make and sell fresh lemonade.
4. Smoothies: Blend healthy smoothies with fresh ingredients.
5. Cake Decorating: Practice decorating cakes with fun themes.
6. Chocolates: Create chocolates with molds.
7. Potato Chips: Make homemade potato chips in the microwave.
8. Ice Cream: Make ice cream in baggies by shaking them.
9. Cooking Shows: Watch cooking shows for inspiration and try the recipes together.

Water Summer Activities for Kids

Cool off with these refreshing water-based activities.

1. Swimming: Spend a day at the pool, pond, lake, or beach.
2. Boogie Boarding: Try boogie boarding at the beach.
3. Water Gun Fights: Have an epic water gun battle.
4. Slip and Slide: Set up a slip and slide in your yard.
5. Sprinkler Play: Run through the sprinklers to cool off.
6. Homemade Splash Pad: Use a hose to create your splash pad.