Summer is a-coming! It will be here before we know it, there will be longer days along with the slower change of pace. I know that my kids are looking forward to it, but so am I! However, sometimes it’s a bit of an adjustment to have your kids at home all day, or if you homeschool, it’s an adjustment to your schedule. Your kids love the break from school, but they often quickly get bored. While I’m not an advocate for constantly entertaining your children, I do think it’s a great idea to have some fun things to do in the summer at home.
While there are great ideas out there of fun trips to take or things to do out and about, it’s also nice to just stay home and do fun activities, especially if you tend to be on the introverted side. I don’t love being on the go all the time, so staying home is perfect. Maybe you have some summer projects for yourself but need to have some activities that are a lot of fun for your kids while you work on them. Some of these activities will help keep your kids busy with minimal help from you, which is super helpful.
Fun Things to Do in Summer
Maybe you’re wondering, “What can I do with my kids all summer? What are some fun summer activities?” I have some great suggestions of fun things to do in the summer to keep your summer fun and running smoothly. There’s no doubt about it. These activities are fantastic summer boredom-busters!
Summer schedule for kids
While it may not seem like it, a summer schedule for kids is quite important. Children thrive on routines and knowing what’s happening and when. Not only is routine great for kids, but it’s essential if you want to simplify your life and make things easier for you.
Now, you certainly don’t need to plan out your day hour by hour, but you will want some basics in place. Block schedules are great for summer! For example, depending on where you live, you may want your kids outside in the morning or evening rather than in the afternoon.
Maybe you want your kids to do a certain amount of reading, math, or another educational activity along with their chores before playing video games. What time are your meals? Will you have an afternoon nap/quiet time? Have a plan.
Summer bucket list for kids
If you do want to do some excursions for the whole family or fun family activities, try making a summer bucket list. I wouldn’t try to do these every day unless some of them are at-home activities, but maybe hit up a couple per week throughout the summer. Here are some bucket list ideas for kids if you want to go somewhere during the summer months.
- Get a treat from the ice cream truck.
- Go to a splash pad.
- Go geocaching.
- Volunteer as a family.
- Go to a movie.
- Go to the beach.
- Go bowling as a family.
- Visit a museum.
- Try a new restaurant.
- Attend an art class.
- Go on a road trip.
- Go to a fair.
- Participate in the library’s summer reading program.
- Go to a water park.
- Visit the farmer’s market.
- Go to the zoo.
- Visit a state park.
- Play miniature golf.
- Visit a new local park.
- Go out for ice cream.
- Go to a baseball game.
- Go to the circus.
- Bake treats for the neighbors.
Think outside the box
Perhaps you aren’t able to take your usual family vacation this year, or you just really want to make this summer extra memorable. One way to do that is to think outside the box. Rather than just doing a list of random activities with your kids throughout the summer, make it a bit more memorable by tying your activities to one of the ideas below.
- Summer camp at home. I think this is a fun idea that could be kept simple for younger kids, or you could go all out. You may want to do things here and there throughout the summer or pack it into a week. You can plan “camp” crafts, songs, snacks, field trips, etc. Your kids may even want to camp on the living room floor in sleeping bags or in your own backyard.
- Themes for the day. “Together Tuesday”, “Water Wednesday,” and “Fun Friday” are examples of tying your activities of the day to a theme, or you could just pick a random theme such as flying. Then do activities such as flying a kite, making paper airplanes, and birdwatching. This is such a great way for your family to spend quality time together and really have a great time.
- Themes for the week. You may do a few weekly themes throughout the summer such as an “ocean” theme. During that week you visit the aquarium, make a sea turtle mosaic craft, and have a water balloon fight. Another idea is “on the farm, ” where you would learn about farm animals, visit a petting zoo or 4-H fair, and make ice cream in a bag.
What does the Bible say about the role of a mother? To learn more about being a godly mother, check out these 10 characteristics of a good mother according to the Bible.
Summer Activities for Kids at Home
What can kids do in the summer at home? All right! Let’s jump into some fun things to do in the summer at home. We certainly don’t want to be constantly on the go. A great idea would be to put these ideas on a slip of paper and have your kids pick a couple if they’re bored. Or, you can just print out this FREE printable of summer activities for kids to do at home and refer to it when you get stuck. While these are some of the best summer activities, be sure to add your own list as well.
Fun things to do outside at home
There are so many outdoor summer activities for kids to do! When I was young, we would spend hours and hours outside playing, working (I grew up on a farm), building forts, and exploring. You may not live in the country, but there are still plenty of fun things for kids to do outside no matter where you live. If you live in an apartment, you may need to be a bit more creative or try some of these at the park. Which will your kids love?
- Plant a container garden.
- Go for a bike ride.
- Play with hula hoops.
- Play hopscotch.
- Decorate your driveway or sidewalk with chalk.
- Find a shady spot and read.
- Wash the car.
- Have a picnic.
- Make s’mores.
- Play flashlight tag at night.
- Blow bubbles.
- Run through the sprinkler.
- Have a water balloon fight or play other water games.
- Look for bugs.
- Find shapes in the clouds.
- Pick flowers from your yard.
- Build a fort with outdoor furniture.
- Camp in the backyard.
- Go on a rock hunt.
- Go on a nature scavenger hunt.
- Play hide and seek.
- Climb a tree.
- Run a lemonade stand.
- Create a backyard obstacle course.
- Fly a kite.
- Make a birdhouse.
- Identify the birds in your yard.
- Play Capture the Flag.
- Find constellations.
- Have a water gunfight.
- Host a neighborhood game.
- Make mud pies.
- Grill out for supper.
- Jump on a trampoline.
- Make a water slide.
- Roll down a hill.
- Have relay races.
- Practice a sport.
Indoor fun summer activities
If it gets especially hot where you live or you have some rainy days, you will need some fabulous indoor activities to keep your kids having fun on their summer vacation, even if they’re inside. Some of these treats are perfect for the entire family on a hot afternoon!
- Make root beer floats.
- Make lemonade.
- Eat breakfast for dinner.
- Make friendship bracelets.
- Stay in your pajamas all day.
- Have a movie night.
- Make homemade pizza.
- Make paper airplanes or origami.
- Build a fort.
- Paint rocks and hide them.
- Read some new books.
- Learn to tie shoes.
- Make homemade ice cream.
- Set up an ice cream bar.
- Do some easy science experiments.
- Do a craft.
- Keep a summer journal.
- Do a puzzle.
- Play family board games.
- Bake cookies or another treat.
- Put on a play or puppet show.
- Make popsicles.
- Learn a new game.
- Learn a magic trick.
Summer at Home
No longer do you need to wonder what you can do with your kids all summer at home with these fun ideas. Summer is the perfect time to start new routines, learn a new skill or rediscover old ones, do a summer Bible study with your kids, or just spend extra time building relationships with your family members.
A summer at home definitely doesn’t need to be intimidating. What does your summer look like? What challenges do you have when it comes to summer? Be sure to leave a comment!
You may also find these helpful:
- Summer Bible Study Ideas for Kids
- Ultimate Family Travel Tips
- 45 Brilliant Mom Hacks to Make Life Easier
