Summer is officially here in Texas, it’s hot and the kids are out of school! I put together a list of 100+ really awesome free things to do with kids this summer. The list is divided into 3 sections: indoor crafts and activities, outdoor crafts and activities and easy food ideas for kids. There is something for every age and interest on this list!
Indoor Crafts and Activities for Kids
1. Ice painting
Liquid watercolor and ice cube trays are all you need for this fun summer craft!
2. Make 4 ingredient slime
Slime is always a winner and there is a decent chance you have all of the ingredients for this slime recipe on hand now. (Contact solution is the one ingredient that is hit or miss, but easy enough to grab at any grocery store.)
3. Spray bottle art
Turn old spray bottles into unique art making tools with water-downed paint.
4. Make rock garden markers
Turn rocks into garden stone masterpeices with a little paint.
6. Read Mister Seahorse
and then make pop corn sea horses
7. No mess painting (Perfect for babies and toddlers!)
10. Dot paintings
11. Crazy circle art
12. Toilet paper tube creatures (One creature for every letter of the alphabet!)
14. Make hand and foot print art
16. Write and send snail mail cards
18. Make a bird feeder with a tp roll
19. Make a magazine page envelope for the snail mail
20. Make pinwheels
23. Make a doorway puppet theatre
24. Make an up-cycled tic tac toe board
28. Decorate an umbrella
29. Make maracas
30. Read the Big Orange Splot and make cereal box houses
36. Take a trip to a pet store
40. Make a washi tape car track
Outdoor Crafts and Activities for kids
42. Trace shadows with chalk
43. Explore a new park or splash pad
46. Doodle on rocks with Sharpie Markers
47. Make a lawn game
48. Visit and tour a fire station
49. Have a backyard picnic and invite friends
50. Play the color game with chalk and outdoor toys
51. Hula hoop, pogo stick, or jump rope
52. Teach the kids how to play 4 square
53. Build stilts
54. Make punk rocks
56. Homemade sprinkler
57. Make and play pool noodle block games
59. Apple printing
60. Have a car wash (with real or toy cars)
61. Play mud spa with a sibling, friend or parent
63. Make a chalk fence mosaic
64. Chalk and trace letters with hose on fence
65. Decorate bikes or scooters
67. Set up a nature scavenger hunt
68. Draw with chalk on the trampoline or fence
69. Make sidewalk chalk obstacle courses
70. Ice excavating
71. Balloon ping pong
All you need for balloon ping pong couple of paper plates, popsicle stiks and balloons! Use a hot glue gun to glue the stick to the paper plate and let the pink bong balloon wars begin!
72. Indoor catch
Use empty milk cartons to make “mitts” and play catch with a tennis ball or ping pong ball.
73. Ice eggs
74. Have a lemonade/rock/ magnet stand
75. Human bubble
76. Invite friends over and play classic outdoor games (Red Rover, Red Light, Green Light, Mother May I?)
78. Make ice cars
79. Set up a tent inside or outside
Easy Food ideas for Kids
80. Make and eat Dragons Love Tacos snacks
82. Make healthy 2 ingredient cookies
83. Make your own ice cream in a zip lock bag
85. Make (and play) with a tangram grilled cheese sandwich!
86. Make Jolly Rancher suckers
87. Teddy bear toast
90. Food faces
92. ABC breadsticks
94. Host a frozen banana buffet
95. Make a 3 ingredient, no bake pie
96. Bake and decorate a heart shaped cake
97. Make banana splits
98. Play the food game (close your eyes, sibling hands you a spoon with something on it, guess what it is)
99. Make fresh lemonade
100. Host a make your own pizza party with friends
101. Invent a new recipe
102. Make root beer floats
103. Animal sandwiches
104. Dr. Seuss pancakes
As a kid, magnet stands and craft projects were my go to boredom busters! What were your favorite things to do as a kid? What are your kids go to activities these days? I’d love to hear…
Comments & Reviews
Thank you for including me in this round up!
Great list! Thanks for putting it together.
Wow! What a GREAT list! I am definitely pinning this in my kid’s board! I have a great recipe on my blog for playdough, here: http://domesticsuperhero.com/2013/03/28/the-best-homemade-playdough-recipe/ Thanks for sharing!!!
these are fantastic. they’ll be perfect while I’m watching my nieces for a month! pinned
FUN ideas Jamie! Thanks for putting this all together 🙂
Pinning now!!
Hi Jamie! Many thanks for the shout out for my umbrella craft! 🙂 Love all the great ideas, God knows I need them to survive the summer.
Thanks for sharing you awesome ideas on the intra webs 🙂
This is a perfect list! Thank you for including my crab soccer!
Wow, what a list! Sounds like a lot I’d like to try 🙂 Thank you for including my popsicles!
Great list. Thanks so much for the link back to my punk rocks! Have a lovely weekend 🙂