Summer is in full swing, and I’m here with 31 ideas to keep boredom at bay and invite connection with your kids.
1. Playing with sand is always a fun summer activity. A sandbox is a great way to keep children entertained. You can get covered sandboxes or buy a child’s tent and fill with play sand. It keeps them cool in the shade and you can zip it up to keep critters out. Brilliant!
2. While you’re in the sandbox, use a bit of food coloring to decorate your castles and shapes! Art mixed with play!
3. Make a fireworks craft for Independence Day, like this glitter and glue fireworks picture from Family Crafts.
4. Try one of these great Fourth of July crafts!
5. Take books to the park and read under a shade tree.
6. Make these homemade gigantic bubbles from Happy Hooligans!
7. Try a new sport, like volleyball or tennis.
8. Have a clothesline art show like this one from Family Education.
9. Go old school and just dig in the dirt or make mud pies. Decorate them with flowers!
10. Take binoculars on a hike to watch the wildlife.
11. Grab some old kids’ clothes and sidewalk chalk. Draw people with the chalk and use them as “paper dolls.” Dress them up with the clothes!
12. Fill squirt guns with colored water and make squirt gun art. Aim at a white poster board!
13. Make colored ice blocks to build with. Try these from Where Imagination Grows.
14. Super hot day? Choose one of these ice or water activities.
15. Make a car wash for toy cars. Just fill a bin with soapy water, add in toy cars (or small animal toys) and a sponge plus a scoop.
More summer activities
16. Create a nature journal bag. Instructions here.
17. Break out one these easy-to-make summer boredom buster bags.
18. Play Tic Tac Toe with sidewalk chalk and rocks.
19. Visit a local festival. There are usually plenty of happenings in July!
20. Get in a tent or under some covers with a flashlight and read a semi-scary story! We’re enjoying the Goosebumps books right now!
21. Make use of a rainy day by creating a photo book together.
22. Pretend play doctor’s office or pet shop.
23. Go see the fireworks show in your local town for the 4th!
24. Visit a petting zoo or aquarium.
25. Go to your local science museum or planetarium.
26. Paint with scratch and sniff watercolors. Instructions here at Learn. Create. Love.
27. Pretend play detectives. Make clues for the kids to follow!
28. Put sparklers in playdough cups to protect little hands. The playdough holds them in place and kids hold the cups!
29. Visit an amusement park! That’s always a great summer memory!
30. Try this picnic drawing activity from The Inspired Treehouse.
31. Catch fireflies in a glass jar and watch them glow. Read your child these facts about fireflies.