We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. This helps support what we do and in no way costs you a thing.
Summer break can be a great time to go crazy spend time bonding with your lovely children, but after a week or so, I bet you’re going to start running out of ideas as I did! It’s a good idea to scour Pinterest for summer fun after you try some of the ones on my list. I would love it if you’d leave some of your own summer fun ideas in the comments below. I could always use a few more to add to my list… kids get bored so easily.
How to Keep Kids Busy This Summer
Keeping kids busy all summer starts with a nicely laid plan. Now of course that plan probably won’t work out exactly how you imagine it, but it’s good to have at least an outline of some of the things you want to get accomplished this summer! Start by creating a summer bucket list, and let the kids help add things to it. Here are some of the things we’re putting on ours:
Outside Fun
Nature walks are so much fun, and a great way to learn while enjoying the outdoors. Take a nature walk as a family, or even invite a few friends! While on your nature walk, collect rocks to decorate when you get home. After you get back home, make a sweet bird feeder for the little birdies around your house.
Geocaching. Have you heard of it? If not, you’re missing out. Geocaching is part treasure hunt, part learning adventure.
Fairy gardens are a magical way to enjoy summer for boys and girls alike. Choose a container, accessorize, and choose a safe location. Try creating a zen garden if you have older children or are looking for a more grown-up version of a fairy garden.
Bubbles. Let me be more specific: giant bubbles. ‘Nuff said.
Younger kids will truly enjoy having soap boat races, while older kids will
Sidewalk fun. I love drawing with sidewalk chalk right alongside the kiddos, but I think my absolute new favorite thing is frozen sidewalk chalksicles. Okay, so I totally made that term up, but check out the frozen popsicle chalk tutorial and get back to me. Isn’t it the coolest thing ever?
Create a race car track out of a pool noodle, which you can easily grab for a buck at the dollar store (the cars, too).
Have a water balloon fight. Buy water balloons from the dollar store, or you could use sponges and create sponge water bombs, too. These are fun and won’t leave any mess behind like balloons do.
Create a Kid’s Car Wash. Sprinklers are fun, but sprinklers turned into a car wash? Ohhhh yeah! You’ll need PVC pipes and a few other supplies. This kid’s car wash seems pretty simple to put together, and will provide an entire summer of outdoor fun for kiddos of all ages.
Another neat project using PVC pipe is this Summer Reading Teepee. If you’re handy, it’ll take less than an hour to put together and the kids can enjoy it all summer long.
Indoor Fun
Depending on where you live, summer days can get too hot to handle. Stay cool inside without getting bored:
Try this list of 62 craft ideas from Care.com to keep you busy for a long while!
Field Trip Fun
Oh, the places we’ll go! Field trips are so much fun, especially during the summer time. Some of our favorite places include: the library, parks, lakes, the zoo, local farms, farmer’s markets, and food truck events. If you’re a home-schooler, you can turn any of these field trips into an educational experience very easily!
Volunteer. There are so many ways you can volunteer with kids. Start with local nursing homes and food pantries. Check with your church to see if there are any volunteer opportunities for your family.
The best way to enjoy your summer with your kids is to unplug. Turn your cell phone off – or at least put it on silent – and be present. You’ll make it a memorable summer just by hanging out with them, even if all of your plans fall through. Trust me on this one… they want time with Mom more than they want anything else!
Leave your summer boredom busters in the comments!
