Are you hearing the words “I’m bored!” yet? As we’re already well into summer break, you might be wondering how you are going to keep your kids busy and entertained until school starts again. Look no further. Here is a list of cheap and free activities for kids to do this summer.
Visit a park or splash pad
Meet up with some other parent friends at your local park or splash pad. The kids can have fun playing together and the parents can visit nearby. I like bringing along a picnic lunch and I much prefer meeting with a friend or 2 rather than going by myself with my kids. It helps pass the time.
Put a little splash pad in your backyard
If you don’t have access to a splash pad in your local area, you can purchase one for your backyard. They just hook up to your hose like a sprinkler. You can adjust the height of the water depending how old your kids are and how high they want it. My kids love ours and they will spend hours playing on it on a hot summer day.
Visit your local library
Keep your kids reading during the summer by visiting the library and checking out a few books. Most libraries also have summer reading programs to help give incentive to kids to read. Also check out their audio books to give you and your kids some quiet and relaxing time.
Fence or sidewalk chalk designs
This is a fun activity to do outside and all you need is some sidewalk chalk and painters tape. Use the tape to make designs on your fence or sidewalk and have your kids color inside the tape with chalk. Remove the tape to see your cool design!
Make learning fun
If you want to keep your kids’ knowledge fresh for the next school year, there is a fun online learning program to do that. ABC Mouse is great for kids ages 2-8. Kids can practice their math, reading, spelling and writing skills and ABC Mouse makes it fun! I’d much rather my kids go on this than other video games because I know it’s safe and that they are learning. You can try out ABC Mouse free for 30 days by clicking the link below.
ABC Mouse also has a program for older kids called Adventure Academy.
Have an outdoor movie night
Make movie night fun by having it outdoors under the stars. All you need is a projector and your favorite movie. Set it up to project on the side of your house or on your garage door. Grab some blankets, pillows, your favorite movie snacks and enjoy a night of fun!
Check out kids exercise videos on YouTube
This is one of my kids’ favorite things to do all year round. There are so many different kids exercise videos on YouTube. If your kids are tired of playing outside, but you still would like them to get moving, check out some awesome YouTube videos for inspiration.
Play water balloon games
There are so many fun and different games you can play with water balloons. A good old water balloon toss or water balloon fight. We’ve played one where one team holds a laundry basket between them and the other team has to toss as many water balloons into the basket as they can without breaking them. Another fun one is beach towel volleyball where you use water balloons instead of a ball.
Check out these awesome water balloons. You fill up a bunch of water balloons at one time and then just shake them out into a bucket of water. So much easier than filling up one balloon at a time!
Play zoo bingo
If you decide to take a trip to your local zoo, first check to see if there are any coupons or group discounts you can get. Check the zoo’s website or Groupon. Then make it extra fun and interesting for your kids by playing zoo bingo. Pinterest has these cute little printables and the kids can check off each animal when they see it.
Make homemade popsicles
Who doesn’t love popsicles in the summer? Whether it’s 65 or 95 degrees out, my kids are begging every day to have popsicles. Homemade popsicles are great because you can control the ingredients and amount of sugar you put into them. You can make them with juice, blended fruit, or even yogurt. If your kids are old enough, you can have them help make the popsicles too.
This set of popsicle molds also include recipes.
Here’s to a summer break that is fun, peaceful, and may you never hear “I’m bored!” again with these fun kids activities.
For more ideas on activities to keep you busy check out this post:
