50 summer activities for kids

When the school bell stops ringing and the sun starts shining a little too aggressively, every parent hears the same dreaded phrase: "I'm boooored." Fear not. Here's your summer sanity saver—a list of 50 activities that will keep kids entertained, moving, and maybe even learning a thing or two. No glitter required (unless you're into that).

1. Build a backyard fort

Give those couch-cushion architects a new challenge with outdoor materials. Use cardboard boxes, old sheets, and garden chairs to create a hideaway fit for royalty or pirates.

2. DIY sidewalk chalk paint

Because regular chalk is so last summer. Mix cornstarch, water, and food coloring to make paint. Use paintbrushes to decorate the driveway.

3. Play summer-themed bingo

A classic that never goes out of style. Play with our pre-made summer bingo card or create bingo cards with summer-themed items. Use buttons or snacks as markers.

4. Make a lemonade stand

The classic first taste of entrepreneurship. Help kids design a sign, mix up a batch of lemonade, and handle the (pretend or real) money.

5. Go on a nature scavenger hunt

Turn a walk into a quest. Write a list of items (feather, pinecone, ant, etc.) and have kids check them off during a park stroll.

6. Create a mini-golf course

Tee time, kiddie-style.
Design crazy obstacles with pool noodles, cardboard, and stuffed animals. Then grab a plastic club and putt your way through the living room safari.

7. Host a backyard Olympics

Because every kid deserves a gold medal in hopping. Set up silly events like sack races, spoon-egg runs, and three-legged races.

8. Camp in the backyard

Camping without the bear risk. Pitch a tent, roast marshmallows, and tell spooky stories under the stars.

9. Make a time capsule

Memories from the summer of now. Let kids collect mementos, write letters to their future selves, and bury or store the capsule.

10. Try a no-bake cooking session

Turn snack time into showtime.
Let kids take charge with easy recipes like yogurt parfaits, trail mix, or chocolate-dipped bananas. Bonus: no one has to touch the oven.

11. Build LEGO landmarks

Take those blocks global. Challenge kids to build famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben using only LEGO bricks.

12. Create an obstacle course

Channel your inner ninja warrior. Set up cones, cushions, hula hoops, and have kids time themselves running through.

13. Try rock painting

Because rocks deserve some flair. Use acrylic paints to decorate rocks with faces, animals, or positive messages.

14. Visit a farmer's market

Turn errands into an adventure. Give kids a small budget and let them pick a fruit or veg they’ve never tried before.

15. Make homemade popsicles

Cool treat, hot day, happy kids. Blend fruit with juice or yogurt, pour into molds, and freeze.

16. Create your own board game

Bored? Make a board. Let kids invent rules, design game boards, and test them out with family.

17. Write and perform a play

Tiny thespians unite. Help kids script a short play, create costumes from dress-up clothes, and put on a show.

18. Go stargazing

Catch a falling star without the bedtime guilt. Use a stargazing app to spot constellations, then lie on a blanket and look up.

19. Make a fairy garden

Add some magic to your flower bed. Use small plants, stones, and dollhouse furniture to create tiny mystical habitats.

20. Build a bird feeder

Because birds like snacks too. Use a toilet paper roll, cover it in peanut butter, roll in birdseed, and hang it outside.

21. Try tie-dye

Warning: it will get messy. Twist t-shirts or socks, bind with rubber bands, then dye in vibrant colors.

22. Play beach bingo

Bingo, but with sand in your toes. Create bingo cards with beachy finds like seashells, sunglasses, sandcastles, and flip-flops—or use our pre-made beach bingo card. First one to spot five in a row shouts "Bingo!" and earns a celebratory splash.

23. Have a water gun painting session

Because art should never be dry.
Fill squirt guns with diluted paint, set up canvases or sheets outside, and let kids spray their way to modern art glory.

24. Visit the library

Not just for rainy days. Let kids join a summer reading challenge or pick books for a themed reading week.

25. Make sun catchers

Capture sunlight and turn it into art.
Cut shapes from clear contact paper or paper plates, add colorful tissue paper pieces, then hang them in the window and watch the rainbow magic unfold.

26. Try geocaching

GPS plus snacks equals an epic afternoon.
Download a geocaching app and start hunting for hidden “caches” around your neighborhood. It’s part adventure, part detective work, all fun.

27. Make a movie

Lights, camera, snack breaks.
Write a silly script, cast stuffed animals or siblings, and direct your own mini film. Add special effects with a phone editing app. Premieres in the living room!

28. Plant a veggie garden

A lesson in patience and dirt. Give kids a small patch or planter and let them tend to easy crops like tomatoes or carrots.

29. Create a summer journal

A scrapbook meets a diary. Let kids draw, write, and paste mementos into a notebook each day.

30. Host a themed dress-up day

Why wait for Halloween? Pick a theme (pirates, superheroes, animals) and go all out with costumes and games.

31. Try origami

Fold your way to peace and quiet. Start with simple shapes like cranes or boats using colored paper.

32. Have a backyard picnic

Gourmet dining, minus the reservations. Pack sandwiches, fruit, and lemonade, then eat outside on a blanket.

33. Make a rain gauge

Weather nerds, rejoice. Use a plastic bottle, mark measurements, and track rainfall over the week.

34. Host a toy wash

Give those grubby toys a spa day. Set up soapy water buckets, scrub brushes, and towels for drying.

35. Create a bubble station

Blow away boredom. Mix dish soap and water, then use different shaped wands for fun bubbles.

36. Build a Rube Goldberg machine

Cause and effect has never been so fun. Use marbles, dominoes, and cardboard to make an elaborate chain reaction.

37. Visit a local museum

Because learning can be air-conditioned. Pick a hands-on or kid-friendly museum and turn curiosity loose.

38. Make sock puppets

When you can't find the matching sock, give it a face. Use googly eyes, felt, and glue to create characters, then put on a puppet show.

39. Try indoor camping

S'mores without the bugs. Set up tents or blankets indoors, tell stories, and pretend you’re in the wild.

40. Learn a magic trick

Prepare to be amazed. Start with simple tricks using cards, coins, or cups found at home.

41. Create a summer bucket list

Let kids dream big. Write down 10 things they want to do before the summer ends and start ticking them off.

42. Paint with nature

Take a walk on the wild art side.
Gather leaves, flowers, pinecones—whatever nature offers. Dip them in paint and stamp or swirl them on paper for earthy masterpieces.

43. Make a wind chime

Tired of hearing “I’m bored”? Let the wind do the talking.
Collect things that jingle—old keys, shells, beads, even bottle caps. Tie them to a stick or embroidery hoop with string and hang it where the breeze can reach.

44. Have a dance party

Living room rave, 2 p.m. sharp. Make a playlist, crank up the volume, and let loose.

45. Set up a car wash

Break out the sponges, buckets, and hose. Kids can scrub down bikes, scooters, or even the dog (if they’re brave). Don’t forget the “Now Open!” sign.

46. Learn a new card game

Because Uno isn't the only card game on the block.
Grab a standard deck and teach the classics—or invent your own wild rules. Winner gets the last popsicle.

47. Try balloon tennis

Perfect for tiny Wimbledon hopefuls.
Make rackets from paper plates and wooden spoons, inflate a balloon, and start a slow-motion rally in the hallway or yard.

48. Make a kite

Because windy days deserve attention. Use paper, string, and sticks to create simple kites and test them out at the park.

49. Design your own T-shirt

Because your wardrobe needs more dinosaurs in sunglasses.
Let kids sketch out ideas, then use fabric markers or iron-on transfers to make wearable masterpieces.

50. Water balloon baseball

It’s baseball, but wetter. Fill up balloons with water, pitch them underhand, and let kids swing away. Spoiler: everyone gets soaked.

Conclusion

Summer doesn't have to be a three-month marathon of screen time and snack requests. With a little creativity (and maybe a hose), you can keep your kids engaged, laughing, and off the couch. And if you want to spice things up, our bingo card generator makes it easy to customize bingo cards for any of these activities—even host online games for the whole neighborhood. Now that's a summer win.