30 Easy Summer Activities for Kids to Keep Your Crew Entertained All Season Long
Bubbles to the rescue!
Whining? Not in your house. Keep the kids busy (and happy) with easy-to-prep summer activities for kids. You can keep them occupied with DIY crafts, and get their creativity flowing. You can try staging some backyard games and lawn games, and see if you can coax out their natural competitive natures. You can put out some outdoor toys and hope they play long enough for them to get their vitamin D fixes. And you can try these fun, warm-weather activities that combine a little bit of all of the above.
One of the most versatile (and cool) tools in your summertime arsenal is ice: you can use it as a canvas for paint, turn it into sidewalk chalk, or even use it to make some delicious DIY treats. If you need some more ways to cool off, there are also DIY water-balloon alternatives. Other ideas get kids to use nature in new, creative ways. And there are a million ways to get them painting outside, including — our favorite — one that involves squirt guns. By the end of the summer, they'll stop bugging you for more screen time.
Cactus Rock Garden
It's the best of all worlds: a cactus garden that doesn't prick your finger, is super-cute (love those googly eyes!), and is entertaining to create. Plus, scouting rocks gives you an excuse to go on an outdoor adventure.
Get the tutorial from The Best Ideas for Kids »
RELATED: Backyard Games for Kids That Will Get the Whole Family up and Moving
Squirt Gun Painting
This art project may turn into an epic water gun fight, but that's why washable paint exists. It's perfect for kids who think that regular painting isn't action-packed enough.
Color Coded Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt that only requires scribbling in different colors on a piece of paper? Sign us up.
Get the tutorial from I Heart Crafty Things »
RELATED: Fun Scavenger Hunt Ideas to Keep Your Kids Guessing
Critter Crudités
Is it just us, or do kids need constant snacks in the summer? Combining snack time with a cute craft kills two birds with one stone, keeping them entertained and fed.
Crepe Paper Gardens
It's amazing what a simple pattern, some double-sided crepe paper and floral wire can do — summer blooms come and go but these paper bouquets are forever.
Get the tutorial for Crepe Paper Bouquet »
RELATED: These 50 Fun DIY Activities for Kids Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours
Pool Noodle Obstacle Course
You don't even need a pool to have some fun with pool noodles. Little ones can crawl through, jump over, and slide under their own obstacle courses at home.
Ice Cream in a Bag
Toss a few ingredients in a Ziploc bag, make sure it's totally sealed, and hand it over to the kids. They can shake it for about 10 minutes and then — voila — ice cream for everyone! It tastes better when you make them work for it.
Cotton Ball Painting
If you hate rinsing off brushes with endless layers of caked paint, this cotton ball and clothespin project is perfect for your kids' summer playtime. Just toss when they're done!
Spiky Sponge
When the weather gets hot, make these "spiky sponges," fill them with water, and let them fly! They're less messy to clean up than water balloons (and re-usable, too).
Sidewalk Splat Painting
The driveway is simply a canvas for neon artwork (and a playground for little ones). The secret: You fill the balloons with sidewalk chalk.
Moon Sand
This three-ingredient "sand" — made with corn starch, coconut oil, and food coloring — is super soft, moldable, and long-lasting. Just be sure to put down a plastic sheet (it's messy!) before you let the kids have at it.
Bubble Blower Painting
Blowing bubbles and painting are two fun summer activities the kids already love. Why not combine them?
Watermelon Volcano
Put a summertime twist on the classic baking-soda-and-vinegar volcano by using a watermelon as the base! Now that's a dramatic eruption.
Fruit & Yogurt Swirl Pops
Who needs the ice cream truck? These so-sweet bars get their classic shape from popsicle molds and their creaminess from vanilla yogurt.
Fingerprint Painting Pineapple
For young ones who haven't yet mastered their brush techniques finger paint crafts are the way to go. This cute thumb-print pineapple turns their handprints into a summertime treat.
Star Crystals
These pipe-cleaner stars are sure to wow kids — just be sure to make it clear that they're not rock candy! And reminder: Whenever working with Borax, do an allergy test and keep an eye on young kids.
Chalk Ice
This is a cool, fun project and way to use up all the remnants of old pieces of sidewalk chalk. Tip: If you wet the sidewalk first, the chalk ice works better.
Beach Ball Bath Bombs
Rinse off salt and sand with a beach-inspired bath bomb — they just might help get the kids in and out of the bath on those long summer nights.
Ice Painting
Your toddler will be totally fascinated watching the color and water mix. Looking for another twist on this idea? Put food coloring in some of the cubes before you freeze them.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
Skip the cookies, and sandwich ice cream between two decadent layers of cookie dough (egg-free, of course!) instead.
Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping, where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion. She also has a soft spot for feel-good TV, so you can catch her writing about popular shows like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart and more.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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