100 Rockin Summer Activities For Kids!!!

If you're anything like me, you have kids that rely on YOU to keep them constantly entertained throughout the summer (any season, actually!).  Thank God for the Internet and Pinterest and other more-creative-than-me bloggy moms who have come up with LOADS of awesome ideas for keeping our little ones busy and active throughout these next few months.  The following list is a compilation of the ideas that I've found online (and some that I've come up with on my very own) that I intend to use as the framework for making summer memories with my little monsters.  Stay tuned on Thursdays for the next few months as I highlight these 100 activities in more detail.  For now, here's what The Banana Pants Family will be up to this summer. . .Join the Fun!



1.  Host a Family Carwash










2. Have a picnic and play day at the local park.










3.  Have a Huge Toy Sort and teach your kiddos about donating to charity.










4.  Take your kids on a night walk around the neighborhood with flashlights.










5.  Buy plain white sneakers and paint and decorate them with some summer flair to sport all season.














6. Make some awesome paper plate hats and take loads of fun pictures.








7.  Plant a flower garden.











8. Play catch with water balloons in the backyard. 














9.  Make a magnetic puzzle for tons of fun on the kitchen refrigerator.








10.  Play the Bucket Game with some sandpails, boxes, or pots and pans and rocks.









11. Make a colorful fruit salad.











12.  Host an Alphabet Treasure Hunt in the neighborhood.









13.  Go Bumper Bowling.








14.  Pop in an Exercise Video and work-out with the kiddos.








15. Camp out in the driveway for some sidewalk chalk fun.








16.  Tye Dye T-shirts.

















17.  Take a Gymboree class.  Most offer the first visit FREE!









18.  Make Ice Cream Sundaes with lots of toppings to beat the summer heat.
















19.  Declare a rainy day "BORED DAY" and play as many board games as you have time for!  Some good ones are:  Candyland, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Clue, Guess Who, Chutes and Ladders, Operation, etc.





20.  Make Water-Dropper Art (with vinegar and food-coloring and a pan of baking soda). 









21.  Fly Kites at the park.










22.  Make a backyard obstacle course with cardboard boxes, wading pools, ropes, etc.













23:  Milk Jug Ball Toss











24.  Attend an outdoor concert in the park.










25.  Make a Living Room Race Track.









26. Paint wooden picture frames for a Mother's Day/Father's Day gift.









27.  Balloon Ninjas 












28.  Rock Painting













29.  Homemade Angry Birds with balloons and cardboard boxes.








30.  Teach the kiddos card games like Go Fish and Old Maid.













31.  Surprise an aunt, grandparent, or neighbor with a homemade cookie bouquet.











32.  Go Sledding in Summer.  Find a cardboard box and some big, grassy hill for lots of fun!









33.  Feed the ducks at a local pond.










34.  Have a backyard water gun battle.








35.  Fun with Stensils.











36.  Go on a nature hike.









37.  Playdough creations with cookie cutters.









38.  Find a local splash park.











39.  Teach the kiddos old-fashioned Tic-Tac-Toe with rocks and a towel.














40.  Decorate your own summer shades with fancy designs, construction paper, stickers, and hot glue.













41. Get into the independence day spirit while decorating a cake for the 4th of July!









42.  Go Backyard Bowling.









43.  Balloon Tennis













44.  Plant a small backyard veggie garden.











45.  Have a Sandbox Scavenger Hunt for buried treasure (rocks, army men, matchbox cars, etc.).







46.  Invite the neighbor kids or cousins over for a sleeping bag slumber party.












47.  Make Homemade Pizzas.
















48.  Have a Silly Picture Day

















49.  Have Bathtime fun with Glo-Sticks!














50.  Go Consignment Toy Shopping.










51.  Make Jolly Rancher Pops (in your own oven!) Fab homemade snack!











52.  Footprint Garden Stepping Stones








53.  Catch fire flies at night.











54.  Give Summer Temporary Tattoo (that wash off in the bath or swimming pool).
















55.  Sponge Ball Tag (with buckets of water and ordinary kitchen sponges in the backyard).















56. Clean out your closets and compile a stack of dress-up clothes for the kiddos.















57. Teach your kids about the needy in the area by volunteering (at a homeless shelter, Habitat for Humanity, or soup kitchen).









58.  Indoor Hopscotch with pillows and tape.












59. Paper Plate Hop (Don't touch the floor!)










60.  Go see a Family Movie (Loads of theatres offer discounted rates in the summer for kid's classics).











61.  Make Edible Necklaces.




















62.  Cloud Watching








63.  Go visit a Library or Bookstore for a public storytime.










64.  Make a Hallway Fort.














65.  Make Milk Carton Bird Feeders.










66.  Visit the Zoo.











67.  Shaving Cream Painting.










68.  Backyard Camp-Out.








69.  Make Collage Art using old magazines.












70.  Have an Ice Tray Lunch.










71.  Make Sock Puppets.











72.  Heated Crayon Art.











73.  Visit a local Museum.











74.  Bathtub Painting (shaving cream and food coloring).










75.  Surprise a grandparent or someone special for lunch.









76.  Make an Edible Dirt & Worm Snack (with oreos, gummy worms, and chocolate pudding).
















77.  Make Homemade Cork Stamps.

















78.  Encourage summer reading with a Bookworm Board Game!













79.  Declare a Pajama Day and go about your normal day's errands in your PJ's!









80.  Visit a local Farmer's Market.








81.  Go Garage Sale Shopping.









82.  Spend an evening at a real Drive-In Theatre.










83.  Make your own Homemade Photo Puzzle.










84.  Spend an hour cleaning up a local park.









85.  Family Photo Memory Game.












86.  Visit a local Farm/Petting Zoo and aquaint the kiddos with animals.













87.  Have some Watercolor Fun Outdoors.










88.  Use some toilet paper and TP the Toyroom!












89. Make a Homemade Boat out of milk cartons.









90.  Make Fun Fruity Summer Drinks in the blender.  Let the kids pick the ingredients.














91.  Play Digital Hot Potato!  (Pull out a camera with a timer for this twist on a classic party game that produces priceless keepsakes.)











92.  Make a Backyard Monster Mural.













93.  Visit a Waterpark.










94.  Make a Rainbow Sensory Rice Table and bring the beach indoors!













95.  Host a Hawaiian Luaii in your backyard.







96.  Make up your own game of BINGO based on common words in your favorite movie. Then watch it together and see who wins the most!








97.  Spend a day Traveling The World with your kids, talking all about the different countries and cultures and snacking on foods from the various countries you learn about.











98.  Ding Dong Ditch a neighbor (or two) with a gift.












99. Play the Color Dot Relay Game  (See who can place the most dots of their designated color on household objects in 30 sec).











100.  Make a Homemade Music Video

15 comments:

  1. This is great! I will definitely be using the bookworm board game idea at my summer camp. Thanks!

    corduroysbutton.wordpress.com

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  2. Wow that is one list that will sure make us all enjoy summer. thank you!

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  3. Thank you so much for this wonderful list! I am your newest follower & can't wait to see what you have to share!!
    ~Heather

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  4. I love this list! Mind if I share it on Pinterest?

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  5. Great fun - Great Ideas !

    Your new follower

    Miss Mary

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  6. Love this list and I even shared a link to it today on my blog as part of a summer buck list inspiration post. Thanks for all of the great ideas!

    http://sunrisesomewhere.com/2012/05/29/a-family-summer-bucket-list/

    Devin

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  7. very orginal list... sometimes I feel like we have done it all, but your list really does ROCK!

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  8. Thank you so much! I get to babysit a great kid this summer, and I needed a few more ideas. Keep up the good work!

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  9. This is a really great post that I think most parents would appreciate. i think they often forget they can join in the fun outside while everyone gets exercise, for free!
    I'm writing on behalf of the KEEN Recess Team. We inspire both kids and adults to take a break from daily routines and get outside, create their own playground. Our montra is to create a recess.
    Thank you for encouraging other families to take advantage of the great outdoors!

    Best,
    KEEN Recess Team

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  10. Totally wish I'd found this in June!!!! Great ideas especially for a tired mom mind. Only 12 days until school starts.

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  11. I'm the catalog designer for a publishing company. I'm working on our summer issue now. We like to include "content" pages with craft ideas. May I have your permission to use pictures 29, 32, 64, and 78? (We found this on Pinterest and repined it to one of our boards.) I'll include a link to your page so you get credit.
    Thank you,
    Angela Decker
    Catalog designer for Books & Things: Especially for Families (owned by Cedar Fort Publishing)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The summer catalog will be online and we hope to get it up June 1, so if you could reply this week that would be great. Thank you,

      Angela Decker
      Cedar Fort, Inc. | Catalog Designer
      adecker@cedarfort.com

      www.cedarfort.com
      www.cedarfortbooks.com
      www.facebook.com/cedarfortbooks

      Delete
  12. LOVE your 100 Rockin Summer Activities for Kids!! Thanks for sharing!! :) Stopping by to let you know that you've been featured in my blog post today as one of my favorite Summer Fun pins!: http://www.chattingoverchocolate.com/2013/06/pinteresting-ideas-for-summer-fun-with.html
    ... Wishes for a fabulous Summer for you and your family!! :*)

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  13. Thank you! Our kids are having fun and learning new things . This looks like so much fun for them.

    Kids' education Disabilities

    ReplyDelete