The last school bell rings and ecstatic children flee from their classrooms ready to eagerly embrace the unscheduled utopia of summer vacation.
Finally free to run outdoors with the neighbor kids, to play with the toys tossed aside when homework called, or to adventure to all those favorite local spots that took a backseat to extra curricular activities.
Those first few days of freedom are a frenzy and then you hear the dreaded words, “Mom, I’m bored!”.
Be ready with our list of Summer Activities for Kids – Boredom Busters! They are ALL budget friendly and in many cases, totally tech-free.
It’s summer vacation and a quick glance at the calendar reveals – you’ve made it three whole days!
As you contemplate the 10 weeks and two days remaining before school starts again, stay calm. There are plenty of ways to keep both the kids and costs under control for the next two months without resorting to a tech free for all.
Summer Activities for Kids
Shockingly Simple
As parents, we sometimes think that everything we do for our kids has to be a major production.
If we’re going to have fun then it’s gotta be BIG fun. In our minds, this also means BIG price tags such as water parks with steep admissions fees, weekly trips to the movies that include lots of expensive snack bar treats or elaborate family vacations
Surprisingly though, most of the plans our kids are envisioning aren’t nearly as grand.
They find the most joy in the littlest of endeavors like any of the following tech-free summer activities for kids:
- making homemade snow cones
- blowing bubbles
- riding bikes
- drawing with chalk on the sidewalk
- having a dance party
- playing with play-doh
- painting, drawing or using stamps
- board games
- building a fort
- going on a backyard scavenger hunt
- creating with legos
- playing hopscotch
- jumping rope
- having a squirt gun fight
- running through the sprinklers
- looking at the stars
So, the very first time you hear that “B” word this summer, sit down with the crew and let them write down their own list of summer fun wishes.
As ideas like water balloon fights, shaving cream art and picnics at the park are added; you’ll realize that what they consider the biggest bang rarely costs big bucks.
You can also just print out our Summer Activities for Kids – Boredom Busters Printable and hang it on the fridge for a quick reminder.
Home and Happy:
If you, like me, aren’t the most crafty or creative mama, then it’s time to turn to Pinterest.
I know, I know… it gets a bad rep sometimes and without a doubt it can leave you feeling a little overwhelmed.
But it’s not about being Pinterest perfect.
You really can find EASY summer kids activities and educational projects with pictures and step-by-step directions. Really, if I can do some of these, I promise you, so can you!
To save time, there’s a bunch of fun suggestions right here . These are just a few examples I found when I searched for “kids summer activities”:
- Backyard Bowling Alley – fill an assortment of empty plastic bottles with colored water. Line them up, use any ball that you have around the house and let the bowling begin. For a twist, set-up night bowling by putting a glow stick in each of the bottles.
- Balloon Ping Pong
- Exploding Volcanoes
- Toy Car Wash
- Blowing-up Diet Coke with Mentos (yep, really)
Also, if you are willing to make a small investment, there are tons of great outside games you can buy, both nostalgic and new that are great to have on hand for these summer months. We’ve got a full list right here: Fun Games to Play Outside
Looking for more summer boredom busters???
Follow Sunshine and Hurricanes ‘s board Summer Fun for Kids on Pinterest.
Out and About
“Be Present”. We hear this mantra over and over, and then we look at the dishes piling up in the sink or the unfolded laundry, and find ourselves tempted away from the here and now. Stay in the moment by getting out of the house and leaving all the “to dos” behind.
Free and low cost outings are more prevalent than many people realize. Here are a few to get your started, but if you and Google get together I’m certain you’ll find many more.
- We sometimes take our beautiful and budget friendly beaches, lakes, and state parks for granted. Make the adventure fresh by printing out professional sandcastle making tips, a nature scavenger hunt, or even take a handful of dollar store items with you, bury them while your kids aren’t looking and have a treasure hunt.
- Foster a love for reading in your little ones and help older kids maintain their reading levels by taking advantage of the public library. The range of programming includes story times, projects and summer reading clubs. This is also a great place to borrow movies for FREE for rainy days or a little “cool down” time. Barnes and Noble also offers a free Summer Reading program and story times.
- Bowl for Free Programs, register here and your child will enjoy two free games per day all Summer long at participating bowling alleys.
- Roller Skate for FREE – more details HERE
- Avoid the heat and higher ticket prices with After Hours and Other Promotional Discount programs at local attractions.
- Discounted $1 movies are available at many local theaters all summer long, check out Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark for a full schedule and all the details.
Looking for other Summer Activities for Kids?
What are your family’s favorite summer activities for kids?
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