25 Summer Activities for Families
(free summer activities list printable)
These summer activities for families with a free summer activities list printable bingo card with keep your kids from saying "I'm bored." These free or cheap summer activities for the family are perfect for warm weather but also include at home indoor activities too. They are fun, but also meant to stimulate creativity and include STEM activities as well. I am often solo parenting my two boys ages 5 and 8 during the summer, because my husband is a police officer and works long hours. I like to plan an outing or one fun activity a day to keep my boys and me from becoming that dreaded “bored” feeling.
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Summer Activities List Printable
My boys and I like to make a summer bucket list. I see this summer bingo summer activities list printable as an additional list of things to do when we do not have any other ideas on a certain day or week. We usually have our bucket list and this bingo handout on our fridge low enough for my boys to see and read. Print the PDF printable or take a screenshot of it on your cell phone. Share the screenshot and tag me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook @heelsandholster.
You can grab this free printable by filling out the form.
#1 Family Summer Activities- a Scavenger Hunt
The best scavenger hunt I have ever created for my boys was a dinosaur themed hunt. I actually planned ahead and hid (fake) dinosaur bones and eggs around the neighborhood. I actually had my boys create a map of the neighborhood and then I marked an “X” on their map where the items were hidden. It was such a blast! If you don’t want to create your own, check out these scavenger hunt printables on Etsy.
#2 Summer Activities Family-Zoo Day
The local Zoos don’t seem to ever get old even as my boys have grown from toddlers to school age children. You can even integrate the idea above and add a scavenger hunt for your children to find certain animals at the zoo and mark them off their list. Also, be sure to look at your local zoo’s website for summer activities for children. For example, our local zoo has Saturday morning art and crafts for kids. That will add something new to look forward to for your children.
#3 Summer Activities with Family-Make Frozen Fruit in Ice Cream Cones
This was a hit last summer when I tried it for the first time at my son’s August birthday party. We were having a partial pool party and I saw the idea on pinterest. Chop up fruit into small bite size pieces that your children enjoy and freeze them in a freezable plastic baggie. Then, buy ice cream cones. We got our cones from Trader Joe’s.
When you’re ready to eat, take the fruit with you in a cooler with an ice pack. The fruit with melt slightly, but this is okay. Use a spoon to scoop the fruit out of the baggie and place it in the ice cream cone. This is a healthy option for a summer treat! The picture shows adding ice cream, but that is not necessary. Fruit only is still delicious and refreshing!
#4 Summer Activities for the Family-Beach/Pool/Splash Pad Day
Water play is so important when it’s hot out. Adapt the water play day to meet the needs of your children. For example, if your children are still quite young, splash pads can be a great option. As my boys got a little older, we are blessed to live near beaches, but I would find beaches with a small cove so I could keep track them when I was alone with them. This summer, I’m determined to have strong little swimmers, so we will spend more time as our local pool.
Bring your cooler with your frozen fruit cones as described above for a cherry on top of some fun water play.
#5 Family Summer Activities-Visit a Children’s Museum
Children’s museums often change up the options for children based on theme or season, so there is always something new to see. Some museums are more STEM based while others are nature based. I adore the hands-on activities they have at children’s museums.
#6 Summer Fun Activities for Family-Park Play & Picnic
A picnic is as easy as taking your lunch outdoors one day on a picnic blanket on the grass in your yard or nearby park. Sporadically, I will tell our boys “we’re eating outside today” or I will take their toys they often play with indoors to our front yard that has a small patch of grass. I’ll lie their toys down on a blanket for some outdoor fun. When my youngest was a baby, he was colicky, and I swear he became so much happier when we were outside.
#7 Summer Activities for Family-Read About & Visit a National Park
National parks are there for a reason. They are protected land thus often different animals, plants, and creatures grow there due to its protection. You get a sense of real nature at national parks. We visited Shaver Lake, which is just outside of Yosemite, California, a couple years ago, and fell in love. Our boys, who live in a suburb, fished, hiked, and we got to see whole new side of them.
#8 Cheap Summer Activities for Family-Take a Hike
Even if you don’t have a national park nearby, try taking a local hike outdoors to get closer to nature. I encourage my boys to stay on the trail when we hike alone together and we do popular hikes where there are a lot of other people so are not alone. We have seen snakes, beautiful large birds, deer, and weird worms etc on our hikes together.
This photo is of my boys and me when they were a baby and a toddler hiking in Los Angeles on a popular trail. If your children are toddlers or babies, try our this breathable baby carrier and/or jogging stroller (as seen in the photo) that I loved to hike with when mine were younger.
#9 Free Summer Activities for Family-Go Camping (Inside or out)
I’m quite the girly girl, but there is something about camping with my boys and husband that brings out a different side in all of us. My husband said he wanted to move to Big Sur last summer when we went tent camping there. Our sleeping habits are more relaxed and less scheduled when we are all sleeping together in a tent. I embraced the camping experience with my family, and I am so glad I did. We have only done tent camping for two nights and are trying three nights this summer. Still need a tent? Check out this top ranked tent for families.
If tent camping isn’t your thing, try breaking up your usual routine by making a blanket tent in the living room, making s’mores and camping out in the living room for the night.
#10 Fun Summer Activities for Families-Star Gaze
I’m a tad biased towards stars since we named our boys with middle names after the constellations, Orion and Draco. Looking up at the stars, especially through a telescope made for kids, can really help kids (and even us adults) to understand just how small we are in the grand scheme of things. It can help children to piece together facts they have learned in school in a tangible way. It also helps us to feel dreamy. I love that!
#11 Free Summer Activities for Families-Sidewalk Challenge
A sidewalk challenge is more than just hop scotch, but that can be part of it. Grab some sidewalk chalk and then direct your family with words and drawings cueing them to partake in different ways of moving, such as hopping, running, dancing. You can draw lines, circles, curly cues, etc.
#12 Summer Outdoor Activities for Families- Freeze Dance or Floor is Lava
We love “Freeze Dance” and “Floor is Lava” songs on YouTube, which promote you to dance and then freeze when it says so. The Floor is Lava makes you jump onto something, so be sure to have something your kids can jump onto or decide which section of the group is lava and which is safe. My 5-year old has loved these games for the past couple of years.
#13 Top Activities for Families- Follow an Easy Draw on YouTube
Following an Easy Draw of any famous character, place, or idea you like from a YouTube artist is seriously so fun for the whole family. We recently had a Minion themed party and followed Minion Easy Draw videos on YouTube to make some decor art for the party. My boys will sit for hours and follow these Easy Draw videos somedays. For this activity, grab yourself some:
#14 Summer Activities List- Coffee Date
My sons and I go to church alone a lot and we created a reward of a Starbucks coffee and treat date after church. It’s a reward for my son’s good behavior at church since they like to come with me in mass rather than the children’s service. I get much needed caffeine and they try a cake pop or something else of their choice. If you’re feeling stuck in the house and don’t know what else to do, going to a local coffee shop is a great option. We have even found a locally owned ice cream/coffee shop with chess and other board games. That is a blast!
#15 Summer Activities at Home- Paper Mache
Paper mache clay enables you to create a artifact that hardens over time. My son made a paper mache globe by covering a blown-up balloon with paper mache clay, letting it dry and then painting it blue and green for the Earth colors. We also created a cave for Easter once by placing layers of paper mache on top of a box and shaping it like a rock. We painted it grey. You can make paper mache with glue, water, and newspaper or you can buy paper mache clay. Check out this book for ideas of what to make with paper mache:
#16 Activities for Hot Summer Days- Visit an Indoor Trampoline Park
There’s not much better than indoor trampoline parks to get you kids’ energy out. Let them bounce, climb, play ninja warrior, and don’t forget to join in if you have been feeling tired lately. It will give you an energy boost! It’s such a good workout and fun for the whole family.
#17 Summer Fun Activities for Elementary Students- Go to an Air Show
Look online in your local area to see if an air show is scheduled for this summer. If so, put it in your calendar. We took our boys at ages 2 and 4. I will never forget seeing their excitement exploring the planes they had on ground as well as watching the air show with awe! Don’t forget ear protection for kids. These are really fun ones!
#18 Summer Activities for Kids- Make Art from only Natural Materials
Head to a park, hike, beach, or even just outside you home. Challenges your family to find materials in nature they can use to build a sculpture. It can be as big as large pieces of tree branches leaning together or as small as leaves and tiny sticks placed together. Tell you kids to use their imagination. They can glue things together indoors if they have a small sculpture as well. After they say they are done, ask them to describe what inspired them to create.
We have a nearby beach with a ton of drift wood. My boys always lean them against one another and it’s so beautiful to see how they are inspired by nature to build art.
#19 Summer Activities for Families- Build Boats from Leaves & Sticks
Similar to the last activity, go outside and ask your kids to find sticks and leaves to build a floatable boat. You may want to provide some basic string so they can use it to tie materials together. After your children have completed their boats, try floating them in a nearby river or just in your bathtub full of water.
I did this as a kid with my family and never forget it. I look forward to doing it this summer with my 5 and 8 year old boys.
#20 Family Summer Activities- Donate items or volunteer
My boys are a bit too young to volunteer, because a lot of organizations require children to be age 12 and up, but we can definitely donate old toys, books, and clothes that are good quality to a local organization. Involve your kids by asking them to identify a few items to donate that they don’t fit or use anymore.
#21 Summer Fun Ideas for Families- Make & Play with Cloud Dough
Mix the following ingredients to make light, fluffy Cloud Dough:
1/3 cup baby lotion
2/3 cup cornstarch (get this 3-pack, because you can use it for this activity and then next one)
food coloring (optional)
This dough can be molded similar to playdough, so be sure to grab some playdough toys.
#22 Summer Activity Family- Make Goop or “Clean” Slime
Mix the following ingredients to make “clean” slime aka goop:
1 cup water
1.5 cups cornstarch (get this 3-pack, because you can use it for this activity and then next one)
food coloring (optional)
This slime is such a blast and safe for kids. No glue or yucky stuff. It’s slimy like slime, but also hardens in the bottom of the bowl until it is lifted. It’s very interesting stuff. I do this activity outside and then just hose down the area when we do it. Clean up is shockingly easy.
#23 Cheap Summer Activities for Families- Yes Day
My son’s teacher taught me how to do a “yes" day easily. Make a box and allow your kids to write something down that they would like to do on the yes day. Place their requests in the box. Before the official “yes” day begins, look through their requests and remove any that you really cannot do. Then, the day of, you are prepared for their requests and able to embrace the day without stress.
#24 Fun Summer Activities for Families- Nature Painting
My son’s favorite time at school is when their painting teacher comes. I want to embrace that for the summer. Find a place that inspires you even if it’s just outside your home or at a local park, farm, or beach. You will need the follow items if you don’t already have them:
Paint Palette (I use paper plates sometimes too!)
Easel or table (optional; any flat surface will do!)
#25 Police & Detective Themed Fun
Of course, the 25th day on the Bingo is open to doing anything you want to do, but you might want to check out my blog on Police Week activities, which is celebrated towards the end of May each year, but you can celebrate any time. At the end of the blog, I have some fun ideas like playing detective and solving a mystery.
Happy Summer Fun! I truly hope you enjoyed this blog. Keep Reading…
How to Thrive While Solo Parenting
Parenting as a Police Wife: What Children of Police Officers Need