25+ Summer Activities for Kids - Busy Toddler (2024)

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EASY FUN FOR FAMILIES ALL SUMMER LONG

Outdoor Potions

Potions are a staple here. I have soaps, shaving cream, corn starch, baking soda, and vinegar at the ready for kids to use. This occupies kids like you wouldn’t believe.

Painting Toys

This is a hero. Let kids paint plastic toys, then have them rinse it off with water and scrubby brushes (that’s right: it’s a two for one activity and it’s GOLD).

Berry Basket Water Table

Do you have a water table? Do you have kids who love berries? You need to be saving those containers for an amazing water table supply.

Flower Soup

Have some old flowers or dying ones? Let the kids make “flower soup.” This is the second requested activity in my back yard (number one: potions).

Nature Cutting Bin

Doing some yard work? Save the trimmings for the kids and let them practice their cutting skills. Seems simple? It is. And kids love it.

Dried Marker Activity

Cleaning out the art closet this summer? Don’t toss the markers, yet! Try this unique way to make a colorful water table.

Painting Names

Kids love their names. Give the people what they want and let them make a giant name art piece with some large paper or cardboard.

Oobleck

Blow your kids away with this non-Newtonian substance: it’s part liquid, part solid and totally awesome. Plus: it’s just cornstarch and water.

Bubble Snakes

Old socks + water bottles + bubbles = the coolest summer activity that your kids will ask for one repeat. Good thing we all have about a million single-socks lying around…

Baking Soda and Colorful Vinegar

Talk about easy but looks pretty. It’s a box of baking soda and vinegar dyed with food coloring. It’s not rocket science but it sure is fantastic.

Paint a Box Cake

Tired of painting projects that only last a few minutes or take kids just seconds to finish? Try having them paint a box cake instead. This activity takes DAYS to finish.

Cotton Ball Splat

This is EPIC: Fill a cotton ball with paint and smack it with a fly swatter. Genius right? This is on my list of summer activities to try with my own kids.

Frozen Pom Poms

Have you ever frozen pom pom balls? It’s pretty awesome. Put these in the freezer today and future you will be delighted.

Frozen Paint

Another great option for future you: freeze paint. The directions are simple and the effect is amazing. You’re kids will love it.

Shaving Cream Sensory

Messy? Yes. Awesome? Totally. The stuff summer memories are made of? THIS IS IT. Setting this up and saying this “yes to mess” is unforgettable for your kids.

Sponge Targets

10/10: Paint a bull’s eye and toss sponges at it. No sponges? Use water balloons. This has been a summer tradition here since 2016.

Tape Resist Art

Giant tape resist art? Yes. Please. This larger than life activity is perfect for one kid or a group. And the end result is really cool.

Graffiti Art

Water down some paint and put it in a spray bottle ASAP: this activity is the best and makes the coolest art.

Bubble Foam Water Table

Have you made foam? It’s just tear free soap and water, but whipped together and it’s amazing. I highly recommend making a batch for the water table.

Pouring Station

A classic. Let kids (toddlers especially) practice their water pouring skills on a summer day. It’s easy and viral for a reason.

Ice Cube Painting

Don’t dump out the cooler of ice! Let kids paint it. Use water color or washable paint: it’s awesome no matter which paint you use.

Balloon Pinata

Obsessed with this idea to make water balloon “pinatas” for kids. What a fun twist on a party game!

Wash the Cars

Make a mud bin and an adjacent car wash for kids. This takes seconds to build but becomes a recurring activity throughout the summer.

Mud Kitchen

You don’t need to own a fancy mud kitchen to have the same impact, effect, and fun for your kids. This simpler and temporary set up brings just as much learning, play, and joy.

Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Turn remnant pieces of chalk into really cool chalk paint. It’s such a great use for the little, unusable pieces.

LEGO Kiddie Pool

If your child is a fan of LEGO baths, try tossing their bricks in the kiddie pool. Bringing an indoor toy outside AND putting it in water: it’s a recipe for success.

Paint-Dyed Water

Stop dyeing water with food coloring: Use washable paint instead. The result is a more brilliant, opaque color and it’s so much more inviting.

How do I entertain my kids all summer?

You let them learn to do a lot of the entertaining themselves. Support as needed with ideas and things like activities, but the bulk of self-entertainment must shift back from parents to kids (as it had for generations before us). It is the child’s job to figure out what to do. These summer activities in this list are ones I use when I need help getting the kids reset for the day: if a child is “bored,” I typically refrain from setting up an activity so they aren’t relying on me to entertain them.

What age are summer activities for?

Depends on the kid, their abilities, and the activity. Instead of thinking only about the child’s age, consider their abilities and interests. Is this an activity they’d like? Would it be safe for them? Then give it a go!

Do you have a summer program?

I do! I have a free summer camp at home program that you can use with the whole family with activities and ideas for toddlers to 12 year olds. It’s a great (free) program.

Susie Allison, M. Ed

Owner, Creator

Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.