Summer Activities for Kids and Preschoolers (2024)

SPEED CLEANING THE HOUSE BEFORE ROAD TRIP TO SOUTH PADRE

1. Go to the library once a week. Check out books, join story time, see if there is a reading clubyou can participate in.
2. Go camping. Front yard, back yard, in the living room, or make it a weekend trip in anothertown. Here are 30 recipes for your next camping trip.
3. Go to your local recreation center in your city and see what activities or classes they offer for super cheap!
4. Go to the park. Hello, that is hours of free entertainment. And at my favorite park, they have trails that we all love to walk after playing at the playground.
5. Going on a road trip? Check out these road trip printables.
6. Go on a worm hunt.
7. Go fishing.
8. Go on a factory/plant tour.
9. Go to Vacation Bible School (VBS).
10. Go to your local home supply store or craft storeandsee if theyare offering any free children’s clinics this summer.
11. Go walk at the mall.
12. Go to the lake- swim or fish.
13. Go to the local sno cone stand.

Activities for Kids Who Love to Make:

1. Make your own kite. Here are 27 different kites you can make.
2. Make things out of cardboard. Check out this awesome idea- filled- post on cardboard creativity 101. Then, hop over and check outTip Junkie’slist of 32 things you can make with cardboard.
3. Make your own slime using this recipe, whichglows in the dark!
4. Make homemade play dough.
5. Make goop.
6. MakeS’Mores- go traditional or make these Owl S’Mores. So cute!
7. Make homemade marshmallows.
8. Make soap on a rope.
9. Make these bird treats and hang them in a tree near a window so you can watch the birds enjoy.
10. Make bathtub puff paint.
11. Bake these Mommy Cookies together.
12. Make this cherry cake recipe together.
13. Make an obsticle course (or hold an olympics) in your backyard. So fun! You can make first place, second place, third place ribbons using construction paper and yarn.
14. Make a sensory tub. Great for toddlers and preschoolers.
15. Make a time capsule.
16. Make homemade ice cream. Here is a list of tips as well as five recipes you can make!
17. Make homemade bubbles.
18. Makehomemade sidewalk chalk.
19. Make a pet rock.
20. Make homemade finger paint.
21. Make your own felt play mat.
22. Make a busy tray. Super smart andpractical.
23. Re-purpose brokencrayons into your favorite mold shape and print some free color sheets.
24. Make a lemonade stand.
25. Make homemade pizza together. Here is a list of ways to make pizza un-boring.
26. Make your own board game.
27. Make sock puppets and have a sock puppet play.
28. Make finger puppets. Here is a free download.
29. Make your own stick horse.
30. Make homemade popsicle. Here is a great list of popsicle recipes.
31. Make something origami. Here is a site with a bunch of kid friendly origami ideas.
32. Make an assortment of muffins together. Here are 28 muffin recipes you can indulge in.
33. For your little toddler guys who want to be crafty, make ice paint. Pretty cool.

Activities for Kids Who Love to Play and Do:

1. Download some books to listen to. Here is a $5, 30 day membership you can try.
2. Skip rocks. Simple, free, fun, lost art.
3. Have a bike parade.
4. Havea day of watching movies. You can get a songs to listen to while you drive.
5. Visit the nearest beach.
6. Have a yard sale. Have your children help and learn the value of a dollar.
7. Have a bon fire and make smores. Or, make homemade smores ice cream.
8. Play in the water (sprinkler, slip and slide, kiddy pool, water balloons)
9. Welcome the troops at the airport. I have been wanting to take the kids to do this for a long, long time.
10. Play I Spy.
11. Look into summer camps in your area. If you live in the DFW area (North Texas) here is a great 2011 summer camplist!
12. Host your own summer camp. Here is ane-book with practical ideas and suggestions for surviving the summer.
13. Play frisbee.
14. Volunteer some where as a family.
15. Invent a new recipe together.
16. Catch lightning bugs.
17. Have a scavenger hunt.
18. Play Mad Libs and share your stories. So fun!
19. Play kickball.
20. Play dodgeball.
21. Play tug-of-war.
22. Put a puzzle together as afamily.
23. Play hide and go seek in the dark.
24. Call local theatres and see if they offer free showings of kiddy movies in the summer. Some do- I promise.
25. Build a clubhouse or a fort.
26. Plant something.
27. Become pen pals with someone.
28. Start reading a classic as a family read 20-30 minutes of it out loud a day. Huck Finn, Little Women, etc.
29. Put on a magic show. Click the link forfive easy and fun tricks your kids can do.
30. Play dress up. (My boys love to play in old Halloween costumes.)