Summer is fast approaching, Mama! Before we know it we will be free from making lunches, setting out outfits the night before, and sticking to a bedtime schedule! No more homework, projects, or class drama!
Goodbye routine, decent bedtime hours…alone time.
I’m going to be super honest with you and tell you I have struggled with summer in the past.
I recharge by spending time alone so constantly being with other people (who only want to talk when I get on the phone or sit down to work) can be exhausting. I will admit there have been times when I was merely surviving summer.
And it has nothing to do with my kids. They are amazing. It’s more that I didn’t do my part to approach summer with intentionality. You know I don’t do willy nilly.
My goal this summer is to more than survive. I want to enjoy my kids and make memories with them. I want to explore local attractions and go on adventures at our farm.
And sleep in for crying out loud.
With the help of a friend, I have compiled a list of 40, yes 40 different summer activities that will help you make the most of this summer with your kiddos.
Remember, Mama, our time with our littles is limited and our summers are numbered. I only have 9 more summers with my son before he’s off to college! Crazy!
If you would like a printable list, you can get that HERE.
40 Memorable Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List
(for moms who want to more than just survive summer)
1. Scavenger hunt
Click HERE to get a printable copy of the scavenger hunt I made for my kiddos. It’s simple and can probably be done in any park or yard.
2. Make homemade ice cream
My son got an ice cream maker for Christmas a few years ago and we love making ice cream together on hot days. It’s not hard, and everyone loves it!
3. Create your own dessert day
I don’t think this needs much explanation.
4. Play in the rain
As long as it’s not lightening go for it!
5. Go to a ball game
Going to baseball games is one of my favorite parts of summer. Hoping to do this more now that my kids are bigger and don’t have to use the bathroom every ten minutes.
6. Set up a hummingbird feeder
This won’t take long and doesn’t cost much, but it’s so fun to watch the hummingbirds get a drink!
We make our own syrup with 4 cups of warm water and 1 cup of (organic) sugar stirred in until dissolved.
Let it cool, pour it into the container, hang it up, and wait for the birds to come!
And for the record, the syrup doesn’t need to be red, so don’t worry about it.
7. Plant an herb garden
Planting an herb garden is an easy way to teach everything from cooking with spices to the life cycle of a plant. It’s educational and everyone can get dirty.
8. Kids cook day
My kids love to play restaurant, and I love to let them learn about food prep. They typically make a menu, that I order from, and then I get to listen to their giggles (and occasional disagreements) as they make my food.
9. Go fishing
Find a pond or lake, and a shady spot to sit. You never know what you might catch!
10. Visit a local museum
I never think to do this, but this summer I think my kids will appreciate visiting the dinosaur museum near us, as well as the oil museum and the children’s museum.
11. Swim at a friend’s house
Who has a pool?! Put those names on a list, friend!
If you are the friend with the pool, invite some people over and have a blast!
12. Go stargazing
You will need to get out of the city for this one. Lay in the back of the pickup truck or find a soft place to spread out a blanket and then try to take in the wonders of the night sky.
13. Have a sleepover
My kids are now old enough to have friends over, so we occasionally have a friend spend the night.
Goodbye, boredom (at least until tomorrow)!
14. Camp out (even in the living room)
Sometimes we just need a little change of scenery. If it’s not too hot to sleep outside, go for it! You can get your stargazing in too!
15. Go on a morning hike or bike ride
Get up a little early and head to a local trail. Spend a couple of hours hiking or riding bikes, have a snack and head home.
Good times!
16. Play in the water hose
What?! That’s cheap fun right there! Set the hose at the top of the slide and suddenly you’re at the water park! My kids seriously get a kick out of this, so I don’t tend to worry about the mud puddle at the bottom of the slide.
17. Go to the beach
I’m not sure if you know this, but my husband is NOT a fan of the beach. The kids and I love it though, so I will likely plan a couple of days to head down to the coast and enjoy a couple of days in the sand.
18. Visit family
Visiting family in the summer is one of my favorite childhood memories. We already have several trips planned this year!
19. Read a book series together
This summer I am hoping to read the Little House in the Big Woods series with my daughter. Find an age appropriate book series to read with your littles. And make sure to “do the voices” as my daughter says.
20. Make a wildflower bouquet
My favorite bouquets are the ones my kids pick for me. They are usually weeds but I don’t care. Let them pick flowers and then help them arrange a bouquet (even if you have to leave it outside due to allergies).
21. Watch a musical
I love a good musical! In fact, we are all still hooked on The Greatest Showman soundtrack. I am hoping to take my kids to see the Lion King off broadway this summer!
22. Make a new craft
Over Christmas my son taught us how to make several origami shapes and we strung them together to make our Christmas garland. We made so many memories as we folded red and green paper together!
This summer I hope to do something similar, and thankfully Pinterest is practically exploding with kid friendly crafts! Plan a few crafts to do over the course of the summer and try to have the supplies ready before summer begins. That way you always have something in your back pocket when summer boredom sets in.
23. Go for walks
Definitely an early morning activity for us. I like to let my kids get some energy out first thing in the morning before it gets too hot to go outside. My kids usually ride their bikes while I walk/run. This is one of my favorite things to do with them.
24. Waterpark day
Splash pads, water slides, random floating bandaids.
Who doesn’t love the waterpark?!
Despite my aversion to public water spaces, my kids absolutely love it.
25. Visit the planetarium
This could be a little pricey, but sometimes we need to get out of the house and visit a “different inside” for a day.
26. Make a collage from old magazines
I LOVED doing this when I was a kid. Get a sheet of card stock paper and glue pictures and words from magazine pages to make a collage of your favorite things! Talk about memories!
Man, now you only need to play MASH and your kids will have had the best summer of their lives!
27. Have a spa day
Foot spas, facial masks, toe polish – the works! Take turns pampering each other for a day.
This is a great opportunity to teach what it means to serve others.
28. Water gun race
Poke a hole in a plastic cup.
Run 6 feet of twine through the cup.
Tie up each end of the twine to something outside (a pole, fence post, etc.).
Repeat those first three steps.
Each child gets a water gun to shoot into the open end of the cup to propel it forward.
Whoever gets to the end of the twine first wins!
29. water balloon fights
Need I say more? I will say that I used THIS last summer for easy water balloon filling and it made our water balloon fights so much more fun. You just attach the end right to the water hose, turn it on and 10 balloons are full in no time!
30. Sidewalk chalk games
Besides scribbling drawing masterpieces all over the driveway, here are some other ideas for how to use sidewalk chalk:
Hopscotch is a classic.
Draw a crazy, squiggly line and have your kids follow it to the end.
Draw 5 or 10 activities on the driveway and have the kids roll dice to see which one they will have to hop to and complete. Activities could include hop on one foot, twirl around, sing a song, take a bow, do 5 jumping jacks, etc. My kids would do this for hours!
31. Target Putt Putt
Set a cardboard box on a table in front of you. On the bottom of the side facing you, cut holes at the bottom large enough for a plastic golf ball to fit through. Label each hole with a number to designate how many points each hole is worth. Let the kids take turns putting golf balls for points.
32. Nerf target practice
Alright. This can be done any number of ways.
1. Stack plastic cups into a pyramid and let your kids take turns shooting at them with a nerf gun.
2. Set half full balloons on top of empty toilet paper rolls for nerf target practice.
3. Use a window marker to draw a target on a window. My kids love how the nerf bullets stick to the glass!
33. Sand art
Definitely an outside activity, but my kids really enjoy making designs in bottles.
Use Mason jars to save money.
34. Summer reading challenge
Make a summer reading list (unless your school does that for you) of age appropriate books and help your kiddos work their way through it over the course of the summer. You can never read too many books!
35. Go berry or peach picking
Depending on where you live, visit a local orchard and pick fresh fruit! It’s never too earlier (or late) to teach our kids about where our food comes from.
36. Visit a local farm
One summer I took my kids and nieces to a local farm where we picked cherry tomatoes, flowers and peppers and even go to pet a couple of pigs! They loved it!
37. Outdoor movie night
Hang a sheet or borrow a projector and screen! It will be so much fun for the kids you won’t mind sweating your face off.
38. Science experiment of the week
Teach a basic science concept with an experiment the kids can help you do.
39. Verse of the week
Read it, write it, practice saying it! Take with you on road trips and to run errands. There are countless ways to incorporate scripture into your everyday life.
40. Pajama Day
Is this one already on the list?! It’s worth listing twice, anyway. Nothing beats a low key day in your jammies, especially when it’s 8,000 degrees outside.
There is so much summer fun waiting for us, friend! Make the most of this summer with your kiddos. Use this list as a reference when you are out of ideas or working on your summer schedule. Summer may be right around the corner, but we will be ready this year!
What are your favorite summer activities to do with your kids? What do they look forward to every summer?
