Summer is one of my favorite seasons. I don’t live the heat, but I do love the time home with my kids and the special activities that we get to do together and as a family. This list is a compilation of some of the best activities to add to your Summer Bucket List. It also includes activities that are great for staying in on rainy days, too. There will also be some of my favorite activities, toys, and hacks that make my summer run more smoothly.
My name is Stefanie and I have 5, soon-to-be 6 kids, with my oldest being 9 years old. Some of my activities are geared more for older kids and some are geared more towards toddlers. I hope this post is helpful for you and your family.
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Places to Go in Summer
My husband and I go through and make a Summer Bucket List for our family every summer. My husband has every Friday-Sunday off. We don’t make big plans for Sundays because that is our day for Faith and family. We go to Church and spend the rest of the day at my MIL’s. Friday and Saturday is when we complete bucket list items.
We do not spend a lot of money though because we are a soon-to-be family of 8. We can’t got to Six Flags every weekend. Instead we make sure to do free activities, cheap activities, and only 1 or 2 more “expensive” activities to save the budget. We have a zoo membership and a Science museum membership that costs us about $200 a year altogether. Additionally, this saves us big bucks when we choose summer activities because a lot of the zoos and museums near us have reciprocal programs that make it free or discounted for us.
Free
-splash pad
Where I live splash pads are so much fun for the kiddos. We don’t have to pay an entrance fee or anything and my kids love it! The splash pad near me is at a local park and is basically a giant sprinkler. We love to invite our cousins and friends to join us and to have a picnic. It makes for a beautiful summer day.
-trip to the beach
I realize everyone doesn’t have a beach near by. I don’t live near an ocean, so when I say beach I mean the sandy beach of a local lake. We have a “lake” near by that is basically a giant pond, but it is literally the perfect beach for my small children. I don’t have to worry about currents, tides, or animals. My kids love it and they get the best of both worlds. That being said, you could take a day trip to the ocean if you’re close enough, a road trip if that suits your family, or whatever works best for you.
-go to a new park
Last year my husband and I were able to find this random park in the middle of the city that we live in and it was a dream. It had a little creek that my kids enjoyed, it had hiking trails that were so much fun to discover, and a playground as well. We loved it so much that we want to find continue to find the hidden gems in our own area.
This park had a really cool history as well. It used to be an amusement park and a zoo, but caught fire and then flooded and was then left to be reclaimed by nature. It is beautiful and definitely looks like it has a history.
-go to the lake
-go on a hike
-play at a new playground
-visit a waterfall
-the library
Our local library has a robust reading program for adults and especially children. If the kids ready for 10min every day, they get to pick a new book to keep every week of the summer. They also get entries into raffle as well. The library has activities for every age and interest. They have Peppa Pig day, Pokemon club, Chess club, etc. It is so nice. You should check out your local Library too if you’re looking for some activities for your kids to do this summer.
-visit a farm
-skip rocks at a pond
-go on a boat ride
-watch fireworks
Cheap (depending on where you live and family size)
-minigolf
-berry picking
-go to the pool
-go for ice cream
-nature center
Investment (depending on finances and family size)
-road trip
-farmers market
-bowling
-baseball game
-zoo
-aquarium
-go to an outdoor movie
-museum
-go to a fair
-waterpark
-visit an amusement park
Outdoor Summer Activities
One way that I like to make sure my kids always have something that they can do, I keep many of these items (at least the ones that do not need parental guidance and participation) on popsicle sticks in a jar on the mantle. My kids have to complete 5 of these activities every day before they are allowed any screen time during the summer. It gets them up and moving, outside if the weather permits, and I don’t need to give them ideas.
Free
-catch fireflies
We used to this as kids and put them in Mason jars. It was so much fun. I love doing this with my kids too. With the four boys I have that love bugs, this is one activity that I can definitely join in on. I got my boys this bug catching kit that works great for catching fireflies. Also, if don’t listen to Fireflies by Owl City while catching fireflies, are you even a Millennial?
*You definitely don’t need anything to put them in and we always release them that same night.
-nature scavenger hunt
-read a book outside
-dance in the rain
-puddle jump
-build a sandcastle
-pick wildflowers
Can I tell you have much I love it when my kids bring me wild flowers? It is my favorite summer activity. I recently saw this adorable idea. You get a simple, small vase from Dollar Tree and use it as a dedicated wildflower vase. I love it and will be doing it this summer.
-collect seashells
-stargaze
-watch a sunrise
-have a picnic
-go on a nature walk
-have a family BBQ
-play hide-n-seek
-go for a family walk
-cloud watch
-play tag
Supplies Needed
-nature scavenger hunt
-have a campfire
-play with a water table
-have a water balloon fight
We have a massive water balloon fight every year at our family’s 4th of July party. There are usually 15+ kids there and it becomes a full-on water war. My husband is the definition of the “Funcle” or “Fun Uncle”. He likes to use the Bunch-O-Balloons because he can fill a hundred in just a few minutes. They are so quick and convenient. I will say that getting the jumbo pack at Costco, when it is on sale, is more cost effective than on Amazon.
-fly a kite
-have a water gun fight
-make s’mores
-draw with chalk
-build a birdhouse
My kids loved making birdhouses as a fun outdoor activity and now they can watch the birds from our window. I personally like using acrylic paint markers like these rather than regular paint, but I tend to be mess averse.
-blow bubbles
-wash the car
-run through the sprinklers
-play a jump rope
-go for a family bike ride
-play hop scotch
-stargaze with a telescope
My BIL got my kids this telescope for Christmas a few years ago and they love it! We keep it at my MIL’s house because she lives in a more rural area, so when we have sleepovers at her house the stargazing game is far superior. We live 5 minutes from a small city so it definitely more difficult to stargaze here.
-plant a garden
-play frisbee
-make a fairy garden
-have a tea party
-make an obstacle course
My mother just got these stepping stones for my kids and they have definitely upped our obstacle course game, in our home and outside as well. They are easy to clean. They have a pretty grippy material that make it so that my kids aren’t slipping on them. Plus, they nest within each other and don’t take up too much space. We love them.
Indoor Summer Activities (Perfect for Rainy Days)
Free (as long as you have the everyday items needed)
-family game night
Our favorite family game, 9yo down to my 3yo, is called Mantis. It is a card game that all of my children really enjoy. I 100% recommend it. We also like to play Uno for our family game night. Mario Kart or Mario Party on our Switch are also fan favorites as well.
-play hide-n-seek
-TV free weekend
We love doing this. Summer is usually when our kids get more screen time because they aren’t in school. My husband and I love to do this for a change in pace. Our kids don’t get unlimited screen time, but having hard-stops like TV free weekends are still very nice.
-library summer reading club
-build a fort
My kids like to use any and all blankets, pillows, sheets, etc. to make forts in the house. Their favorite, by far, is using their bunkbed and their Yourigami play couch. This is kind of like the Nugget couch, but much cheaper. We actually got it brand new, for half the price, at a consignment sale.
-family movie night
Our favorite family movies that we go back to consistently include: Hook, the Lego Movies, the Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Prince of Egypt, the Lego Batman Movie, Joseph: King of Dreams, Star Wars Saga, and 90% of Disney.
-bake cookies
-play a board game
Here is an article of the best board games for toddlers.
-learn to draw
You don’t need anything to learn to draw, but paper and pencil. That being said, my kids got these Learn to Draw books and have been thoroughly enjoying them.
- Learn to Draw: Pokemon
- How to Draw Book for Kids: Cute and Silly Things
- How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way
And their drawing skills have vastly improved. I do know that Youtube also has some really great videos on learning to draw and so does Pinterest.
-play a card game
-make paper airplanes
-write a letter
-have an indoor picnic
-put on fashion show
-have a pillow fight
-learn about an animal
-read a book
-listen to an audiobook
You can get free audiobooks through the Library and associated apps like Libby and Hoopla. Our children enjoy using the Yoto player. It is a bit of an investment, but having five kids, soon-to-be 6 kids with a 9yo age gap, Yoto has a great variety of books for a wide variety of ages. Our favorites are the Chronicles of Narnia, Disney Collections, Winnie the Pooh, the Boxcar Children, etc.
-watch a movie
-create an indoor obstacle course
-do some coloring
-write a story
-do a 10min exercise video
-make book marks
-play hangman
-learn a magic trick
-play charades
-have a dance party
-play floor is lava
Supplies Needed
-painting
-make homemade popsicles
-play with magnetic tiles
-make a fairy garden
-bake/decorate cupcakes
-have a tea party
-build Lego creations
-play dress up
-use rubber stamps
-play with playdoh
-use dot markers
-put on a puppet show
-play bingo
-learn to knit
-play Keepy Uppy
-make some crafts
-do a puzzle
-make a suncatcher
-do scratch art
-make friendship bracelets
-color in a coloring book
-make your own board game
-play dominoes
Conclusion
Having an arsenal of activities for my children for the summer has made my life so much easier. That being said, we DO NOT do all the items on this list. I pick which activities are appropriate for my kids’ ages and capabilities. I love slow boring summer days, too, but getting my kids outside when the weather is nice. Having a rainy day list is also helpful.
I hope this post has helped you come up with the perfect summer bucket list. Let me know if there are any other activities you would add to the list by leaving a comment below.