Thursday, December 6, 2012

100 things to dow with kids this summer

100 Things To Do With Kids This Summer


Well, school is over for us and I am kind of freaking out . . . I now have to entertain my kids every single day. I like them to have plenty of time to be creative and use their imaginations, but I am hoping to avoid that dreaded phrase, "Mom . . . I'm BORED!"  So, I decided that I would put together a list of things for us to do to help myself out (and hopefully you too!).

1. Make homemade ice cream in a bag. Here's a great recipe!
2. Ride bikes outside.
3. Make your own Bleach T-Shirts. Here is the tutorial (this is fun and easy for all ages!).
4. Have a bike car wash for all the kids in your neighborhood.
5. Make a bike obstacle course using chalk and other "obstacles". Here are some great ideas to get you started!
6. Go to all the parks within a 10 mile radius and choose which one is your favorite. Make a "Park Passport" and check each park off as you visit it.
 7. Make a PVC Kid Wash and you will be the most popular family in the neighborhood! This is one of my kids' favorite summer activities!
8. Have a campout in the backyard and sleep outside in a tent.
9. Make homemade popsicles. Here is over 100 recipes!
10. Make nature bracelets- wrap a piece a duct tape around your wrist with the sticky side up. Take a walk around the neighborhood and stick leaves, small pebbles, sticks, and other treasures onto your bracelet.
 12. Make simple Indoor S'mores and your own campfire (there are even rainy days in the summer- this is perfect for inside or outside).
 14. Paint the sidewalk with water! (This is great for kids of all ages!)
15. Host a neighborhood reading party and invite kids to bring their favorite book to read outside in the shade. Serve lemonade.
16. Make homemade edible play-doh. Here are 10 recipes to try out (and you can decide which one tastes the best!).
17. Have a "Movie Picnic"- we usually do this on Friday or Saturday nights. We rent a fun movie and spread out a large blanket in our Family Room. We enjoy our "picnic dinner" while watching a movie together. It's one of my kids' favorite things!
18. Go on a "Stay-cation"- find a local hotel and book it for a night. Make sure there is a pool!
19. Put on a play. Make and pass out tickets for people to come.
20. Visit the pet store (and maybe buy some goldfish! Ha ha! It always seems to happen to me!).
21. Become a Pen-Pal with a Soldier or send soldiers a care package. Here is a great website to get you started.
22. Volunteer at a nursing home or skilled nursing facility. Share stories, put on a play, sing songs, or paint their fingernails. They will be so happy to have the company!
23. Play flashlight tag and night games.
 24. Play Outdoor Twister. It's not hard to make your own!
25. Have a cupcake decorating contest. Bake some cupcakes and then set out all different colors of frosting, sprinkles, and other toppings. Pick a couple of people to be the judges and have fun!
27. Got through all your clothes, toys, books, etc and donate to charity the things that you have outgrown or don't use anymore.
28. Run through the sprinklers.
29. Wash and detail the car (which will probably turn into a water fight!).
30. Write a summer journal. Go here for this cute free printable full of prompts to get you started!
31. Come up with a family summer exercise program and do it! Check out our 8-Week Challenge.
32. Make a "Dirt City". My husband used to do this for hours when he was little. They would find a patch or dirt or sand in their yard and build mountains and rivers and streets and then use their matchbox cars, dinosaur toys, and other plastic toys to play for hours. Or just dig in the dirt. That's fun too. :)
 33. Make your own PVC Pipe Soccer Goal and plan a tournament.
34. Go on Daddy-Daughter/ Mother-Son date! Let the daughter or son make the plans for the date.
35. Go on a hike. Look online for hiking trails close to you and in your level.
36. Go to the zoo.
37. Build a fort in your house out of blankets and tell ghost stories inside of it.
 38. Make you own Monster Puppets with interchangeable parts.
39. Have a watermelon speed spitting contest.
40. Spend a day at a National Park. Here is a link to help you find a park near you!
41. Call your grandparents and interview them about when they were your age. Share the information that you found out with your family at dinner.
42. Write someone a thank you note and deliver it (or mail it).
43. Have a Family Game Night and play board games or charades.
 44. Have a sock puppet show (and make some of these cute puppets!)
45. Do a secret act of service for someone in your family.
46. Visit the fire department (and take them some cookies! These ones require no baking!)
47. Make your own outdoor obstacle course. Here are some great ideas!
 48. Make a rain-gutter race track for Matchbox cars. Have races with different cars and award trophies.
49. With the Olympics this summer, host your own backyard Olympics! Get the kids competing in running and wheelbarrow races, obstacle courses, water balloon tosses and jumping competitions.. Finish off the fun with a mini-Olympic awards ceremony to honor all of the athletes. Buy medals at the local dollar store or make your own.
 50. Make a bird feeder with a pinecone rolled in peanut butter and bird seed. Hang in a tree and watch for the birds.
51. Do some Potato Stamping.
52. Make your own board game and play it.
53. Go out for breakfast in your pajamas.
54. Go bowling! AMF offers two free games a week for kids who are age 15 and under. Here is the link for all the information!
 55. Make your own Photo Booth, complete with props! Check out this fun post for tons of ideas.
56. Make your own telescope and look at the stars. Here is a great DIY tutorial that is easy enough for kids to follow.
57. Go fishing (and to make it really easy, head to a local trout farm (or other fish farm- I know that there are a couple in Utah. All the fun without all the hard work!)
 58. Make your own treasure hunt. Make a map (burn the edges to make it look like an old pirate map) and show how to get to the "treasure". This is fun for older kids to make for younger kids!
59. Visit a local splash park. Google splash pads near you- many are free or very inexpensive!
60. Make your own bean bag toss. Here is a fun tutorial to make your own!
61. Have your own "Drive-In Movie". Give each child a large cardboard box and let them make their own car to sit in and watch the show.  Check out this post for some great ideas! A great movie to watch is "Cars"! :)
62. Play croquet. You can purchase a set for fairly cheap and it's a fun game to play as a family!
63. Decorate your bikes and have a bike parade.
64. Write your own book. 
 65. Make S'mores Marshmallow Pops- perfect for even the smallest kids to make!
66. Make a lemonade stand. Here are some cute printables for your stand!
67. Make a movie. Have someone record it and then watch it all together while you eat popcorn.
68. Play post office. Make your own mailboxes and write letters to each other. It's fun for mom and dad to get involved with this too!
69. Bring Angry Birds to life with this life-sized Angry Birds backyard game!
70. Make your own pizzas. We like to use English Muffins and let the kids put on their own sauce and toppings. Pop them in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes and you have  quick and delicious dinner!
 71. Make a necklace out of an old T-shirt and beads!
72. Go on an "Alphabet tour". Bring a camera(s) and a notebook. Head into town and walk around. Beginning with the letter a, find something that starts with that letter (i.e. Adams Street). Take a picture of that item and write it down in your notebook. Continue with each letter and when you are done, each child has a personal and creative alphabet memory book.
73. Lowe's Home Improvement stores offer free kids clinics and classes during the summer. Here is the link for all the information!
 74. On rainy days, my kids love using these Window Markers to decorate the windows. They draw pictures, practice writing letters, and play games. They have been a lifesaver for us!
75. Make your own kites and try them out!
76. Plant a garden and have the kids be in charge of caring for it all summer.
77. Michael's Arts and Crafts stores offer fun Kids Craft Classes for very cheap. Here is the link for all the info.
 78. Makeover some of your old flip-flops and give them a whole new look!
79. Start a band and make some Homemade Musical Instruments! Perform a concert for family and friends.
80. Take the dog for a walk. If you don't have a dog, volunteer to walk your neighbor's dog.
 81. Make your own glow-in-the-dark slime!
82. Feed the ducks at a local park or pond.
83. Go garage sale shopping. You can find great games, toys, movies, and so much more for great prices!
84. Put on a magic show. Here are some fun and easy tricks to learn!
85. Make a time capsule as a family. Put things in it that are happening right now and then open it next summer and see how things have changed.
 86. Set up a "color corner" in your house and let the kids work on it all week (or maybe all summer?!).
87. Go to a Farmer's Market. Let the kids pick out some fresh fruits and vegetables and go home and make something with them (or just eat them as is!).
88. Plan and perform in a talent show. Invite friends and family to participate.
89. Have a Hula-Hoop contest (I loved when we did this as a family growing up- my dad was the funniest to watch!)
 90. Make your own Bathtime Puffy Paints. 
91. Plan a picnic/tea party for all your dolls and stuffed animals.
92. Bury little plastic army men (you can get them at the dollar store) and little plastic animals in the dirt or sand, then let the kids dig to find them.
93. Put together your own joke book. Here are some fun jokes to get you started!
 94. Make these Sponge Balls and then play Sponge Ball tag (great alternative to a water fight!).
95. Make a collage using pictures from magazines.
96. Have a backwards day- breakfast for dinner, dinner for breakfast, dessert before your meal, wear your clothes backwards, etc.
97. Go collect rocks and then come back and paint them; make them into Rock People! Add googly eyes and yarn hair.
98. Play hopscotch. Here is the way to draw the perfect hopscotch!
99. Make your own car mat.
100. Make your own melted crayons.
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