50 Fun (and Inexpensive!) Summer Activities for Kids
June 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Children & Nature, Featured
1. Camp out under the stars in your own backyard. Craft a makeshift tent from old bedsheets, or just use sleeping bags! (Don’t forget to make some s’mores.)
2. Organize a neighborhood Olympics with events such as a water balloon toss, three-legged race, or jump rope competition.
3. Hula hoop in the front yard to your favorite songs.
4. Visit a local stable to learn how horses are cared for. Find out if you can bring carrot sticks or rolled outs to feed them.
5. Hang an old sheet on a clotheslines, then fill spray bottles with a mixture of tempera paint and water. Spray away for a unique, colorful masterpiece!
6. Make ice pops with 100% fruit juice.
7. Turn your garage into a neighborhood theater and put on a play.
8. Make dreamcatchers.
9. Make daisy chains.
10. Write verses about the silliest things you can think of, then have a poetry slam.
11. Visit another country at home. Cook a meal, learn key phrases or a traditional dance, and read travel guides. Research popular children’s games and play them.
12. Have an outdoor movie night. Rent a projector and turn an old bedsheet into a screen. Be sure to pass around plenty of popcorn!
13. Spend a day volunteering at a local organization, like an animal shelter or soup kitchen.
14. Go old school with a game of Hide and Seek.
15. Check out a local nature guide from the library and seek out native wildflowers.
16. Learn how to do a headstand. This one might take some practice!
17. Have a picnic lunch at a local park–bonus points if you make a themed meal. What about Southwestern cuisine, or foods that are all the same color?
18. Organize a neighborhood parade.
19. Learn how to twirl a baton.
20. Make your own ice cream. No machine? No problem.
21. Go fruit picking at a local farm. Strawberries, blueberries, plums, peaches, and nectarines are all fun choices!
22. Build a campfire after dark and tell scary stories.
23. Fly a kite.
24. Play a game of crab soccer.
25. Rainy day? Take on a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.
26. Dress up in wacky costumes and have an outdoor photo shoot.
27. Learn how to make your own paper.
28. Whip out your compass and take a family hike.
29. Blow bubbles outside.
30. Make a time capsule.
31. Organize a game of Ultimate Frisbee
32. Take a tour of your township’s firehouse
33. Make mudpies after a rainstorm.
34. Catch fireflies in a glass jar (but be sure to set them free at the end of the night!)
35. Play a game of hangman on your driveway with sidewalk chalk.
36. Seek out a nearby photobooth, pile inside, and take wacky pictures.
37. Play Monkey in the Middle.
38. Turn old towels into ponchos to wear to the beach.
39. Gather up some stale bread and feed ducks at a nearby lake or pond.
40. Collect snack wrappers for upcycling.
41. Throw a silk-dyeing party.
42. Explore the practice of guided meditation.
43. Play flashlight tag after dark.
44. Birdwatch.
45. Tie-dye old t-shirts with natural vegetable dyes.
46. Build a tire swing for your backyard.
47. Wake up extra early to watch the sun rise.
48. Make a fort, inside or out, it doesn’t matter!
49. Create sculptural masterpieces with homemade play dough.
50. Have a diving competition at your local pool.
What a fantastic list! You know - I almost think I might take these, print them out, cut them into individual pieces, and put them in a jar. Then, on days when we’re a bit bored or stir-crazy, we can pick one out to do.
Picnics are cool and exciting. In this economy, people are always looking to save money on family activities. Picnics are a great way to do this. Whats so great about a picnic is that children typically like them just as much as adults. Dont for get to bring your picnic baskets and be delighted.