100 Summer Activities for Kids at Home + Printable Checklist

You’ll never hear “I’m bored” again! Here are 100 fabulous and fun activities for kids to do at home this summer! Whether you have toddlers, preschoolers or 5–10 year olds, you’ll find dozens of easy, inexpensive and imaginative ideas for backyard play and rainy-day indoor fun. BRING ON SUMMER!

Summer break — those words sound like freedom to kids. As a parent you might love having your child at home, but you also know those two dreaded words are likely to appear: I’m bored. It’s almost inevitable, often by day two of the break. Don’t worry — this list has you covered.

I’ve compiled a huge collection of summer crafts, sensory activities, simple science experiments and easy recipes that will keep kids engaged, learning and creating all summer long. Everything here is chosen to be easy to set up, budget-friendly and doable at home — in the yard, on the deck or in the kitchen. A printable checklist is included so you can stick it on the fridge and plan your summer adventures.

Your kids’ best summer memories can be made right in your backyard

Think back to the summers of your childhood — lemonade stands, backyard plays, mud pies, daisy chains and days of make-believe that stretched on for hours. Those simple, imaginative activities often create the most lasting memories, and they rarely cost anything. In my daycare we embrace that same spirit. Low-cost, hands-on play that encourages creativity and learning beats screen time any day.

Fun doesn’t have to be expensive

I run my daycare on a shoestring budget, so most activities use materials you already have — kitchen staples, recycling, garden finds and inexpensive craft supplies. Many projects are completely cost-free and emphasize exploration and creativity rather than costly toys.

How I beat boredom every day

My simple daily strategy:

I set up one main activity the kids can use all day — something they can come back to whenever they want. It could be a water bin, a sensory bin or an outdoor art station. I also include permanent play features in the yard — things like a pulley-style bucket and rope or a backyard tightrope — that invite imaginative play for long stretches. We do a craft each day and include a walk or park visit for fresh air and movement. With this mix of free-play, hands-on activities and outdoor time, boredom rarely shows up.

Be sure to print the checklist for these ideas and display it on your fridge to work through all 100 activities this summer.

100 Fun Activities For Kids To Do At Home This Summer!

1. Create giant homemade bubbles using an easy bubble solution — fun for all ages.
2. Paint outside with frozen colorful paint pops for sunny art sessions.
3. Build a homemade water wall to explore pouring, splashing and cause-and-effect.
4. Collect natural materials and make playful nature faces.
5. Set up a backyard waterslide for cooling outdoor thrills.
6. Make a bath station for dolls to encourage nurturing pretend play.
7. Craft ribbon twirling sticks and have a dance party.
8. Rig up a bucket-and-rope pulley contraption for gross-motor play.
9. Make healthy two-ingredient creamsicles for a cool treat.
10. Weave God’s Eye ornaments — a classic project for older kids.
11. Create marbled paper with shaving cream to turn into cards or wrapping paper.
12. Stir up garden “soup” with water and collected plants for sensory play.
13. Dig for frozen treasures in an Ice Age-themed sensory bin.
14. Paint the driveway using a simple three-ingredient sidewalk paint.
15. Try classic tin-can stilts for balance and giggles.
16. Stage a car wash with shaving cream and water for toy cars.
17. Make two-ingredient cloud dough for a soft, moldable sensory medium.
18. Color your cloud dough to add a new twist to sensory play.
19. Whip up a batch of fairy soup and pair it with mud-pie play.
20. Use wet sidewalk chalk to create vibrant, temporary street art.
21. Hang a doll clothesline and let children wash and hang tiny clothes.
22. Make homemade musical instruments and create a backyard marching band.
23. Mix ghost mud (toilet paper, soap and water) for an unforgettable tactile experience.
24. Make melted-sun crayon art using a sunny day and creativity.
25. Paint shaving cream “clouds” on a mirror for sensory art.
26. Blend frozen bananas into one-ingredient banana ice cream for a healthy dessert.
27. Construct homemade bird feeders and hang them to attract wildlife.
28. Build a mobile mud pit in a wheelbarrow for contained muddy fun.
29. Craft garden ornaments to decorate outdoor spaces or give as gifts.
30. Assemble ocean-themed sensory bins for small-world water play.
31. Host a backyard pretend tea party using nature-found items as props.
32. Create window art on sliding doors with foam shapes and water.
33. Paint with water on the driveway or deck — a simple, endlessly entertaining activity.
34. Set up a colored water laboratory to explore mixing and color theory.
35. Make quick homemade pizza using easy 20-minute dough for a cooking lesson.
36. Turn scrap fabric, ribbon and buttons into paper dolls and costumes.
37. Craft good-luck stones or simple worry dolls for comfort and creativity.
38. Arrange a dolly diaper station — toddlers love this nurturing play setup.
39. Host a backyard art party for group creativity and social play.
40. Design fridge magnets from repurposed craft materials.
41. Create bottle babies from recycled bottles for outdoor role play.
42. Add artificial flowers to a play area for open-ended imaginative play.
43. Attach funnels and hoses to a fence to create a corn run or water channel.
44. Make wind chimes from found objects to add music to the garden.
45. Paint the sliding glass door with shaving cream for large-scale sensory art.
46. Combine blocks and shaving cream to practice spreading and stacking skills.
47. Teach braiding with a homemade braiding board to develop fine motor skills.
48. Play with colored ice and water to explore melting and mixing.
49. Set up a pretend coffee shop to encourage role play and social interaction.
50. Make simple binoculars and head out on a nature hunt.
51. Install a balance beam to build confidence and coordination.
52. Try a water displacement experiment to introduce basic science concepts.
53. Practice weaving with paper plates and yarn for fine motor development.
54. Collect stones and transform them into painted crafts and practical projects.
55. Perform a homemade magic show with easy tricks and dramatic flair.
56. Test markers on paper towels to create colorful chromatography artworks.
57. Turn beach rocks into crystallized paperweights for a sparkly craft.
58. Churn homemade butter as a fun kitchen science project.
59. Create a nature collage from yard and garden finds.
60. Weave on a cardboard loom or a circular loom to make small textiles.
61. Add ramps and toys to a sandbox for active construction play.
62. Mix homemade watercolour disks for painting sessions outdoors.
63. Make vibrant liquid watercolours for open-ended painting.
64. Build a water-works activity bin with PVC and funnels for pouring play.
65. Paint and decorate rocks to make keepsakes or paperweights.
66. Make popsicle-stick yarn dolls for imaginative storytelling.
67. Create paint-stick dolls from simple craft materials.
68. Transform a cardboard box into a small-world construction site.
69. Whip up two-ingredient goop for stretchy, tactile exploration.
70. Set up a cutting station to practice scissor skills with purposeful tasks.
71. Make an ocean in a bottle to explore currents and floating objects.
72. Build ice sculptures using frozen molds — even in summer!
73. Use paper plates for dozens of quick, creative crafts.
74. Run a lemonade stand and teach basics of money and customer service.
75. Decorate glass jars to use as vases, pen holders or gifts.
76. Make a name puzzle for preschoolers to practice letter recognition.
77. Try simple science experiments tailored for toddlers and preschoolers.
78. Create paper bag tiaras or simple crowns for dress-up play.
79. Assemble a dinosaur activity bin for paleontology-themed play.
80. Craft paper-towel roses to make a handcrafted bouquet.
81. Explore activities on mirrored surfaces for visual and sensory play.
82. Collect sticks and make rustic garden ornaments.
83. Add a running-water feature to your backyard play area using an old camping jug.
84. Encourage “mad scientist” play with color mixing and pretend perfume-making.
85. Organize a muddy car wash for toy vehicles and outdoor cleanup fun.
86. Create a pool noodle abacus to combine math learning and play.
87. Wash toys regularly as a practical chore and lesson in cleanliness.
88. Set up a styrofoam construction station to explore building and engineering.
89. Fill a container with water for a tiny Polly Pocket pool party.
90. Finger paint with shaving cream on an outdoor table for sensory art.
91. Make authentic mud pies for nostalgic outdoor play.
92. Let older kids create self-portrait paper-plate crafts.
93. Install a backyard tightrope for daring balance challenges.
94. Churn coffee-can ice cream for a hands-on dessert-making activity.
95. Try squirt-gun painting for an energetic, colorful outdoor art session.
96. Create cereal-box self-portraits with collage materials.
97. Explore simple chemical-reaction experiments to spark curiosity about science.
98. Organize an outdoor scavenger hunt for exploration and observation skills.
99. Set up a backyard obstacle course to boost fitness, balance and coordination.
100. Try tie-dyeing a t-shirt with Sharpies for custom clothing art.

Download and print the full checklist of 100 activities to keep on your fridge and refer to all summer long.

Backyard games for kids

If you want more ideas specifically for outdoor group games and backyard gatherings, try a variety of simple party and family-friendly games that build movement skills and social play. These activities are perfect for family get-togethers, neighborhood fun and active summer days.

Get the 3–5 Playful Preschool e-Book

An e-book packed with 25+ preschool activities contributed by multiple bloggers, printable resources and links to dozens more activities — a useful resource for caregivers and parents.

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