With school wrapping up in just a couple of short weeks, I’m looking forward to the upcoming days filled with fun summer activities for the kids. My kids are all under 9 (they’re 3, 5, and 8!), and outside of a couple of weeks of a family vacation, we don’t have too much planned this summer. While it seems like the norm to sign up for summer camp for the entire summer, I didn’t do that. I really want my kids to have time at home to relax and just enjoy summertime as a kid. I did something similar last year (skipping all of the signups) and it turned out to be a great idea.
Time feels like it’s flying by too fast, and in just a few short years I’ll have all three in full time school! Plus, I have fond memories of playing with the neighborhood kids, riding bikes, exploring, and begging our moms to let us watch a movie in someone’s basement (hah).
If you’re asking yourself “how do I entertain my kids all summer?” I have some ideas!
(Mostly) Screen-free Summer Schedule
I’m hoping to not have my kids watching screens too much of the summer. It’s really easy to fall into a bad habit of staying in pajamas until 10 or 11am or watching a movie before lunch. Historically my kids don’t do well if they watch shows in the morning and have to transition to non-screen time, so we are definitely not starting our days with TV. I do find that sometimes they need to just lie down for a minute and sometimes a good Disney movie is the only thing that helps them stay in one place, so we’ll save our TV time for later in the afternoons or for (very) rainy days!
Here’s the very loose summer schedule I’m working towards for a really fun summer
I am hoping for more of a 90s summer for my kids this year: outside play, stomping in puddles, sprinklers and playgrounds, bike rides and lemonade stands. Here’s the loose schedule we’ll go by this summer for the best days:
7:30-8:30am wake up and have breakfast, get dressed for the day, and do morning chores. This might be putting away laundry, making beds, or helping clean up dishes (and emptying the dishwasher from the night before)
9:00am-11:00am morning adventure! This might be to the local playground or splash pad before it gets too hot, or it could be something as simple as grocery shopping.
12:00pm lunch! My kids love to do “snack boxes” on the front porch filled with various items. Kind of like a lunchtime trail mix!
1:00-4:00pm afternoon adventure. Maybe we go to the children’s museum where we are members, or it could be hanging out in our backyard with the sprinkler or having a play date with friends.
4:00pm extended outside play or quiet indoor play while Mom figures out dinner and preps
5:30pm family dinnertime with the occasional extended family backyard BBQ
7:30pm bedtime routine begins for all 3 kids
As far as the different adventures we’re planning, here are some ideas I have in mind…
Fun and affordable outdoor summer activities (some for your own backyard)
Is there anything better than just being outside in the warm weather as a kid? Aside from going to the beach or the local pool, here are some ideas for affordable (or free!) outdoor summer activities to do with your kids.
Break out the water table
Always a hit with kids under 10! I plan to add a water pump to ours this summer for added fun
I also have a list of fun backyard toys for kids under 5!
Make a butterfly garden
We started gardening a few years ago and love planting our own vegetables to pick all summer. I think it would be lovely to plant flowers that butterflies are attracted to!
Have a backyard picnic or meet friends for a picnic at the playground
Simple but easy summer fun
Watch an outdoor movie
All you need is a white sheet and a projector!
Draw with sidewalk chalk
There are endless opportunities for creating with chalk. My kids love to create obstacle courses or “roads” to drive their scooters and bikes on.
Play “cornhole” (drawn on the driveway with chalk!)
Go camping in your backyard
This is something I’ve never done but I think could be really cool! If you live in a bug-free environment (or have a really good bug spray), set up a tent and enjoy a night under the stars with the kids.
Visit a new (to you) playground
It’s always exciting to check out new playgrounds and splash pads in the area!
Fun summer indoor activities for hot summer days
When it’s too hot to be outside or too rainy, there are tons of things you can do inside!
Make ice cream
We have an ice cream maker but plenty of recipes don’t need any gadgets to make your own ice cream. You get to pick all the mixins, which is half the fun! (The other half is eating the ice cream, obviously).
Build a fort
Yes it makes a mess when you take out every blanket, pillow, and chair to build a fort. But you can also check out the very cool fort building couches specifically made for kids. I reviewed ours in this post:
The Nugget Couch (And Best Alternatives!)
Visit the local children’s museum or aquarium
Check your local library for passes that get you in for free or at a discount.
Visit the local library for children’s programming
Our library has tons of programming for children, from finger painting to music class. Some require sign ups ahead of time, just fyi.
Tour your town/city’s fire department or police department
Many will let you do this- just call or stop by and ask!
I hope this list helps you to have an amazing summer of fun with your little ones! What are your favorite camp-free summer activities?
Walk on the beach or on a nature trail! Visit a splash pad is another good one.