Summer gives kids something the school year rarely does: long stretches of unscheduled time. That time is a gift, and it can also mean a lot of “what do we do now?” by mid-July. This guide collects ten summer activities that mix cooling off, making things, exploring outdoors and a couple of bigger adventures. Pair it with the free bucket-list printable to plan a week at a time.
Most of these cost nothing beyond what you already have. All of them list ages, how long they take and what an adult needs to watch for.
Start with a family bucket list
Before the first week of break, sit down together and fill in the summer bucket list printable. Everyone adds at least two ideas, adults included. Some will be big (a park trip, a campout), most will be small (ice pops, a cloud journal, a chalk game). Then use the week planner to place a few ideas around camps, work and rest days.
Leave some days empty. Unstructured time is when kids invent their own games, and a bucket list should feel like a menu, not a to-do list.
Plan your day around the heat
Hot summer afternoons are hard on kids, who may not notice they’re overheating until they’re miserable. A simple pattern helps:
- Morning: active outdoor play such as the chalk board game, nature bingo walks, bike riding or the sprinkler course.
- Midday and early afternoon: shade, water play with an adult watching, or indoor projects. Sun prints can develop in the sun while the kids stay in the shade.
- Evening: a second round of outdoor play once it cools down, cloud watching, or a backyard campout.
The National Weather Service’s heat safety guidance reminds families never to leave children in a parked car, even briefly, because temperatures inside rise fast. Offer water often, not just when kids say they’re thirsty, and plan shade breaks into every outdoor activity.
Sun protection kids will actually use
The AAP recommends broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 (up to SPF 50) for children over 6 months, plus hats, sunglasses and shade. Babies under 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight. The EPA’s daily UV Index, available for your ZIP code, tells you when the sun is strongest. It’s a useful habit for older kids to check it themselves.
Water play: the non-negotiables
Three of the activities here involve water: the sprinkler obstacle course, the sponge splash relay and the frozen treasure dig. The AAP recommends “touch supervision” for young children near water, meaning an adult within arm’s length, not watching from a window or a phone. Even a bucket or tub with a few inches of water is a drowning risk for toddlers, so empty everything when play ends.
Water balloons are a summer classic, but popped balloon pieces are a choking hazard for young children. The sponge splash relay gives the same cooling chaos with reusable sponges and no cleanup.
The ten activities at a glance
- Cool off: sprinkler obstacle course, sponge splash relay, frozen treasure excavation
- Make and create: sun prints, giant chalk board game, fruit ice pop lab
- Explore and notice: neighborhood nature bingo, cloud spotting journal
- Bigger adventures: backyard campout, Junior Ranger day
Make it a learning summer without “summer school”
Kids lose some school skills over long breaks, but you don’t need worksheets to keep them using math, reading and science. These activities have learning built in:
- Measuring and counting: the chalk board game (counting squares), ice pop timing, rain or sun experiments.
- Science: sun prints (light), the frozen dig (melting and salt), cloud spotting (weather).
- Reading and writing: keeping a cloud journal, writing Junior Ranger answers, making the bucket list.
A weekly library trip pairs well with all of this. Many libraries run free summer reading programs; ask at your local branch.
Backyard camping, done safely
The backyard campout is often the highlight of the summer. Set up before dark so kids can help, check the forecast, and keep an adult outside the whole time. Skip candles and flames near tents. If you hear thunder, head indoors and finish the “campout” in the living room. If a full night outside is too much, a “camp-in” until bedtime counts too.
Before evening outdoor play, choose an insect repellent made for kids and follow the label. The AAP’s guide to insect repellents explains which active ingredients are registered by the EPA and how long different strengths last.
Visiting a national park?
The National Park Service runs Junior Ranger programs at many parks: kids complete activities, often in a booklet, and may earn a badge. Check the specific park’s website before you go, since programs vary. If you’re staying close to home, the Junior Ranger day card shows how to make your own ranger challenge for a local park.
A sample summer week
Here’s one way to use the activities in a week without camps, for kids 4 and 8:
| Day |
Morning (cooler) |
Afternoon (hot) |
Evening |
| Monday |
Nature bingo walk |
Sun prints set out; library trip |
Cloud journal |
| Tuesday |
Chalk board game |
Frozen treasure dig in the shade |
Backyard disc golf or tag |
| Wednesday |
Bike or scooter time |
Indoor rest; ice pop lab |
Sprinkler course |
| Thursday |
Park playground |
Free play, books, Lego, crafts |
Sponge relay |
| Friday |
Gardening or weeding |
Movie or audiobook afternoon |
Backyard campout |
| Weekend |
Park or Junior Ranger outing |
Rest |
Family choice from the bucket list |
Notice the free time. Kids need stretches with nothing planned to come up with their own games, and bored-then-busy is a normal summer rhythm.
Kids of different ages
Summer often means siblings spend all day together. Give older kids real responsibility within the activities: they draw the chalk board game, keep the cloud journal, run the sponge relay as “coach,” or plan the campout menu. Younger kids can take the jobs that involve choosing: picking colors, naming the clouds or deciding the order of the obstacle course. When a 10-year-old wants something more independent, the Junior Ranger challenge and a summer reading log are good fits.
Rainy and stormy summer days
Summer storms are common in much of the country. When thunder rolls in, move indoors and switch to our rainy day activities. The ice pop lab, sun prints and cloud journal (looking at storm clouds from a window) also work as bad-weather backups.
Summer reading, the easy way
Reading keeps young brains busy through the break, and summer is the perfect time to read for fun. Let kids choose their own books, including graphic novels, joke books and nonfiction about whatever they’re into. Read aloud outdoors on the picnic blanket, at the campout, or in the shade during the hottest hour. Track books on the bucket list printable or a simple log taped to the fridge.
More summer ideas