50+ fun screen-free summer activities for kids

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Summer is a great time to spend with your kids. There are so many fun activities and places to go that you’ll never run out of things to do. In this article, we’ve put together a list of some of the best things to do with kids during summer. Whether you’re looking for activities that are easy to do or ones that will keep your kids entertained all day long, we’ve got you covered.

From easy summer activities which can be done indoors or outdoors, to activities that are perfect for older kids who are ready for a bit more challenge. Whatever your plans for summer are, make sure to include some of these.

Top tip: You can put together a “summer of fun” jar, write down all of these on little pieces of paper and have your kids pick out something when they are feeling bored.

50 summer activities for kids

  1. Make a butterfly feeder
  2. Make a video diary
  3. Go bird watching
  4. Make an insect maze
  5. Make (and throw!) sponge water bombs
  6. Interview someone
  7. Play skipping games
  8. Make ice lollies
  9. Knit something
  10. Do something kind
  11. Try some nature sketching
  12. Make friendship bracelets
  13. Build a Lego town
  14. Make a wormery
  15. Do something for charity
  16. Go on a woodland/riverside scavenger hunt
  17. Play table tennis
  18. Stencil on your lawn with flour
  19. Have a snail race
  20. Do some chalk art
  21. Make giant bubbles with string
  22. Make a pooter to observe insects with
  23. Sew something
  24. Do a science experiment (we love the Kitchen Science Cookbook for these!)
  25. Hatch some butterflies (we recently did this using an Insect Lore live butterfly kit)
  26. Go blackberry picking – blackberries are out already!
  27. Paint outdoors
  28. Go on a plant identification walk (we love the app Plant ID for this – ok not quite screen-free!)
  29. Set up a teddy bear hunt in your garden
  30. Go insect spying with a handglass
  31. Open a toy laundrette in the garden
  32. Go bug sweeping
  33. Make a nature bracelet or crown
  34. Surprise someone!
  35. Bake something
  36. Play tennis
  37. Paint and put out rocks in your neighbourhood
  38. Make fruit kebabs and chocolate sauce
  39. Hold a card-playing tournament (think UNO, Boggle Slam etc)
  40. Make a den
  41. Donate to the local food or hygeine bank
  42. Play chalk games
  43. Do something for someone else
  44. Sow vegetable seeds for Autumn
  45. Write a letter to a friend
  46. Draw portraits of each other
  47. Play dodgeball
  48. Design and complete an obstacle course
  49. Have a water balloon pinata party
  50. Make bath bombs
  51. Pick out and plant Autumn bulbs
  52. Set up a face painting/glitter tattoo parlour
  53. Cooking challenge – pick three ingredients and go cook with them – think Ready Steady Cook!
  54. Write a song
  55. Start a compost heap
  56. Have a dance party
  57. Walk a dog – don’t have one? Borrow one on Borrow My Doggy which we have been doing recently
  58. Make a backyard splash pad
  59. Hold a read-a-thon
  60. Do some water gun painting (make sure it’s washable paint!)

So while the summer weeks ahead might be filled with more of – well – nothing, I hope these summer activities for kids help to bring a little summer joy into your lives. Do you have any more ideas to add to the list, if so please feel free to add them in a comment below.

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Picture credit: Party photo created by pvproductions – www.freepik.com

6 comments

  1. This is such a useful list for parents! My niece always wants to watch cartoons, but I know she’d enjoy many of these screen-free activities, especially a dance party and making ice lollies!

  2. I love this list and I think I’m going to do a good portion of it with my niece and nephew! I love screen-free activities that allow us to spend time doing things together. I love walking the dog, growing a garden and making lollies lol

  3. So many great, creative ideas here! It’s so important to fuel their imagination and get them away from technology for bit. Great list!

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