Here’s some super fun, cheap things you can do at home with your kids to have the best summer ever!!
Hey there momma, are you looking for fun summer ideas for at home summer adventures?
As a stay at home mom, I know you can’t always afford to get out of the house every day, especially if you have a lot of kids (those admissions prices add up fast!).
And sometimes getting out of the house is more work than it’s worth! 😆
So, if you are looking at long, lazy summer days at home, I’ve got a long list of summer activities for you!
And there’s nothing lazy about it! 😆
This list of summer activities started out as one long post, but it go so long that I had to break it down into a series of fun summer ideas instead! So, after reading this post, be sure to click on the links at the bottom, for more summer fun at home for the entire family!
Backyard Summer Fun Key Takeaways
But…if you need the short and sweet version right now, ‘cause the kids are climbing all over you, no worries, momma. I’ve got ‘cha covered. 😉
Here are my favorite fun summer activities for families to do at home – right in your own backyard:
Cheapest idea – Eat lunch outside.
Best toddler idea – Put an old toy kitchen in the sandbox.
Best preschooler idea – Put up a tire swing.
Best idea involving nature– Climb a tree.
Best educational idea – Bird watching.
Best project – Build a tree house.
Best overall – Build your own backyard playground.
There you go! My favorite backyard summer activities. Go ahead and pin this post for later. You can come back and read all the great ideas when you have more time. 😉
How can I make summer fun at home?
It’s not hard to make summer fun at home, momma. The key is a nice balance between worktime and playtime. 😉
Easier said than done, right?!?
No worries; I’m an expert at having fun at home!!
Here’s what you need to remember:
1. Get your work done as early as possible in the day. And during nap times. You want to leave a big chunk of your day open for having fun with your kids.
2. Try to get out of the house at least once a week if you can. There are plenty of cheap or free fun things you can do, like go to the splash pad or visit the local library.
3. Try to some of the fun ideas this list every week. A couple of times a week or once a day is even better.
4. Limit screen time. It’s not good on your children’s physical health, for sure. But it really messes up their mental health. You’ll have crabby, moody kids, who are always at each other if you let them play too much.
5. Always gather the entire family together to play in the evenings. Make this nonnegotiable.
If you can do these things, momma, you should be on your way to a fun summer at home in no time!
How do I entertain my kids all summer?
You don’t. 😂🤣
Seriously. There is a fine line between keeping kids involved and over-scheduling them.
Kids need some downtime. And boredom is good for them. That’s where creativity and problem solving skills are born. 😉
So, try really hard NOT to entertain your kids all summer long. Please let them entertain themselves.
They need long, lazy days of summer. It’s good for them. Trust me.
But, with that said, there are things you can do, to keep your kids busy:
1. Create a summer routine. It is by far the best thing you can do to keep your kids busy and entertained all summer long. Read this post to learn more.
2. Assign chores. Giving your kids a little responsibility is the next best thing you can do to keep your kids busy this summer.
3. Keep a list of fun summer activities ready. They need to be things they can easily do by themselves. Use these activities on days that they are bored, and you really need them to stay out of your hair. (Some people even create a boredom jar.)
4. Play with your kids. If you schedule regular play time into your summer routine, then your kids will always know when you play together and when they need to entertain themselves.
That’s really all you have to do to keep your kids entertained. If they are school-aged children, the bulk of entertaining themselves falls on them. 😉
If you need help knowing how often you should entertain your kids, read this post.
Should kids have a schedule in the summer?
Absolutely, yes! I’m a huge advocate for long, lazy days of summer. But you still create those long, lazy days within a daily summer routine.
Read this post to learn how, and this post to learn why schedules are so important.
And grab your free summer routine kit! It comes with some printable summer schedules, and so much more! Just give me your email and I’ll send it right over to you.
Get the printables!
The Summer Routine Kit
What is a good summer schedule?
The best schedule is the one that works for you and your whole family. 😉
You cannot make the schedule everyone else thinks you should have – it won’t work for you, and you’ll give up.
If you need help figuring out how to make a daily sahm schedule that works for you, then read this post.
It is worth noting that a good schedule will have a nice balance of:
· Play time
· Educational time
· Family time
· Outdoor play
Aside from that, the possibilities are endless!
If you need help creating your entire family’s summer daily schedule, read this post.
How do I create a summer schedule?
If you need help creating your daily schedule, check out these posts:
Here’s How to Easily Create an Awesome Summer Routine for Your Kids
3 Quick Ways to the Perfect Stay at Home Mom Routine
How to Create a Daily Sahm Routine Using Time Chunking
The Secret to a Great Stay at Home Mom Schedule
Wanna Create the Best Ever Stay at Home Mom Schedule? Here’s How!
Hopefully one of those posts can point you in the right direction!
What are some fun summer ideas?
Boy oh boy do I have loads of fun things to do on summer break at home!!
I’ll break my ideas down into a few different posts for you:
· Backyard Fun Ideas
· Ideas for Playing in the Rain
All in all, that’s a lot of ideas! You’ll never get them all done this year, momma! 🤣😂 But pin this post for next year, too! And the year after that, and the year after that, and the year after that…
Make it a challenge to get all of these ideas checked off before your oldest turns 12!! 😆
What are some ideas for summer fun in the backyard?
Well, momma, if you are ready to have some fun in the sun – in the backyard, I’ve got tons of fun summer activities for kids! Because the backyard is my favorite place hang out!
{This post contains affiliate links, momma, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product using one of my links. It costs you nothing extra and helps support Making Mommas, so thank you! See my disclosure policy if you have any questions.}
1. Bird watching
Oh my gosh, we have so many birds in our yard, it sounds like the lake! The former owner used to do some bird watching, and could identify them all. Me…not so much. 😆
If you, like me, need a little help getting started, We Are Teachers has a great post about introducing your kids to bird watching, including books and activities to turn it into a lesson!
2. Plant an herb garden
I used to do this a lot, but not so much lately. Last summer I planted them in containers, and then forgot to water them… 🤦🏻♀️ it was a busy summer.
Gardening Know How has a great post on starting an herb garden for kids. Check it out!
3. Plant a vegetable garden
We do this literally every year. Because we have to. 😆 It’s one way we save money on groceries.
If you need help, the Every Mom has a great tutorial on how to start a vegetable garden with your kids.
4. Plant a flower garden
I’m starting to see a pattern here… 😁
I used to have huge flower gardens. But I always struggled with keeping up on the weeding. When we moved, our new house had fern gardens. No weeding! 😁
I love flower beds…but I don’t see myself planting one anytime soon.
If you need help getting started though, Nell from Rhythms of Play has a great post on how to get started with an organic flower garden for kids.
5. Look for shapes in the clouds.
I loved doing this one as a kid, and really enjoy doing it with my own boys, even now.
Penny, from Mothered Nature, has a great post on cloud watching with kids!
Or, Jenette, the founder of Childhood by Nature, has a great tutorial and video on cloud spotting, if you want to turn cloud watching into a home school lesson. Check it out!
6. Climb trees
I love it when my boys come in all sad because it’s so windy outside… 🤣😂 When I ask why the long faces, they reply, “It’s too windy to climb trees…dad won’t let us.” 😆
Seriously…it gets pretty windy here!
I agree with Jenette, though, when she says tree climbing is dead. 🥺 I used to love climbing trees as a kid…except all that sap. Did not enjoy that. 😝
Did you know one quarter of all kids have never climbed a tree?!? Me neither! Don’t let that be your child!
Read Jenette’s post from Childhood by Nature for some great tree climbing tips (and motivation!) and then get your kids out in those backyard trees! (on a not-so-windy day, of course…)
7. Fly a kite
This is probably another long-lost art. ☹️ There are some really awesome kites on Amazon. Order some today so that you can enjoy those windy summer days!
Nell, over at Rhythms of Play, has a great post on how to fly a kite for kids – it’s actually very tricky, momma!
8. Build a fort or a tree house
Oh, my dad! He made us a homemade zip line and an elevator in our tree house, as kids!! 🥰 I used to climb up on to the roof and spend sunny afternoons up there reading. One of my BEST childhood memories.
Susie, over at Tiny Beans, has 15 great outdoor fort ideas that you can actually build in your backyard.
And Brandon from Brandon Tran has a great tutorial on building a simple tree house for only $160.
And if you really want a fun summer activity, House Beautiful has a list of 20 tree houses that your kids will BEG you to build (and you won’t mind…cause you’ll like them too!)
And don’t forget your zip line and elevator!!
9. Blow bubbles
One of my favorite things to do with the twins. 🥰 I loved hearing their squeals and watching them chase the bubbles all over the yard!
Katie, over at Run Wild with My Child, has an awesome post on all the fun activities you can do with bubbles! Go check it out!
10. Have a hula hoop contest
My mom, sister, and I used to do this every summer. We were quite good at it! And I looked forward to the end of the day, when mom finally put down her work to come play with us. 🥰
Tanja, from Empowered Parents, has 12 easy hula hoop games for you to get started! And you can find a hula hoop here.
Or you can watch these adorable girls get it on!!
11. Jump rope
Is this another lost art?!? I used to play so many jump rope games as a kid!! 🥰 Awww, the memories.
Tanja, from Empowered Parents (what a great site!!) has 20 jump rope games you can teach to your kiddos as well! And grab your jump rope here!
12. Have a backyard cook out
Yeah…this is a regular for us. 🥰
But if you’ve never done it before, Beth over at The Every Mom, has 30 summer cookout recipes she swears your kids will love. 😂🤣 I don’t know about my kids, but I know I’ll love them!
Emily, over at Epicurious, has a few recipes that are more my kid’s style. Go check out her post on 16 kid-friendly recipes for the grill (besides hot dogs!) if you don’t think your kids will like Beth’s ideas. 😉
13. Have a scavenger hunt
Lindsey, from Lindsey Blogs, has a free summer scavenger hunt printable for you! Grab it and get hunting!
14. Have a treasure hunt
My older boys loved Blue’s Clues as kids. So, we often had to have a treasure hunt! 😆
Persil has a great tutorial on planning a treasure hunt for kids. And Birute from Playtivities has a ready to use treasure hunt for you, complete with free printable clues!
And, if your kids like Blue’s Clues, here’s some free printable paw prints for your clues, from Stephanie over at the Tiptoe Fairy!!
15. Eat supper outside
This is something we do almost every night in the summer. Its just a given. We’ve been cooped up for nine months all winter long, after all!
Plus, eating outside makes for easy clean up when you have messy toddlers!
Simply Well Balanced has 40 kid-friendly summer dinner recipe ideas for you to take outside this summer!
16. Eat breakfast outside
Same thing goes here! Plus, coffee on the deck is just always a good idea. 🥰
Izzy from Izzy Cooking has 40 breakfast ideas for your kiddos that you can enjoy on the deck this summer.
17. Eat lunch outside
Of course! 😆 Just eat outside as often as you can. 🤷🏻♀️
Here’s some fun lunch ideas for kids from Maria over at Two Peas and Their Pod.
18. Have a sports day
Do your kids do a sports day at school? Mine do! Every year, during that last week of school. It’s so much fun!!
What if you brought that same idea home, to your kids?!? 😁
Josie, over at Me, Them, and the Others, has a great tutorial on how to plan a sports day at home! You have to check it out!!
19. Make a zip line
It doesn’t have to be from a tree house – it can be literally from anywhere. My husband wants to put one over the river at our house. 🤣🤣
Viktor from The DIY Plan has a great tutorial for you to make your own kid’s zip line.
20. Create an obstacle course
This idea doesn’t have to be wintertime indoor fun only! Summer backyard obstacle course courses are the best!!
Birute has some great ideas for easy outdoor obstacle courses over at Playtivities.
21. Build your own backyard playground
Chrissy over at Fun Loving Families has some great ideas for backyard play areas!!
Climbing, sliding, swinging…sand and water play…these are better than a traditional swing set momma!
22. Have a picnic
You don’t have to go anywhere special to have a picnic with your kids! Just pack it up and hit the back yard!
Bonus points if you do it at night, or have a fort, tree house, or tent to have the picnic in!
Sarah, from Taming Twins ☺️ has 30 picnic ideas for kids and Name Bubble has five great ideas to keep your kids busy during your picnic.
23. Watch the sun rise or set (or both!)
Emily has some great tips for making the most of both, a sunrise and a sunset over at her own website, Emily Morgan.
24. Make your own tire swing
We love to do this! Although, we moved…and now it hasn’t been hung back up. ☹️ My younger kids were outgrowing it. But now I have a grandson! 😁 We’d better get it back up next summer!
The Spruce has a great tutorial on making your own tire swing if you’ve never done it before. Check it out!
25. Put a toy kitchen in your sandbox
This is the ultimate for sand play, let me tell you! My kids loved it when we did this. It takes cooking mud pies to a whole new level. 😁
You’re gonna wanna find an old one, at a garage sale, or a hand me down or something, because you definitely don’t want to wreck a new kitchen.
And while you’re at it, find old toy kitchen food and utensils too!
Or, if you can’t find an old toy kitchen, you can make one! Liska and Jeffrey from Adventures in a Box have a great post on how to make an outdoor kitchen from an old shelf!
26. Make mud pies in the sandbox
Of course, while you’re at it, you must make mud pies!! Nell over at Rhythms of Play has a great post on how to make a mud pie.
27. Make a river in the sandbox
If you have a sandbox, you have to make a river! That just goes without saying. 😂🤣
Kate, from Pickle Bums, takes your ordinary sandbox river to a whole new level in her post on how to make a river in the sand pit!!
28. Build a farm in the sandbox
We did this all the time as kids, and so did my own kids. We come from a farming community, though. In fact, my second oldest bought a farm and is now a farmer! 😆 Who knew?!? 🤷🏻♀️
I tried to find a post about playing farm in the sandbox, but all I could find was animal farm toys and video games! 😂🤣 Go figure! (Maybe I’ll have to write my own…)
Still, if you want to create a farm in your sandbox, we used old metal sandbox farm toys. They are the best. But good luck finding them! You can browse on Amazon, but most are plastic now-a-days.
You might be able to find some at garage sales. 🤷🏻♀️
29. Have a shoe kicking contest
My sister and I used to do this on the swings! It was so much fun. 😆
All I could find for tutorials was shoe kicking contests by standing up in a line. But you can do it on the swings too – just follow the same rules but do it while swinging. 😉
30. Play hopscotch
Another lost art, I swear! 😅
The Genius of Play has a great post on how to play hopscotch, if you’ve never done it before, and Parents has a great tutorial, with many hopscotch variations, as well.
31. Host a talent show
We used to do a talent show every year in school, and a lip syncing contest, at our town summer block party, every summer. So much fun!
If you’ve never hosted a talent show before, Gathered Again has ten fun ideas for hosting a talent show at home!!
Phew! 😅 That was a lot of backyard summer fun, momma!
I hope you found a few great fun summer activities for your whole family!
At the end of they day…
At the end of the day, momma, it’s all about spending time with your kids. That’s how you make summer special for your kids. It’s not really about the summer activities.
Think about your favorite summer memories. What are they? Some crazy fun summer vacation? Or hanging out in the backyard, with dad? 🥰
Kids crave our time and attention more than anything else in the whole world.
I remember hula hooping, bike riding down to the 7-11 for slushies, and walking around town with my mom. And I remember flooding the yard and playing tag in it with my dad. 🥰 These are my favorite summer memories.
Even when I think about a trip we took to South Dakota, my favorite part about the whole trip was playing flash light tag with my family members. It wasn’t the Black Hills or Flintstone Park. It was tag with the people I love. 🥰
Your kids just want you, momma.
That’s why your a sahm, after all. 😉