Make fun family memories with these kids’ activities for summer! We’ve compiled a list of twenty activity ideas that will bust your child’s boredom, take advantage of the warm weather, and bring the whole family together. During summer, it’s the perfect time to take a beach day, watch an outdoor sports game, visit a local park or enjoy an at-home summer activity like digging for fossils. You don’t need to take a trip out of state to have the best summer vacation ever! Fill your summer with unique and creative activities that will keep your child engaged and entertained!  

20 Kids’ Activities for Summer Vacation  

Enjoy a picnic and coloring books.  

Visit your local park and enjoy a picnic outside. Bring coloring books and games for kids to enjoy in between playing at the park. To make this day even more special, surprise your child with a personalized coloring book that features their name. They will love seeing their name among the coloring pages and activities!  

Visit a water park.  

Beat the heat at a fun outdoor or indoor water park! Make it a day event or treat the family and stay overnight at a hotel.   

Pitch a tent for storytime.  

Set up a tent on your front lawn read your favorite picture books! You’ll feel like you’re camping and get a break from the hot sun. Choose an engaging and personalized children’s book like My Very Own Nursery Rhymes that will introduce kids to favorite nursery rhyme characters and maybe even lull them to sleep for a nap!  

Make homemade popsicles.  

Kids will love a cooling treat of their favorite flavors! For a fruit treat, blend yogurt, frozen fruit, and sugar together and pour into molds to freeze.  

Do a puzzle on a rainy day.  

When it’s raining and boredom strikes, puzzles will keep your family entertained and happy! Personalized puzzles are especially engaging. Choose a custom puzzle that features your family’s names or a photo. 

Visit a local swimming pool or beach.  

Swimming is the ultimate kids’ summer activity! Visit a public pool or enjoy a beach day at the lake or ocean. If you don’t have a pool or beach nearby, take a staycation at a hotel with a pool!  

Make a kindness checklist.  

Create a list of kind acts you can do for family, friends, and neighbors. These acts can be big and small such as complimenting a neighbor, helping a friend with tasks, or giving a family member a hug. Inspire kids to make a difference by reading an inspirational book such as I Can Change the World! Personalized with the child’s name, this storybook shows how even a small child can make an impact by helping out or being a good friend.  

Golf at a regular course or go mini golfing. 

Introduce your child to a favorite summer sport. This is a fun activity for the whole family to make memories. Treat yourself to ice cream afterwards!  

Make mini boats to race.  

Make small boats out of recycled containers (coffee creamer containers, milk containers, cups or bottles). Cut and shape the container like a boat and attach a long string to it. Then race your boats outside and use the string to make sure it doesn’t float away!  

Tie dye clothes outside.  

Summer is the perfect time for tie dye projects. Make colorful clothing and accessories that you can wear all summer long!  

Go to a baseball game.  

Enjoy this great American pastime with your family! There’s nothing better than cheering on your team with a hot dog and blue skies.  

Play frisbee golf in your backyard.  

Scatter hula hoops around the grass and play frisbee golf. This is a great last-minute activity when you want to play a fun game!  

Dig for fossils.  

Pick up bags of sand from a gardening store, pour the sand into a plastic bin, and hide small objects like rocks and dinosaur toys. Then use a rake and paint brush to search for fossils and clean them off.  

Play pretend at the carwash.  

Cover your child’s bike or ride-on car with soapy suds. Then have them pedal their vehicle. As they bike, spray them with water as if they are riding through a car wash. This activity will be a favorite with your child—and it gets their play vehicle clean too!  

Replicate a drive-in movie theater at home.  

Re-create a drive-in movie theater experience! Set up a projector and attach a sheet to your garage door to play a movie. Just like an old-fashioned drive-in, you can watch from your car in the driveway while snacking on burgers and root beer floats!  

Create your own outdoor art show.  

Set up canvas and easels outside so kids can release their inner artiste! This summer activity takes advantage of the nice weather and keeps the mess outside.  

Cook grilled cheese and s’mores over a bonfire. 

Dinner is served over an open firepit! Cook your food outside while stargazing. It’ll feel just like you’re camping!  

Visit the aquarium.  

Have a fun learning adventure at the aquarium! Many aquariums offer children’s programs with educational activities to learn all about creatures that live in water.  

Explore nature with binoculars.  

It’s time to go on a nature adventure little explorer! Use binoculars to observe your surroundings. Can you find a squirrel or owl in a tree? Can you spot an ant hill? Can you discover which bird is singing a particular song?  

Build a fort from cardboard boxes.  

This is a great family activity to do outside or inside on a rainy day. Gather a bunch of leftover shipping boxes and attach them to make a kids’ fort. In your imagination, the fort can be a tent, a castle or a portal to a secret other world—the possibilities are endless!  

We hope these children’s summer activities will help you make joyful memories all summer long!