Mess for Less
menu icon
search icon
×

15 Summer Activities Kids Will Love

Published: by · This post contains affiliate links.

Pin968
Share16
Tweet
Yum
Flip
984 Shares

With the weather warming up and kids home from school you are probably looking for some fun activities to keep them busy. Here is a collection of 15 Summer Activities Kids Will Love. There is a little of everything here, with some activities taking place outside and others in the air conditioning. Some of these activities include learning concepts, while others are more art focused. If your kid loves getting messy or wet, I've got you covered!

multicultural kids face in a circle
Jump to:

❤Why These Are Summer Activities Kids Will Love

  • Many of them take place outdoors and involved water which will help them cool off.
  • Can be done again and again without kids getting bored.
  • Help kids get moving and using their creativity while learning new skills.


🌞15 Summer Activities Kids Will Love

🌟If you try this craft, leave a star rating below or a review in the comment section. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get my latest crafts!

Number Hunt
My kids love this activity because it gets them moving. I love it because of the learning involved. When kids are learning through movement, they are having more fun than they would learning passively and their motivation to learn increases.
Check out activity here
Number Hunt
Playing with Mud
Do you remember playing with mud as a kid? This idea takes mud play up a notch! We often add water to our soil to create mud. Kids love exploring with soil and water, and playing with mud is a perfect way to stimulate their natural curiosity. 
Check out activity here
Playing with Mud
Garden Sensory Bin
Kids love planting and getting their hands dirty and this activity combines both fun activities. Kids can practice planting and have fun playing in dirt. They can play with this sensory bin again and again resulting in hours of imaginative play
Check out activity here
Garden Sensory Bin
Squirt Bottle Painting
A new and exciting way to paint with squirt bottles that is perfect for a hot summer day. Those condiment bottles that you probably already have at home can be used for painting. Painting with condiment bottles is an outdoor activity, as it can get messy. Wear play clothes and get ready for fun!
Check out activity here
Squirt Bottle Painting
Slide Painting Activity
We decided to use our slide to watch our paint drip. Slide painting is a great way for kids to explore the effect of gravity on paint.
Check out activity here.
Slide Painting Activity
Kids Window Art
Kids will have so much fun painting a window and they will to learn and practice valuable skills while doing it. You don't need a large sliding glass door like we have to do this. Any low window will suffice.
Check out activity here
Kids Window Art
Panning for Gold Activity
Recently, we collected some rocks, painted them and incorporated them in our sand play. This panning for gold activity is a fun way to brighten up some rocks (literally) and add new life to a sand table.
Check out activity here
Panning for Gold Activity
Water Balloon Phonics
If you are looking for a way to practice phonics that doesn't involve worksheets and you want to beat the heat as well, then you need to try water balloon phonics.
Check out activity here
Water Balloon Phonics
Water Balloon Hunt
I wanted to do a water balloon hunt. I decided to assign each child a shape and then draw that shape on some of the balloons. The kids could only pick up balloons that had their shape on it.
Check out activity here
Water Balloon Hunt
Sea Shell Craft
A fun craft to do with kids after a trip to the beach. They will love this pretty way to decorate shells using colored sand!
Check out activity here
Sea Shell Craft
Suncatcher Craft
You'll love this colorful kids Suncatcher Craft that not only looks pretty outdoors, but serves as a deterrent to any birds and small animals that might be trying to dig up your seeds and garden.
Check out activity here
Suncatcher Craft
Bubbling Shell Craft
If you have been doing some beach trips this summer, it is time to break out your bag of shells and paint them in a new and exciting way. I found that flat, porous (not shiny) shells work better for this Bubbling Shell Craft. This kids activity combines craft with science as kids get to explore what happens when vinegar is added to baking soda.
Check out activity here
Bubbling Shell Craft
Duck Tape® Boat Races
Use tape to make colorful boats which float perfectly on water. Add some straws and have the kids compete in a boat race!
Check out activity here
Duck Tape® Boat Races
Sand Playdough Recipe
If you have a kid who loves to play in the sand, you can now bring the beach to them with this easy Sand Playdough Recipe.
Check out activity here
Sand Playdough Recipe
Outdoor Math Game
I created this outdoor math game which disguises learning with some fun physical activity and good old friendly competition. This math game requires just a few basic supplies and is easy to set up.
Check out activity here
Outdoor Math Game

👀I Spy Games for Summer

Enjoy the summer with these printable I Spy Games for Kids. Kids will have so much fun with this printable I Spy. They will look and find each item and then write down how many of each item they find. This helps them with visual discrimination skills as well as writing and counting. So many skills to practice with these summer activity sheets. You can get these printables at my Etsy shop.

1 2


🤷🏻‍♀️FAQs

What are the best summer supplies for kids?

Check out these reusable water balloons, this fun splash pad, and this toss and catch ball set which is great for working on gross motor skills.

What about the summer slide?

By all means have fun with your kids during the summer. Take time to relax and play. But don’t forget about academics completely. My kids enjoy working in the Summerbridge books and Kumon Summer Review.


☀Related Activities

Pin968
Share16
Tweet
Yum
Flip
984 Shares

More Play and Fun

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Thanks so much Kate! When is your winter?

  2. Thanks so much Mari!

  3. They're all so pretty! Great activities for kids. These days, most would just keep them occupied...and quiet playing games on their ipads

    knowledge for kids

  4. wow so many awesome ideas! Love all the water balloon activities, makes me wish is was warming up instead of cooling down here in Australia!!

  5. Great share!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *