10 Inexpensive Summer Activities the Whole Family Will Enjoy

It’s easy for kids to become restless in the summer. Why not knock a few activities off your summer bucket list? These are sure to keep your kids entertained and make for a summer the whole family will remember!

1. Go camping without having to leave your backyard Set up a tent in your backyard and pretend that you’re actually out in the wilderness! Don't have a tent? Let your kids get creative and build a tent out of whatever (okay for the outdoors) supplies they can find! Make it even more memorable by telling ghost stories, grilling hot dogs, or making s’mores!

2. Have a scavenger hunt! Make a list of various outdoor items for your kids to find and give them each a paper bag. Then take them around the backyard and the rest of the neighborhood to find each item! Increase the difficulty by giving them math problems to solve to find the next clue! (Ex. The next clue is under rock number 5-3)

3. Have a water balloon fight

When the temperature spikes, it can be hard for those who don’t have pools to stay cool. Pick up a few packs of water balloons and heading outside to cool off and have fun! Make it interesting and get a pack with a bunch of different sizes, once full hide them around the backyard, so nobody can stock up or babysit the bucket of balloons and everyone has to run and find the biggest balloons first.

4. Plan a backyard picnic Get the kids involved, make a few sandwiches - BUT instead of the classic PB&J, have your kids come up with some creations of their own. Not quite brave enough to try their creations on a whole sandwich? Cut 2 slices of bread in fours for four tiny creations! Add some ice cold lemonade and some snacks that won’t melt, a blanket and the perfect picnic spot. Enjoy your masterpiece sandwich picnic with your family from the comfort of your own backyard.

5. Decorate your driveway or sidewalk with chalk Pick up some glow in the dark sidewalk chalk and let your kids create their own masterpiece on your driveway or sidewalk during the day, and then come back at night to see what their creation turns in to! It’s a fun way to let your children show their creative side, and the chalk will go away with a little bit of rain or some water!

6. Open up a lemonade (Or special Concoction!) stand Help your kids make some lemonade and let them decorate signs to attract passersby. Set up a table outside and spend the day selling lemonade to the neighbors! Get creative and let your kids play around with different mixes to make their own special concoction! (Ex. Mixing different kool-aid flavors, a splash of orange juice, cranberry, apple, etc)

7. Play car wash Not only will this keep the kids busy and entertained, but it will also leave you with a clean car! Get some old rags, sponges, and buckets of soapy water and play some music for a fun afternoon. Don’t forget to tip them with some ice cream or another snack to cool them down when they're all done.

8. Tie-dye old clothes Take any old t-shirts or other white clothing and tie-dye them! Let the little ones choose what colors they want and watch as boring white clothes become colorful works of art! Just remember to do this outside and use gloves to avoid a mess!

9. Go on a hike Take the whole family to a nearby trail and spend the day hiking and enjoying nature. Pick up some disposable cameras and let the kids pretend they're National Geographic photographers for the day! Just remember to pack plenty of water, especially on those hot summer days.

10. Make homemade popsicles On particularly sweltering days, use some popsicle molds and ingredients lying around your kitchen to make some tasty popsicles that will be sure to cool down both you and your kids!

#SummerActivities #family #summer