Keeping children entertained during the summer months can sometimes be a challenge for parents or caregivers.
Fear not! We’ve compiled a list of over 10 fantastic and cost-free ideas to keep your little ones happily engaged all summer long.
1. Rating plans / check lists
Kids love to rate things and work through a check list. You can create as many of these as you like to work through. A couple we’ve tried over the years:
- Foods – pick 100 foods you know the kids haven’t tried yet. This could be specific fruit/veg, specific meals. And create a check list. Gradually plan to test all these foods over the summer.
- Play areas – which free play areas are best in your area. Visit them all over the space of a few weeks and get the kids to rank them.
- Walks/beaches – if you have beaches in striking distance, try out a few, if not, test out a few walks in the local area. You may want to add in a few scavenger hunts on a walk e.g. find 10 white things, or if you’re a naturalist, a specific plant or flower.
2. Natural finds
We always had a book to hand at home with the flora and fauna of the British isles so that we could look things up, but these days we have the internet. So when out and about ask the kids to collect objects/plants/leaves that they don’t know the name of, bring them home and then find out what it is by googling. It’s educational as well. In the garden you can catch wild beasts and do the same – just remember to release them too!
3. Scrap heap challenge
I regularly run this with my youth group, but it works just as well at home too. Save up rubbish you’d usually recycle for a few weeks (clean it of course) then give the kids all the rubbish, sellotape, string, staples, hot glue (if you have it!) and see if they can create something that will get an egg safely from one side of the room to another / or hold an egg/volume of water on a bridge that someone could crawl underneath / keep an egg safe dropped from a height.
4. Inexpensive Arts and Crafts
Tap into your child’s creative side with do-it-yourself arts and crafts projects. You don’t need expensive craft supplies. Just use what you have to hand. Simple materials like old newspapers, cardboard boxes, empty bottles, and let their imaginations run wild. Painting with water outside in the sun on a pavement or patio means whatever art they create dries and the canvas can be reused. But you could also collect plants, shells, leaves, twigs to create a nature picture/collage in the garden.
5. Games afternoon
Get all the kids to pick their top favourite board games and plan in a games afternoon with or without friends.
6. Can’t cook / won’t cook
Club together with friends and run a cooking session with everyone’s children broken into teams – kids thoroughly LOVE cooking usually and we’ve done this for just cakes and biscuits through to full 3 course meals, with the kids catering for everyone. It’s a super activity and as you need to feed anyone anyway, it’s no extra cost. You can even restrict them to £5 a meal if you want to and see what they come up with!
7. Backyard Campin
Who says you need to go far to experience the magic of camping? Set up a tent in the backyard, bring out sleeping bags, and enjoy an evening of stargazing, storytelling, and roasting marshmallows over a makeshift campfire. It’s a great way to introduce kids to the joys of camping while having the comfort of home nearby.
8. Picnic in the Park
Pack a delicious picnic basket and head to your local park. Let the kids choose their favorite foods and snacks to make it even more exciting. Enjoy the fresh air, play games like frisbee or football, and savour the time spent together as a family.
9. Science Experiments
Use household items like baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, cornflour, red cabbage and more to create exciting reactions and learn about basic scientific principles. Red cabbage when boiled releases an indicator dye that can be used to test for alkali and acid. Baking soda and vinegar mixed together create explosive reactions. Corn flour mixed with only a little water makes a colloid that is strange to handle as it’s both a solid and a liquid at the same time. Google home science experiments to find some ones that are simple to set up at home.
10. Storytelling and Theater
Encourage your children to express themselves through storytelling and theatre. They can write their own stories or act out their favorite ones. Create a theatre area in the living room to watch the performances.
11. DIY Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course in your backyard using items like hula hoops, jump ropes, cones, and old tires. Organize a friendly competition among family members or invite friends over for an afternoon of fun and physical activity.
12. Library Visits
Take advantage of your local library’s summer reading program. Most libraries offer free activities, storytelling sessions, and crafts for kids during the summer months. Encourage your children to explore new books and develop a love for reading.
13. Water Fight
Beat the summer heat with a thrilling water fight! Grab the hose and some buckets and let the kids cool off while running around and splashing each other. It’s a great way to burn off excess energy and have a blast simultaneously.
14. Family Movie Nights / Days
Set up a movie night in your living room or backyard, download the movie and don’t forget the popcorn! Movie nights are a simple way to relax together – teens often want to watch entire series back to back with friends e.g. Having a star wars marathon, Hunger Games etc. You can always theme meals to the films, and supply snacks and just let them watch the entire cannon!
15. Spring cleaning
Believe it or not – sometimes a grand spring clean is actually good fun for kids. Why not get them involved in sorting out their stuff, and work together on the rooms. There are nearly always boxes and baskets in rooms where you “throw things” that need cleaning out. Often you find loose change which can be an incentive!
16. Bargain hunt
Give the kids a specific small amount of money and see what fantastic thing they can find for that amount while you’re out and about. You can make this “Worst possible gift” or something “theme” related – whatever floats your boat. Then judge them all for best find later. They often spend THEIR money slower than they spend YOURS and if there’s a competitive element to it, they’ll take longer over it.
17. Theme days with a mystery puzzle.
During the summer parents and out of school clubs regularly turn to our children’s mystery packs to plan a day’s entertainment for children aged 7-9. Designed as puzzle solving, parent led experiences, these are not “easy” to host or instant experiences, so please don’t think you can download and go! Instead there is a lot of preparation and planning involved in hosting one. However they can fill an entire day with activities, and if you get the kids involved in helping plan the party, then it can take up an entire week of related activities as children get involved in planning and crafting ready for the big day. Great resources for out of school clubs, home schooling, and parents who enjoy the more “Hands on” activities with kids – these are memorable experiences that children and friends will enjoy and speak about for weeks. Grab 25% off with voucher code SCHOOLSOUT on our mystery packs today.
Entertaining children during the summer doesn’t have to be expensive. By incorporating these low budget and fun ideas into your summer schedule, you can ensure your kids have a memorable and enjoyable time without straining the bank. From outdoor adventures to creative indoor activities, the summer months can be filled with laughter, learning, and quality family bonding. So, get ready to embark on a summer full of excitement and create treasured memories that will last a lifetime. Happy summer!