8 Easy Summer Activities for Kids

The summer holidays have arrived, so we thought we’d compile a list of 8 fun, easy and homemade ideas to keep the little ones busy. We know it can sometimes be hard to keep the kids entertained, especially with lockdown still going on.

Hopefully, these are some options you haven’t tried yet!

1. Make a Homemade Ring Toss

This is a Funky favourite. All you need is some paper plates, a tube and some goodies to decorate them with (this can be paint, crayons, stickers – anything available!). The cardboard from a kitchen roll or from wrapping paper can be cut to make the perfect sized tubes. Simply cut a hole into the plates and the children will be ring toss ready. Try sticking the tube to the bottom of a paper plate to create a sturdy base to toss the rings at.

2. Play Some Homemade Bowling

This one is super easy, just grab some plastic bottles and a ball! We think it works best if there are around 5 water bottles to bowl with. The bottles can also be decorated and saved for next time, squeeze a little paint into the bottle and loosen it with some water. The kids can then give the bottles a good old shake and voilà – coloured bowling pins! This homemade idea helps kids enjoy a fun and environmentally friendly way to re-use their bottles.

3. Plan a Treasure Hunt

Help the children release their inner pirate! Create an eye-catching treasure map and some numbered clues (fun tip: a dab of coffee on a sponge will help your map look more like a treasure map!). You can even let the kids draw or create their own treasure. Plus, a treasure hunt can be done inside or outside, perfect for even those rainy summer days. Keep it simple with paper clues and treasure made of whatever crafting items available to hand! If you need some inspiration, there are some exciting and simple treasure hunt resources online, from printable clues to riddle ideas. Take a look at The Spruce blog for some great inspo!

4. Write Friendship Cards

This is a good way to encourage your kids to practice their literacy skills! Get them to create and write in a fun card for their friends and send it in the post. Not only will this get the kids working on their writing, but they’ll also find it super exciting to receive a letter back. Get them to draw a picture of their favourite part of the summer or maybe a picture of their favourite animal to send to their best friend. Just grab some colourful pens, glitter or stickers, and some A4 paper, this can be folded to create the card. You will also need an envelope and stamp to pop it in the postbox!

5. Plant A Mini Potted Garden

Use plastic or paper cups, soil and some seeds of your choice to start a project they can enjoy all summer! Teach them how to care for plants and how to garden. To get started with your potted garden, grab the cup and add some holes to the bottom to prevent the seeds from being flooded. Fill the cup halfway with fresh soil, add a little water and allow to absorb. The next step is to use your finger to make a hole in the soil with only a few seeds – 3 should be enough as not all seeds will grow. Cover the seeds with soil and then find a warm and sunny location for them to grow.

Tell the children they need to water the seeds at least once a day. Be mindful of the care instructions on the seed packaging as this can vary based on the plant. Planting a DIY garden is both a low cost and educational idea! Why not plant something edible to make it extra interactive for the children?

6. Design an Obstacle Course

We love this activity because you can make it as hard or as easy as you like! It can be strictly jumping, skips and rolls or, they can get creative and include props. Why not jump through a hula hoop or include an egg and spoon race? There are many options to choose from for your course such as; make a long piece of wood into a balance beam, crawl under some chairs, jump from different items, add a blindfold section.

Treat this activity it like a school sports day by timing the course and giving out the treat of a choc ice! If you want to go the whole hog – there are some great DIY obstacles that can be made at home. Why not use your homemade bowling or ring toss as part of the course? Check out Active for Life for a few great DIY ideas for obstacle courses.

7. Print Colouring or Activity Sheets

For this idea, you will need some paper, colouring stationery such as pens or crayons and a printer! The internet has many free online colouring and activity sheets available – you can print a new one whenever it’s needed. Colouring is always a handy way to pass the time on those rainy days and Crayola have great printable sheets!

8. Create A Den for Their Favourite Toys

Help the children create something they can be proud of and make a home for their favourite animal toys. Whatever you can find in your garden or park will work perfectly for this activity, especially leaves, stones, sticks and shells. This idea is a easy and exciting way to pass the time plus it encourages them to play outside! A collection of sticks, moss and dried leaves can also make a den for the bugs found in the garden. Leave the DIY habitat overnight and come back the next day to see if any bugs have made their new home.

We hope these few creative activities have inspired you to keep your children busy for a few days. If you are looking for more ideas, browse our selection of gifts for kids where you will find super cool toys including Nerf guns, Dinosaurs mould and paint, jewellery making kits, or water colouring gift sets and more.