So before chaos comes a-calling we like to plan plan and plan.
Each year we brainstorm ideas to help fill our days with over the Summer and beyond.
Here in Scotland we can’t guarantee sunshine on our summer hiatus from school so the activities we come up with have to cover a wide range of weather and circumstances.
We start with writing down categories such as crafts, days out, nature activities or gardening then writing down our favourite activities from the last few years and then scour , books and Facebook for new ideas to try.
So to give you a head start I thought I’d share with you the list my family and mindees have come up with for out summer bucket list this year. So you can benefit from out planning and avoid the panic.
If however you would rather get your own planning done i’ve put together these FREE planning sheets
- 101 Summer Activities to help you fill your planner
- Reading sheet
- Summer Bucket List
- Activity calendar sheet
- Chores sheet.
So lets kick off with…
101 Fantastic Ideas For Summer Fun With Your Kids
SUMMER FUN IN THE GARDEN
- Make a bug spotter sheet and search for bugs.
- Press some flowers – we’re pressing some to turn into a beautiful picture in the longest day.. you could also make a bookmark, table mat, or a card for someone special.
- Build a butterfly feeding station.
- Play with Slime outdoors
- Fill the paddling pool with glow sticks and bubbles
- Make a rainbow garden. Sow some annual flower seeds in bands to make a flower power rainbow.
- Try spotting the international space station.
- Make a pinata
- Have water fight. These water guns are fantastic. They hold a decent amount of water so refilling isn’t constant. The pump action is a little tricky for little hands though so many keep this for kids 5+.
23″ Large Water Gun Pump Action Super Soaker Sprayer Outdoor Beach Garden Toy
- Buy something new for the kids garden and build it together. This post has fab ideas 27 Foolproof Ideas For An Epic Play Garden For Your Kids
- Use the dressing up box or a puppet show and let the kids put on a show
- Make salt dough decorations
- Craft a sparkling fairy jar
- Make a den in the garden with sticks or sheets
- Use some chalk to create a paving stone art gallery
- Make a flower garland or curtain.
- Design a garden collage
- Make some glow in the dark bubbles
- Have a sunflower growing competition. Here are some other plants you could try
- Grow edible flowers to decorate your plate.
- Build a scarecrow
- Plant up a pizza garden
- Have a water fight
- Personalise the playhouse
- Blow bubbles
- Design an obstacle course for your kids and their friends. Have medals or stickers to give to the winner.
- Make natural paint brushes.
- Nature treasure hunt/ colour hunt.
MORE FUN FOR THE GARDEN
- Recycle some soda bottle plastic by making beautiful butterflies for the garden.
- Make a wildlife maze for bugs and race your snail, beetle or woodlouse through it. Get more wildlife activities here
- Learn a tennis ball game
- Make a video diary for a relative or friend.
- Paint something outdoors.
- Have a BBQ/ party
- Collect some seeds and make your own seed bombs
- Make a mini pond pot
- Design a bird bath for your feathered friends.
- Pavement chalk
- Make a rainbow garden
- Stargaze at night. Try to plot a constellation.
- Make a fairy or dinosaur garden
- Design a Clay pot person
- Make a list for scavenger hunt
- Have a game of Rounders
- Take the children out to choose their own autumn bulbs for planting
- Reuse some old toys as new planters or art in the garden
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- Design and make your own obstacle course
- Tag. Take some flash lights and play torch tag. You could use glow stick bands too.
- Badminton in the garden.
Vicfun Hobby Set B Badminton Set – Yellow/Black
- Cut and arrange some flowers
- Friendship bracelets
- Design your own stepping stone.
- Collect flowers and make a daisy chain, there’s lots more ideas on connecting your kids with nature in here 26 Quick And EASY Ways To Connect With Nature
- Make a toad abode
SUMMER FUN AT THE BEACH
- Hand casting on the beach
- Sand volcano
- Rock pool at the beach
- Go to the beach and hunt for shells
- Have a shell treasure hunt and start a collection. Here’s more beach inspiration in How to Entertain Your Kids On The Beach
- Collect shells at the beach and paint a funny character.
- Have a beach BBQ and toast marshmallows.
- Visit the beach and help the environment by having a litter pick up or fill a jar with Nurdles. The little plastic beads that are filling our oceans.
SUMMER FUN SNACKS
- Pick strawberries and make an Eton mess
- Make your own Pizza
- Toast Marshmallows
- Make fruit kebab skewers with chocolate dipping sauce
SUMMER FUN WITH NATURE
Go on a bug hunt
- Put double-sided sticky tape on some card and see how many nature colours the children can spot and collect on a walk outside
- plant up a garden. Here’s what you need 7 Essential Tools To Get You Gardening With Kids
- Go leaf or bark rubbing
- Forage fruit and make a smoothy
- Make a miniature garden. Try this terrarium in 11 Ways To Bring Nature Indoors With Kids
- Use some bamboo canes, netting and pruning to make a camouflaged bird spotting den.
Need To Get your Summer Organised With Some Planning Sheets??
- Use black card and some glue and catch a spider web.
- Have a picnic under a tree, explore the tree and find out what’s living there.
- Make a flower fairy picture
- Forage for wild raspberries and make some cordial to drink. Teach your kids to forage
- Start a nature journal and add something new every day. We draw pictures, add photos, stick in pressed flowers or feathers etc. Your use imagination. And if your stuck for inspiration try this post here on Why Your Kids Should LOVE Nature
- Let the kids make a scavenger hunt together for a familiar park or area.
- Build a bird house
- Use foraged berries to make ice lollies. Find out how to get started Teach your kids to forage
- Build a bug hotel
- Jump in puddles
- Have a snail hunt. Mark the shells carefully then race them. Who ever crosses the line first wins. You can find more ideas to help wildlife 11 STEPS TO CREATING A WILDLIFE GARDEN WITH KIDS
SUMMER FUN OUT AND ABOUT
- Go out for pizza or ice cream
- Have a day out at an animal farm or zoo
- Go berry picking again see this post on Teach your kids to forage
- Have a picnic somewhere new
SUMMER FUN WITH ROCKS
- Join the rock revolution!
- Paint a stone hide a stone find a stone. There are special groups almost everywhere now where you find a pebble and paint on a picture of your choosing and hide it somewhere outdoors.
Then when your out try looking for others. If you find one take a picture and pop it onto your local group page and the re-hide it. Brilliant for kids. Need some rock inspiration? try The Best Uses For Plain Old Rocks
- Make a tic tac toe board like this one
- Make a pebble pet
- Look for space rocks. Use a strong magnet to rub through the soil or sand and the small round shapes you collect could be magnetic iron or nickel micrometeorites. So exciting
- Stone stacking competition
- Make a sling shot with a strong forked stick and a chunky rubber band. Place some balls or other light objects on loo roll tubes as targets. Never aim at people or animals!
SUMMER FUN AT THE PARK
- Go to a 5 a side pitch and play ball.
- Learn to skip
- Learn to roller-skate
- Go for a bike ride
- Go for a ride on your scooter
- Insect catching or pond dipping
Right there you go! A giant list of activities to keep the whole family amused this Summer. Let us know which ones you enjoy!! And don’t forget to pin this for later!!!
I needed this! Thank you!
Great Mirley. Glad to help. Let us know how you get on. Enjoy your Summer xx
Wow! All ideas are super cool!! 👍
Well, this articled covered almost everything. A well-thought post. To add to it, a treasure hunt can also be a great idea. It is a group activity, and most of the treasure hunt sets that are available in the market allow both indoor and outdoor setup. Kids also become more social and will learn the value of teamwork. On top of that, a Treasure hunt is one of those few games, that gives you a chance to push your brain and come up with a solution, which is good not only for kids but adults as well.