{"id":72906,"date":"2023-01-20T15:22:20","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T15:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/summer-fun-101-things-kids\/"},"modified":"2023-01-20T15:22:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T15:22:20","slug":"summer-fun-101-things-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/en-ca\/summer-fun-101-things-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Fun: 101 Things to Do with Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

For busy parents, Summer is the season for keeping school-free children occupied. But how can you keep the kids from bouncing off the walls?
 
The answer – make a summer plan! Start thinking through ideas for activities now to avoid the kids being stuck indoors in front of a screen. With sunny and warm summer days just around the corner, take advantage of the weather by planning for new activities a few times a week.
 
We’ve provided 101 fun things to keep your children busy – and keep you sane – to get you started. Need help getting through the list? Hire a summer nanny<\/a> or babysitter<\/a> and set them to task!
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  1. Make ice cream!<\/li>

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  2. Go canoeing at a local lake.<\/li>

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  3. Build a sandcastle.<\/li>

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  4. Write and illustrate your own book and have it published into an actual hardcover book using IlluStory<\/a> .<\/li>

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  5. Forget cooking — set up an ice cream sundae buffet for dinner.<\/li>

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  6. Clean up trash at a local park.<\/li>

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  7. Have a backyard campfire…or just use the grill! Roast hot dogs on sticks, pop popcorn and finish off with s’mores.<\/li>

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  8. Stage an A to Z scavenger hunt, where you have to find something that starts with every letter.<\/li>

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  9. Make homemade pizza.<\/li>

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  10. Print out a list of children’s books that have won CCBC awards<\/a>. Visit the local library throughout the summer and try to read as many as you can.<\/li>

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  11. Go for a walk and then make a collage from nature objects you find along the way.<\/li>

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  12. Bake cookies for ice cream sandwiches.<\/li>

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  13. Volunteer at a nature center.<\/li>

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  14. Make a photo journal or a family yearbook.<\/li>

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  15. Have a luau in the backyard.<\/li>

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  16. Visit the beach and collect shells.<\/li>

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  17. Make a fort out of cardboard boxes.<\/li>

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  18. Visit a farmer’s market.<\/li>

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  19. Pick berries at a nearby orchard.<\/li>

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  20. Have a picnic at a state park.<\/li>

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  21. Take bread to a creek and feed the ducks.<\/li>

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  22. Have a water balloon fight.<\/li>

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  23. Practice your origami skills and make objects to hang from the ceiling.<\/li>

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  24. Go biking on a trail<\/li>

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  25. Interview an older relative about what life was like when they were young.<\/li>

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  26. Plan a picnic at a local park — or in your backyard.<\/li>

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  27. Set up a lemonade stand.<\/li>

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  28. Create salad spinner art: Place circles of paper inside a cheap salad spinner, dab tempera paints on top, cover and spin away.<\/li>

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  29. Practice making interesting shadow puppets and then put on a show with your characters.<\/li>

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  30. Plant a garden of herbs and veggies.<\/li>

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  31. Make a sidewalk chalk mural.<\/li>

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  32. Go ice blocking (sledding) in the grass with a towel-covered block of ice.<\/li>

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  33. Have an outdoor painting party using huge canvases or cardboard.<\/li>

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  34. Visit a fish hatchery.<\/li>

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  35. Plant a butterfly garden with flowers.<\/li>

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  36. Pretend to be pirates for a day — dress up in costumes, plan a treasure hunt and talk like a pirate.<\/li>

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  37. Make an indoor sandbox using colored rice: mix 4 cups of rice with 3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of food coloring and let dry overnight.<\/li>

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  38. Turn the backyard into a carnival — set up a face painting area and games like ring toss.<\/li>

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  39. Make totem poles out of paper towel rolls and decorate them.<\/li>

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  40. Visit a museum you’ve never been to.<\/li>

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  41. Make a giant hopscotch or Twister game on the lawn (with spray paint) or driveway (with chalk).<\/li>

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  42. String beads into jewelry.<\/li>

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  43. Make a bird house out of Popsicle sticks.<\/li>

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  44. Learn about stargazing and identify as many constellations as possible — see if there are any local astronomy groups for kids.<\/li>

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  45. Create leis with wildflowers.<\/li>

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  46. Go fossil hunting near a lake.<\/li>

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  47. Break out your baseball gloves and start a game, sandlot style.<\/li>

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  48. Make paper boats and race them in a kiddie pool using straws to propel them.<\/li>

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  49. Play mini-golf — or set up a course in your driveway by laying different size containers on their sides.<\/li>

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  50. Make your own colored sand and create sand art.<\/li>

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  51. Get a map of the United States and mark off all the exciting places you want to visit — create the ultimate road trip.<\/li>

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  52. Set up a net and play badminton and volleyball.<\/li>

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  53. Visit an amusement park or water park.<\/li>

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  54. Wade through a stream and search for minnows or tadpoles.<\/li>

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  55. Go zip-lining.<\/li>

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  56. Have a tricycle race at the park.<\/li>

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  57. Investigate an ethnic grocery store and make lunch using interesting spices and kid-friendly international recipes.<\/li>

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  58. Visit a fire station.<\/li>

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  59. Collect rocks and paint them to use as paperweights or pet rocks.<\/li>

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  60. Go roller skating.<\/li>

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  61. Visit a zoo or aquarium to learn about animals.<\/li>

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  62. Run through the sprinklers.<\/li>

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  63. Blend your own smoothie.<\/li>

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  64. Set up a bike wash and raise money for a local charity.<\/li>

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  65. Batter up at a batting cage.<\/li>

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  66. Let kids paint the sidewalk or patio with plain old water and sponge brushes. When their creation dries, they can begin again.<\/li>

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  67. Bake cupcakes in ice cream cones and then decorate them.<\/li>

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  68. Assemble a family cookbook with all your favorite recipes.<\/li>

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  69. Go horseback riding.<\/li>

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  70. Make popsicles in Dixie cups using fruit juices.<\/li>

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  71. Catch fireflies in a jar (and let them go at the end of the night).<\/li>

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  72. Stage your own Summer Olympics with races, hurdles and relays.<\/li>

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  73. Create a backyard circus — kids can pretend to be animals and dress up as clowns.<\/li>

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  74. Decorate bikes and have a neighborhood Canada Day parade.<\/li>

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  75. Take a sewing\/crochet\/knitting class.<\/li>

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  76. Make Mexican paper flowers using different colored tissue paper.<\/li>

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  77. Go to a flea market.<\/li>

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  78. Volunteer at an animal adoption organization.<\/li>

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  79. Visit a retirement home and read stories to residents.<\/li>

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  80. Attend an outdoor festival or concert.<\/li>

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  81. Pick a nearby town to visit for the day.<\/li>

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  82. Visit a cave.<\/li>

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  83. Get a map of your area, mark off all the local parks — then visit them, take pictures and vote for your favorite.<\/li>

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  84. Take in a fireworks exhibit.<\/li>

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  85. Make crafts with recyclable items like stickers using old photos, magazines and repositionable glue.<\/li>

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  86. Make your own hard-to-pop bubbles with 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of glycerin.<\/li>

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  87. Paint canvas sneakers with fabric paint pens or acrylic paint.<\/li>

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  88. Create three dimensional buildings using toothpicks and mini marshmallows.<\/li>

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  89. Make bird feeders by covering pine cones with peanut butter and rolling in birdseed.<\/li>

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  90. Paint with ice by freezing ice cube trays with washable tempera paint.<\/li>

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  91. Create unusual s’mores by experimenting with ingredients like cookies, bananas, flavored marshmallows and white chocolate.<\/li>

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  92. Have a fancy tea party.<\/li>

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  93. Make a giant slip-n-slide with a painter’s tarp and shaving cream.<\/li>

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  94. Have a backyard camp-out.<\/li>

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  95. Let kids paint each other with washable tempera paint, then wash it off in the sprinklers.<\/li>

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  96. Visit a national park and help the kids earn a junior ranger badge.<\/li>

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  97. Go to a ballgame and teach your kids (and yourself!) how to keep a scorecard.<\/li>

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  98. Set up a tent in the backyard to use as a summer playhouse.<\/li>

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  99. Take a free kid’s workshop at stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot or Pottery Barn.<\/li>

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  100. Have a game night with charades, Pictionary and bingo.<\/li>

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  101. Take a boring brown paper bag and have kids brainstorm creative things to do with it — you’ll be surprised at how many things you can come up with.<\/li><\/ol>

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    Next Steps:<\/h3>