Create some amazing summer adventures and memories with these fun summer activities for kids and write them all in this free printable summer calendar!
Over 100 Fun Summer Activities for Kids with printable summer calendar
Ok, so summer is coming up REALLY soon! If you aren’t already, you better start planning your fun summer activities for kids! Whether you send your kids to camp, have playdates and sleepovers or just hang around home, you want to have activities planned. One thing I’ve learned is consistency is key, and the more of a routine you have with kids, the better off they are. So get this printable summer calendar and write in all of your fun summer activities for kids. You will feel better having things planned, I promise!
- Bake cookies for ice cream sandwiches.
- Volunteer at a nature center.
- Make homemade fruit popsicles
- Make a photo journal or a family yearbook.
- Have a luau in the backyard.
- Visit the beach and collect shells.
- Make a fort out of cardboard boxes.
- Visit a farmer’s market.
- Stage an A to Z scavenger hunt, where you have to find something that starts with every letter.
- Make a Patriotic blower craft
- Pick berries.
- Have a picnic at a state park.
- Make ice cream.
- Go canoeing at a local lake.
- Build a sandcastle.
- Write and illustrate your own book and have it published into an actual hardcover book using IlluStory.
- Forget cooking — set up an ice cream sundae buffet for dinner.
- Clean up trash at a local park.
- Have a backyard campfire…or just use the grill! Roast hot dogs on sticks, pop popcorn and finish off with s’mores.
- Make homemade pizza.
- Go for a walk and then make a collage from nature objects you find along the way.
- Head to a creek and look at the ducks.
- Go outside and make some pretty tile coasters using markers and water.
- Set up a lemonade stand.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Practice your origami skills and make objects to hang from the ceiling.
- Go biking on a trail
- Interview an older relative about what life was like when they were young.
- Plan a picnic at a local park — or in your backyard.
- Print out a list of children’s books that have won Caldecott Medals. Visit the local library throughout the summer and try to read as many as you can.
- Create salad spinner art: Place circles of paper inside a cheap salad spinner, dab tempera paints on top, cover and spin away.
- Practice making interesting shadow puppets and then put on a show with your characters.
- Paint some love bug rocks
- Plant a garden of herbs and veggies.
- Make a sidewalk chalk mural.
- Go ice blocking (sledding) in the grass with a towel-covered block of ice.
- Have an outdoor painting party using huge canvases or cardboard.
- Visit a fish hatchery.
- Plant a butterfly garden with flowers.
- Pretend to be pirates for a day — dress up in costumes, plan a treasure hunt and talk like a pirate.
- 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.
- Turn the backyard into a carnival — set up a face painting area and games like ring toss.
- Make totem poles out of paper towel rolls and decorate them.
- Visit a museum you’ve never been to.
- Make a giant hopscotch or Twister game on the lawn (with spray paint) or driveway (with chalk).
- String beads into jewelry.
- Make a bird house out of Popsicle sticks.
- Learn about stargazing and identify as many constellations as possible — see if there are any local astronomy groups for kids.
- Create leis with wildflowers.
- Go fossil hunting near a lake.
- Break out your baseball gloves and start a game, sandlot style.
- Make paper boats and race them in a kiddie pool using straws to propel them.
- Play mini-golf — or set up a course in your driveway by laying different size containers on their sides.
- Make your own colored sand and create sand art.
- Get a map of the United States and mark off all the exciting places you want to visit — create the ultimate road trip.
- Set up a net and play badminton and volleyball. Or try one of these 11 Backyard Games for Kids.
- Visit an amusement park or water park.
- Wade through a stream and search for minnows or tadpoles.
- Go zip-lining.
- Have a tricycle race at the park.
- Investigate an ethnic grocery store and make lunch using interesting spices and kid-friendly international recipes.
- Visit a fire station.
- Collect rocks and paint them to use as paperweights or pet rocks.
- Go roller skating.
- Visit a zoo or aquarium to learn about animals.
- Run through the sprinklers.
- Blend your own smoothie.
- Set up a bike wash and raise money for a local charity.
- Batter up at a batting cage.
- Let kids paint the sidewalk or patio with plain old water and sponge brushes. When their creation dries, they can begin again.
- Bake cupcakes in ice cream cones and then decorate them.
- Assemble a family cookbook with all your favorite recipes.
- Go horseback riding.
- Make popsicles in Dixie cups using fruit juices.
- Catch fireflies in a jar (and let them go at the end of the night).
- Stage your own Summer Olympics with races, hurdles and relays.
- Create a backyard circus — kids can pretend to be animals and dress up as clowns.
- Decorate bikes and have a neighborhood Fourth of July parade.
- Take a sewing/crochet/knitting class.
- Make Mexican paper flowers using different colored tissue paper.
- Go to a flea market.
- Volunteer at an animal adoption organization.
- Visit a retirement home and read stories to residents.
- Attend an outdoor festival or concert.
- Pick a nearby town to visit for the day.
- Visit a cave.
- Get a map of your area, mark off all the local parks — then visit them, take pictures and vote for your favorite.
- Take in a fireworks exhibit.
- Make crafts with recyclable items like stickers using old photos, magazines and repositionable glue.
- Make your own hard-to-pop bubbles with 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of glycerin.
- Paint canvas sneakers with fabric paint pens or acrylic paint.
- Create three dimensional buildings using toothpicks and mini marshmallows.
- Make bird feeders by covering pine cones with peanut butter and rolling in birdseed.
- Paint with ice by freezing ice cube trays with washable tempera paint.
- Create unusual s’mores by experimenting with ingredients like cookies, bananas, flavored marshmallows and white chocolate.
- Have a fancy tea party.
- Make a giant slip-n-slide with a painter’s tarp and shaving cream.
- Go camping in the backyard or at a campsite. Follow these tips for camping with kids.
- Let kids paint each other with washable tempera paint, then wash it off in the sprinklers.
- Visit a national park and help the kids earn a junior ranger badge.
- Go to a ballgame and teach your kids (and yourself!) how to keep a scorecard.
- Set up a tent in the backyard to use as a summer playhouse.
- Take a free kid’s workshop at stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot or Pottery Barn.
- Have a game night with charades, Pictionary and bingo.
- 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.
Free Printable Summer Calendar for 2023
Okay, now that you have a TON of summer activities, you can print out this FREE summer calendar and start adding things to do! Remember it’s the little things the kids remember!
Click here to get the calendar!
Tracy says
Wow I’m in uk but that list of activities is.brilliant
And the calendar just what I needed. I look after my grandsons and love to have ideas to do different activities with them. So a very big English thank you
Tracy
Sarah says
Love this! But we need the month of May…we get out of school early!
Vicki says
Haha Sarah…will do!
sammy @ sammyapproves.com says
What an awesome calendar! I am always looking for new things to do with my family during the summer time. Thanks for sharing with us at the Family Joy Link Party!
Pamela Smith says
I love this!I’m always looking for ideas to do during the summer! Pretty calendar pages too!
Roseann Hampton says
I love the bright colors on your calendar!
Marilyn Lesniak says
Thank you for sharing your wonderful post at #OverTheMoon. I look forward to what you will share next week! Like someone in person today! We hope you’ll come back again next Sunday when we open our doors at 6:00 PM EST. Pinned and tweeted!
Cristina at Ava's Alphabet says
These calendar pages are gorgeous! Love, love love! Pinned and sharing. Thank you for joining us at Family Joy Blog Link-Up Party. I hope you will join our next party starting Sunday at noon EST.
Theresa says
Love this. Pinned & sharing Thanks for joining the Inspiration Spotlight party.
Monica @HappyandBlessedHome.com says
Thanks for sharing! You are being featured at Family Fun Friday! http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/6-teacher-appreciation-and-fun-ideas-for-summer/
Vicki says
Thanks Monica! I will be sure to share.
Catalina Booth says
Only downloads the month of May
Vicki says
Hi Catalina – I set it up so you download each month individually. Just scroll down and you will see the other months! Please let me know if you still have trouble. Thanks for reading!
Lois Barber says
I’m sorry but for some reason it won’t download for me. I have tried everything even going over to the laptop.
Vicki says
Hi Lois – Did you click on the images? They should open up to a pdf which you can then print. Please let me know!
Christine says
Perfect list for families. tons of inspiration and fun activities. Thanks for sharing this at the Dishing It & Digging It Link Party.
Leah Courtney says
This is so cute! And I love the activities list too. Thank you. 🙂 I’m stopping by from the Blogger Spotlight Linkup.
Beth says
What a fun list! I had not thought of some of these, but will be adding them in our fun this summer!
Emily says
This is brilliant!!! I have for young boys and always struggle to keep them entertained all summer long. This list is going to be so helpful! Thanks for sharing at wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!!!
~Emily @ LeCultivateur.com
Marva | SunSparkleShine says
What a great list, Vicki. I just pinned it to my kids’ activity board so that I can refer to it all summer long.
Blessings to you for a fun summer vacation!
Wrae Sanders says
These are some great ideas! I’ve pinned this.
Debbie Kitterman says
Hi Vicki – I saw your post featured on #WonderfulWednesday today and just had to click over. What a fabulous list of 100 summer bucket list items and also great printables! So awesome.
PS.. if you are looking for another place to link to on Thursday’s I would love if you would consider joining my linkup #TuneInThursday – it opens Thursday 3am PST and runs through Sunday night. you can find it at debbiekitterman.com/blog (Please feel free to delete the link if you think it inappropriate).
Holly says
I clicked on the link and subscribed but I didn’t receive an instant download or email. = (
Vicki says
I’m sorry Holly! You should just be directed to the subscriber download page where you click on the link to download.
Michele @ Queenbeebaker says
That is a great list! And I love the calendar! Going to print it out to have some fun this summer!
Jenny says
The calendars are so pretty, I love them. This is an amazing awesome fun idea list for summer. I feel like it can work for so many ages. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday. Hope to see you at the party next week!
Cynthia Coleman says
Wow, what pretty calendars ! I have no kids, but I’ll pass this on via Pinterest. I’m 50, but I guess everyone is a kid at heart .
Mother of 3 says
So many great ideas! Pinned.
Donna @ Modern on Monticello says
I like the idea of making a bucket list for the summer. Thanks for sharing your ideas. #HomeMattersParty
Amber Ferguson says
Thanks for sharing at TFT! These are awesome ideas! I am featuring you at today’s party! I hope you will join us again this week!
https://followtheyellowbrickhome.com/beautiful-and-bright-ideas-at-thursday-favorite-things/
Richella Parham says
These are some wonderful ideas! Thanks for putting together such a comprehensive list and including the colorful calendar.
Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!
Jenny says
This is a fun idea to keep the kids busy this summer and having fun. I’ll be featuring this in my 21 Kids Summer Fun Ideas this Sunday at Merry Monday at 6 pm PST. Hope to see you at the party!