11 Fun Activities to Do with Kids At Home This Summer
Updated: Jul 11, 2023
Since my family is homebound this summer (haven’t heard about this yet? Check out our story here. I thought it would be fun to share with you all the ways we plan on making memories this summer, even without being able to go out and about.
We’re still going to have fun and make it a summer to remember! I thought I’d share my list of things we will be doing to have fun with you too, just in case you want in on the memory-making with your own kids!
1. Make Oobleck
Super easy, and so fun! All you need is corn starch, water, and maybe a dash of food coloring if you’d like.
Mix together 1.5 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water. It should create a consistency where it feels like a solid if you grab it or try to push your open palm down on it, but otherwise acts like a liquid.
This is such a fun sensory activity and is sure to keep your kids entertained for quite some time.
Mom-tip: Give each child their own bowl of Oobleck to play with outside in a grassy area near a hose for easy clean-up.
2. Use Water Beads in a Water Table
Water beads are all the rage these days, and rightly so. They are so fun and another great sensory experience for your child!
Be mindful, though, that you are watching your child closely when they are playing with the water beads. These colorful little things are dangerous if congested, so I would not recommend these if your child likes to put things in their mouth or without close supervision.
3. Painter’s Tape Obstacle Course
Ready for some cheap entertainment that will keep your kids busy for hours?! Make a track or course around your house using painter's tape, give them some cars and trucks to drive around, and watch them go!
Bonus fun - let them drive up, around, and down pillows and soft furniture!
4. Gravel and Sand in a Water Table with Construction Trucks
I don’t know about you, but for many kids, driving trucks around and moving the “land” becomes an obsession. Seat them up with some sand and gravel in a water table and watch them get to work.
You can grab a bag of gravel at Home Depot for like $5. Cheap and entertaining - I’m here for it!
5. “Chopped” Competition
Okay, this one is kind of fun for the parents, too.
Give your children a set of ingredients and have them “cook” something up just for you! Mom and dad are the judges and will decide on the winner of the “Chopped” Competition!
Pro-tip: Let them make dessert too for a fun way to end the night.
6. Ziplock Bag Painting
All the paint and NO MESS?! Sign me up!
Fill some ziplock bags with paint and let all the excess air out. Use painter’s tape to secure them to a tabletop, and let your little one push their finger along the bag to make designs in the paint.
Bonus fun: put in 2 or 3 colors and have your child predict what color the bag will be when they’re all done painting!
7. Color Scavenger Hunt
Color the inside of some egg cartons and then have them find things to put in that are that color. Easy peasy.
8. Glow Stick Bath
You know how it’s so hard to get your little one inside to get in the bathtub after a long day of playing outside? Well, that’s about to get a lot easier.
Buy a bag of glowsticks and add one to their bath water each night. They’ll be running upstairs to hop in without any bit of a challenge.
Once they’re seated safely in the tub, don’t forget to turn off the lights!
9. Cheerio Stacking
Great for entertainment AND fine motor skills! Put an uncooked spaghetti noodle in a ball of play dough. Thread the cheerios through.
This is a great activity for when you need your child to wind down a bit.
10. Cloud Dough
Mix 8 parts flour with 1 part baby oil, mix it together, and you’ve got cloud dough!
Make sure your little one doesn’t try to eat it.
11. DIY Ice Cream in a Ziplock Bag
Okay, really you need two Ziplock bags for this one.
Use a gallon-size one and put in some ice and salt.
Pour a cup of half-and-half into a smaller Ziplock bag, along with 1.5 teaspoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Seal it shut and add it to the big bag with ice and salt.
Give your child some mittens or gloves and have them shake the bag for 6 minutes. Dump the ice cream in a dish and enjoy!
