Fun Summer Activities for Kids

With school out and six long weeks of summer ahead, you might be wondering how to keep the kids entertained during the holidays. Summer holidays are an excellent time for a reset and for family connection, but finding fun summer activities for kids can be difficult if you want to keep everyone happy, particularly if you have multiple kids.

If filling all that time with fun activities feels daunting, don’t worry – our guide is here to help! The key is to know your child’s interests and have a list of summer activities for kids that give them diverse activities, ranging from big days out to simple indoor activities for those rainy days.

Why are summer activities important for kids?

Summer holiday activities should entertain children and develop their interests, helping them decompress after a long school year. They can also help them grow and learn in different ways.

Summer activities should focus on exploration, play, and creativity. By having them take part in these activities, developing key skills can feel effortless, such as:

• Refining their fine motor skills with an arts and crafts project.
• Improving their communication skills and their cognitive skills by playing a board game.
• Learning how to navigate their environment by taking part in scavenger hunts.

What are the best summer activities for kids?

The best summer activities for kids depend on your kids’ interests and personality. Outdoor toys can be an excellent way for them to have fun and use all that extra energy. They could also use summer craft projects to express themselves and hone their skills. It’s vital to be realistic about the summer activities you can participate in; understandably, your family’s budget, energy levels, interests, and factors that are out of your control (like the weather) will play a role in determining the right option for any given day.

Family-friendly summer activities can include a big day at a theme park or, if they want to be in the garden, you could simply spend time cloud watching. The goal isn’t to always be busy or to encourage your family to do activities they aren’t interested in – it’s about finding creative and engaging ways to entertain your child in a way that can further their skills and development.

Fun summer activities for kids

We have broken down some of our favourite fun summer activities for kids into handy categories to highlight the different activities they can participate in. We’ve also specified different activities for various age ranges to inspire you, regardless of your child’s age. 

Outdoor adventures

Outdoor fun can be a great way of giving kids more creative freedom by changing their environment to keep them entertained and engaged. A breath of fresh air can help break up their day and improve their mood if they feel bored or frustrated.

• Toddlers and young children (ages 0-5): A gentle nature walk can be perfect for little legs, teaching them about nature while helping them explore and see the outside world. You can show them different textures and colours to create a sensory experience. You could also give outdoor exploration more purpose by devising a scavenger hunt for them. You could even get them interested in gardening by giving them gardening toys, like a mini garden in a pot, which helps them feel and experiment with other textures, letting them get their hands messy.
• Primary-aged children (ages 6-10): Children this age have a lot of energy to burn off! A simple family bike ride is a fantastic option. Having developed their motor skills, they might love more complex DIY garden projects, like helping to plant fruits and vegetables. You could also get them to bird watch and see how many garden birds they can identify.
• Teens (ages 11+): If you want to give them more of a challenge or are looking for team-building activities for kids, geocaching is a great option – a modern-day treasure hunt that can be fun for the whole family. Other fun family activities include backyard Olympics or obstacle courses, which you can increase in difficulty for more active kids. Many local parks offer outdoor tennis sessions, or if they want a chilled day, you can encourage them to read or listen to music outside in the garden.

Water fun

When the weather gets warm, water play is a great way for kids to cool down and enjoy the sun.

• Toddlers and young children (ages 0-5): A water table in the garden is a great way to encourage them to participate in water play. It can provide hours of pouring or splashing fun. A trip to a local splash park can get them to engage with other kids their same age in a new, exciting environment, providing them with another safe way to enjoy the water.
• Primary-aged children (ages 6-10): Classic outdoor games involving water balloons or sprinklers can make water play more active. Water toys come in all shapes and sizes and can help them cool down and have fun in hot weather. Many leisure centres offer exciting inflatable sessions in the pool that can contribute to a fun and varied sensory experience.
• Teens (ages 11+): At this age, your child may want to learn a new skill that builds on their swimming skills. Your teenager may want to take part in paddleboarding or kayaking. They may also love participating in a water fight using water blasters. A trip to the beach can also be great for all ages.

Learning activities

Learning doesn’t have to stop when school does; your child’s time doesn’t just need to revolve around physical activities for kids. Their minds also need to remain active, where learning activities can come into play.

• Toddlers and young children (ages 0-5): A local library can be a brilliant gateway for toddlers to experience other stories and start making friends. Look out for their schedule of library children’s activities, like story time or rhyme time.
• Primary-aged children (ages 6-10): Board games can be a brilliant way to teach your child and refine their skills. For example, any numbers-based game can give them some math practice. Fun STEM toys, like making a sundial in the garden or building playsets, can improve their motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Teens (ages 11+): At this age, teens should be encouraged to explore their own interests. These could include visiting a science museum or learning a language. Some leisure centres also offer a junior gym programme or active classes, like karate or kickboxing, to expand their skills and interests.

Arts and crafts

Rainy days can be an excellent opportunity for kids to get their hands messy with creative arts and crafts sets. It’s a wonderful outlet for kids of all ages.

• Toddlers and young children (ages 0-5): Keep it sensory-based and simple. Arts and craft sets for this age group are based on their learning about different colours and textures. Painting with their hands and feet or making recycled creations from cardboard boxes can be an excellent avenue for imaginative play. Remember: it’s all about the creative process, not necessarily the final product.
• Primary-aged children (ages 6-10): Their skills at this age allow them to be more creative with what they can create. DIY summer crafts include sets that can make friendship bracelets, jewellery, keyrings, etc. They can even stage a fun sock puppet theatre show for the whole family! You could also check if local studios run arts and crafts workshops.

Teens (ages 11+): They can tackle more ambitious summer craft projects that build on their hobbies and keep them entertained because of their greater complexity. Examples include tie-dying old t-shirts, customising a pair of trainers, or participating in a fun family photoshoot.

Fun food activities

Getting kids involved in the kitchen can give them a new hobby, help them understand what happens in the kitchen, and teach them how to contribute by creating a new, fantastic life skill. It shows them how to be creative in a whole new way and can give them a sense of pride when they taste the results of their effort.

• Toddlers and young children (ages 0-5): Let them do the fun jobs that they understand and can easily do to help them feel important. Making homemade ice lollies by pouring juice into moulds or decorating cupcakes with sprinkles helps them feel included and can encourage them to get involved with more complex tasks. Some excellent imaginative play opportunities revolve around this, such as role-playing owning a lemonade stand or using kitchen toys to help them pretend they own a restaurant. 
• Primary-aged children (ages 6-10): Simple summer cooking recipes can help develop their kitchen skills and teach them how to work as part of a team. For example, they could build their own fish finger wraps or learn how to cook food at the BBQ. Even just letting them flip one burger or take food out to people will help them feel part of a valuable project that will lead to something they love: delicious food!
• Teens (ages 11+): At this age, they can handle more complex tasks, so let them get their hands dirty! Making falafel burgers from scratch, or even just making the salad for them, can help them play an integral part in making food and grow a genuine interest in cooking. They could also set up a fancy milkshake bar for a backyard movie night – thinking outside the box can develop their enthusiasm and passion for these tasks. Giving them this responsibility can build their confidence and teach them valuable cooking skills.

We hope this guide has inspired your summer adventures with your little ones. To learn more about other seasonal activities your kids will enjoy, check out our guide on winter activities for kids.

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