101 things to do with your kids this summer

Summer is almost upon us and while I am excited for things to slow down, I am even more excited to spend some quality time with my kids doing a whole bunch of different activities and going new places. We have been putting together a list of things to do with your kids this summer and I wanted to share it with you so you can plan several days this summer to spend quality time with your family. Put the electronics away, and focus on being together and having fun!

Here are 101 things to do with your kids this summer:

1. Make a family tree
2. Learn more about grandparents
3. Research 10 generations of your family line from each grandparent
4. Visit a town/house where an ancestor lived. Take pictures and write about it in a photo book.
5. Find out where your ancestors came from and learn more about that country and their history.
6. Make food from the country (countries) that your ancestors came from
7. Find pictures of your ancestors and reenact the photo and then put the pictures side by side
8. Have everyone research what their first name means and make a frameable paper to display on their wall
9. Find out what your last name means and how your family got it
10. Interview the oldest living relatives in your family. Record the interview, take photos, and notes and then make a book (a few copies) and present one to them.
11. Make a time capsule with your family
12. Melt down old crayons to make new ones
13. Write/draw a picture book
14. Write a short story
15. Create a mosaic picture
16. Make a stained glass window
17. Make Slime
18. Create volcanos
19. Make a dinosaur from pasta noodles
20. Collect and learn about 10 different kinds leaves from trees
21. Plant seeds and help them grow then transplant them
22. Sew a scripture/activity bag
23. Hike to a waterfall
24. Hike to a lake and go fishing
25. Learn how to canoe or kayak
26. Photograph 10 different types of flowers
27. Use the photos of the flowers to paint your own canvas or watercolor
28. Sew a new blanket (each kid does their own)
29. Boys sew a tie and girls sew a skirt
30. Make clothes for their dolls
31. Paint rocks like their favorite animal
32. Make bracelets
33. Make dinosaur fossils

    

34. Make cookies and take them to neighbors
35. Bake cupcakes and decorate them
36. Paint flower pots and plant flowers in them
37. Make an alphabet letter book with family photos
38. Visit your local Zoo (take pictures of all the animals)
39. Create a photo book with the pictures (from the Zoo or a vacation) and have your kids write the story
40. Make, paint and create a photo board
41. Plan and go on a family camping trip
42. Go on a nature scavenger hunt
43. Create a Mr. Potato Head with real veggies and then bake it in a tinfoil dinner
44. Make homemade salsa with veggies from your garden (or a farmer’s market)
45. Put a puzzle together
46. Make your own T-Shirts
47. Cut/Buy letters of your last name and decorate them with photos of your family
48. Make your own giant bubbles/wands
49. Go swimming
50. Write letters to grandparents (family/friends)
51. Go on a family bike ride
52. Family board game night
53. Have a family karaoke night
54. Make a “Grow” chart to hang in your kids’ rooms
55. Visit a retirement home and take cookies to the elderly
56. Go on a rock hunt and identify the different kinds of rocks
57. Catch butterflies, fireflies or other bugs and identify them and let them go
58. Have everyone draw a chalk picture then have an “art show”
59. Set up a lemonade stand and sell lemonade and cookies
60. Make granola bars and go on a hike or walk to the park
61. Get fresh flowers and press them and make bookmarks
62. Visit local historic sites, take photos, and then go home and write about what you learned in a photo book
63. Have a LEGO contest (build your own creations with LEGOS)
64. Make your own soap
65. Can (Jar) fruit and vegetables from your yard (or a local farmer’s market)
66. Paint a picture or do a cross-stitch of your family
67. Plan and carry out a family potluck with relatives that live close
68. Collect old family photographs of your parents, grandparents, etc. Put them with pictures of your family and see who resembles who.
69. Make wind chimes with old spoons (cut the spoons to look like fish or leaves, use a fork to hang the chimes on)
70. Make your own kites and then fly them
71. Make a birdhouse/bird feeder and hang it in your yard
72. Go to the park and play a (sports) game together

    

73. Make a boat and try racing them in a stream or lake
74. Make your own chalk paint and decorate some of your neighbor’s driveways
75. Make a string art picture
76. Make finger puppets (or hand puppets) and put on a show
77. Make handprint/footprint crafts every month and compare the changes
78. Make keychains (to keep or to give as gifts to family/friends)
79. Make DIY Wooden flags
80. Make a 3-D style underwater scene (using pipe cleaners or TP rolls)
81. Visit a local aviary and learn about birds
82. Go to a natural history museum and then have your kids write down 10 things they learned and draw pictures
83. Learn about Petroglyphs and then make some of your own (and visit some if possible)
84. Donate unused clothes, toys, and books to a shelter or second-hand store (or have a yard sale)
85. Visit grandparents and spend the day helping clean their house and yard
86. Sew stuffed animals (kitty, turtle, puppy, bird, rabbit, owl)
87. Make breakfast muffins and the sit together and watch the sunrise while eating breakfast
88. Make fruit pizza enjoy it as a family while you play games
89. Make magic wands and create a “spell” book
90. Find a local splash pad and go play for a while and then have a picnic in the park
91. Tin Can Lanterns (use a nail and hammer to make small holes in a design on the side)
92. Use old scraps of fabric and make a windsock to hang in your tree
93. Have baking/cooking lessons each week and make a meal/dessert together
94. Make a photo board of all of your summer adventures
95. Go on a trip to a National or State Park
96. Start up a playgroup and do different activities each week
97. Make some treats and have an outdoor family movie night (or go to the drive-in movies)
98. Go Geocaching with your family
99. Make a stargazing kit and have a family night of looking for and learning about different stars/constellations
100. Build paper airplanes and have a contest
101. Build a giant blanket fort and read a new book

This is a huge list of fun activities that you and your family will love! There is something for everyone here – with kids old or young. I would love to hear what your favorites are, as well as any other ideas you have that could be added to the list!