Summer Activities and Treats!

This was the first year that all my kids were in school and it was…..quiet. And even though a tiny part of me will miss the alone time, I am happy that I have my kids home for the summer! While I believe it is good for kids to be bored and have to entertain themselves, I do think that some of their time needs to be structured or chaos ensues. We have daily chores, lots of free time, and we also try to do fun things together like these tried and true summer activities and treats below.

 

Outdoor Movies

It has become a tradition that as soon as school is out, we start the outdoor movies. We happen to have a projector screen, but a white sheet works too! Blankets, bean bags, camp chairs, or these easy DIY seats are all great seating options. Get comfy and grab some popcorn!

 

 

Play Tent

My kids are constantly building forts. They build them in closets, under beds, and with blankets. Why not make them a play tent? Or better yet, give them the supplies and have them create the tent themselves!

 

 

Yogurt Bars Or Homemade Popsicles

Summer and popsicles are a match made in heaven. My kids love making them, especially these blueberry ones!  We come up with all sorts of flavor combinations. Popsicle molds are inexpensive and not only is it a treat, it can be a fun activity!

 

 

Clay Beads

Polymer clay is one of my favorite craft items. Okay, I admit, I don’t have a ton of “craft” items to begin with (I hate glitter…), BUT this clay is so dang useful! My kids like making all sorts of things with it like these beads.

 

 

Rainbow Garden

I have a love of gardening that I would love to pass on to my children. I decided to create a rainbow garden one year and now growing rainbow veggies has become a tradition! One year I even had my kids make the signs. This is a summer long activity with great rewards :)

 

 

Lemonade Stand

Take your lemonde stand up a notch by adding fresh fruit and mint as mix in options for your customers! I bet you could even charge more ;)

 

 

Paint Cookies

A work of art they can eat when they are done? Your kids will love painting giant sugar cookies as much as mine. Food coloring or natural food dyes can be used as “paint”.

 

 

Bird Feeders

We first did this for national bird feeding month in February but you can do this any time of the year. Plus, in the summer you are outdoors more often and have a better chance of seeing the birds eating! We have some bird feeders in our tree right now.

 

 

Homemade Play Dough

My mom made homemade play dough for us when we were growing up and it was one of the things I couldn’t wait to do when I had kids of mine own. What kid doesn’t love play dough? And this kind smells GOOD!

 

 

Fruit Pizza

I love fruit pizza! I make is several different ways but this way was pretty fun because of the things I used to make it look like a real pizza. Can you guess what the “cheese” is made of?

 

 

Rainbow Crayons

My boys have always loved to draw and color. I started making these rainbow crayons when my oldest two were tiny. I figured they were not only a good use of those tiny broken bits of crayon but a fun new way for my boys to create pictures.

 

 

Flower Pot Cakes

Yes, these flower pot cakes could just be a fun treat your kids help you make, but they could also be served and a tea party you have with your kids and their friends! They are super easy!!!

 

 

Homemade Graham Crackers for S’Mores

We are HUGE campers and we even have a fire pit in the backyard so we can get the feel of camping whenever we want. We go through quite a few packs of marshmallows in the summer months. Last year I made some homemade graham crackers that were delicious!

 

 

 

Alright, I’ve spilled some of my best summer activities, not it is your turn! Help give me some ideas to keep the kids happy for the next few months :)

 

 

 

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