Yay, it’s summertime! The sun is shining, the weather is nice and the kids are home! The first few weeks after school is out is a nice break! No running to drop off for pre-school or waking up to make breakfast and lunches-hurray! And then July rolls around; the kids are bored, you’ve watched Encanto more than you can count and you’re on snack #4 of the day. It’s ok, we got you! Here are fun and EASY indoor, outdoor, and affordable outings to keep kids happy this summer.

Backyard Activities

Bounce Away!

Why rent a bounce house when you can buy one and use it all summer? The setup is surprisingly easy and can be done in about 5-10 mins. Kids can jump, come out for lunch, water, or bathroom breaks and go right back to jumping. 

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Clean up is also much easier than you would expect. Disclaimer: your bouncy house might not fold up to fit in the neat baggie they come with. You might want to consider getting a storage bin to throw your bounce house into when you need to give it a day off. 

 

Price Range: $169.99 and up

 

Make Some Frozen Art

Sometimes coloring with regular paint or crayons can be a bit…boring! Spice it up a little by mixing up some plant-based food coloring and water into an ice tray. Then place a popsicle stick in each cavity. Freeze it overnight and get ready to make some art! 

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Heads up, this might get messy by the end so consider setting up your “art station” outdoors!

 

Price Range: Under $20.00 

 

Let Them Wheel Around

 

Help your kiddos burn some energy by getting them some time to scoot around! Nowadays there are plenty of options for all ages!

• XXm to XXm: Joovy Skoot: Short info blurb here
• 18m and up Joovy Bicycoo MG: This balance bike is made from sustainable magnesium, absorbing 16 times more shocks and vibrations than aluminum, yet lighter, for maneuverability. 
• 24m to 5 years old: Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter: This is a great option for toddlers transitioning into being more independent kids. The turning radius makes it easy for them to make sharper turns like their older siblings without tipping over!
• 30m and up Razor Wild Ones Kids’ Kick Scooter: This scooter has an extra-wide, low deck a great grip tape to teach younger kids the correct foot placement 
• 5 years and up Maxi Micro Deluxe: This scooter has a great glide and your kiddo will feel like a big kid on a skateboard, but with more stability! 

 

Price Range: Under $20.00 to $135.99

 

Let them Play With Mud & Worms

Ok, not actual mud or worms!! Make it edible because, most likely, it will end up in their mouths! Here is the simple recipe!

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Price Range: Under $20

Indoor Activities

Outdoors But Indoors…

Ok let’s face it, we don’t all have outdoor space to set up fun outdoor activities. That’s ok! We got you covered! All you need is an inflatable pool and a water table. Now before you close the tab because that sounds nuts, hear us out. 

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You lay down a couple of beach towels, inflate the pool, and set it up on top of the towels. DO NOT FILL it. Build the water table in the center of the pool and let you do some water play. If some water splashes around, it is no biggie: the pool and the towels can handle it!

 

Price Range: Under $60

 

Non-Messy Painting?

Grab a 1-gallon zip lock bag, and some non-toxic paint, and set your kid up for some art time. Get the bag and add about a quarter size amount of paint in 3-4 colors. Make sure to leave plenty of space between your colors. Be sure to get out as much air as possible so the bag can lay flat and to avoid it popping on you! Let your kid use their fingers to move around the paint from within the bag! This will keep them happy, busy, and clean. 

 

Price Range: Under $15

 

National Park At Home Activities

Did you know that the national park foundation has an entire site dedicated to bringing a little bit of the parks into your home?

They offer a huge variety of free and fun things for your kids to do! You can download activity maps, check out live webstreams of parks or attend virtual park events. 

 

Price Range: FREE

 

Affordable Outings

Sometimes, you just have to get out of the house for a bit but lining up activities all summer long gets expensive fast. Here are some affordable options to get your kids out of the house without spending tons of money.

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Local Library Events

Most city or county libraries have a full calendar of events for the summer. Some even offer summer reading programs that can help motivate your children to read while giving you fun events to add to your summer calendar. 

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Need help finding your local library? No worries, we got you covered! While you are on their site be sure to check out their events

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Kids Bowling

Have you heard of Kids Bowl Free? This is a great program that gives kids 2 free games a day at participating bowling alleys during the KBF program dates. Parents can buy a one-time pass that will last them all summer long for up to 4 adults. 

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Note: You do have to pay for shoes but honestly, that’s not bad for 2 games a day!

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This program is available in all 50 states, parts of Canada, and military bases. Some areas might not have a bowling alley that’s covered in the program but this might make for a fun activity during a day trip or vacation.

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Price Range: FREE- the cost of shoe rental

 

Skating Rinks

Like the bowling option? Well, this is the same but at a skating rink! Kids can sign up for 2 Kids Skate Free passes per child, per week. You find a park, sign up and download the free app. Your passes will be available within the hour!

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Most rinks have a rental fee that ranges from $5 to $10 per kid for the day but if you have skates of your own, this could be completely free. Be aware that most parks do have age restrictions so be sure to check before you sign up.

 

Price Range: FREE- the cost of skate gear rental

 

Did you try any of the activities with your kids? Hopefully, you had fun and got a moment to yourself while your kids were occupied. Did we miss anything? Drop your comments below!