It’s a fact, kids love to play outside in the summer. All that sun, all those water activities. All that fun! If you are trying to think of something new for the kiddos to do outside this summer, check out our 10 Awesome Summer Outdoor Activities For Kids. Feel free to add more in the comments, too!
10 Awesome Summer Outdoor Activities For Kids
1. Scavanger Hunt – I love doing this with my kids. I think it makes them pay more attention to their surroundings. You can get them to find stuff that is always in your yard, like a pine cone or you can put stuff out for them to find. I like to use objects that are already in my yard.
2. Hide And Go Seek In The Dark – My kids love this game. When they were younger, the seeker would use a flashlight to find them. Now that they are teens, they don’t use flashlights and they have to catch the person they find. The boys even hide in the trees.
3. H2OGO! Double Slider Water Slide – The kids love the speed ramp that is attached to the H20GO! Double Water Slide. Two people can go down at once, but the kids I babysit like to go down the middle of it one at a time. Either way, it’s lots of fun. The thing I love about this water slide, is you use water to hold it down, not a bunch of stakes. I thought that was pretty cool and safer.
4. Camping In The Backyard – This is another thing my kids are huge fans of. After setting up the tent, we put a tv in there that has a dvd player connected to it. The kids get their sleeping bags, we roast marshmallows, and they watch movies until they fall asleep. They really rough it the nights they camp out in the yard, can’t you tell?
5. Water Fight – You can use water balloons or water guns. Either way you are looking at a great time.
6. H2OGO! Tether Ball Splash – Tether ball is lots of fun. When you add a ball that shoots water out of it, it is a blast! The kids I babysit love this. They get soaked and they play so hard, they are usually ready for a nap after they get done, which is great for me!! This is weighed down by water too. I love that feature!
7. Mother, May I? – When my kids were younger, they loved playing this. The kids would start at the same spot and I would say things like take 6 bunny hops. If they don’t say Mother May I before hopping, they would have to go back to where they were at the beginning of the game. If they do say Mother May I, I say yes you may. Then they hop 6 times to me. Who ever touches me first wins.
8. Playing In The Rain – When it is raining, not pouring or storming, go outside and play with your kids. Basketball, tag, or anything. The girls really love to dance and sing in the rain.
9. Chalk Drawings On The Sidewalk Or Driveway – My daughter sometimes draws little roads for her and her brother to follow on the skooter or skateboard. She also draws a hop scotch board for them to play on. Her favorite thing is to draw anime, though. Then when it rains, she gets to do it all again. 🙂
10. H2OGO! Color Wave Pool – The reason I love the H2OGO! Color Wave Pool from Bestway is because it is a great size (110in. x 62in. x 18 in.) and I love the fact that it lights up at night. Add a beach ball to the mix, and you are looking at a great time. I think the lights add, not only fun, but also a bit of safety.
Hmm, we like to take the kids for bike rides in the river valley, have picnics in the park, go to the zoo.. pretty much we just sort of wing it and if it’s something we all want to do we do it!
Summer is just the way it should be for kids. It’s so much fun! We are big fans of backyard camping too. I am not a camper, but my kids love it, so we get the best of both worlds 🙂
We live in Florida and it is HOT here in the Summer. Anything involving water is a great way to cool off. I know I’ll be using a lot of ideas like these when my baby is bigger.
My son is a teenager and the youth group at church loves playing hide and seek in the dark at lock -ins. I always liked drawing with chalk on the driveway when I was younger. These are all great activities for kids of any age.
I went to a lock-in once as a child and I remember it being so much fun!
Since moving to the south, OMG it is soooo hot here. In San Diego the weather was perfect just about year round so I took it for granted. Now that tether-ball sprinkler looks right up our alley. Definitely going to check that out; I think my 10 year old stepdaughter would love it!
I have not been to San Diego but I do live in NC. Oh man, it’s hot – especially this week.
My boys love water activities in the summer. Today they played with water guns.
Kids really look forward to their summer break. These are great activities to keep them active and occupied.
we have a inflatable pool for our toddler at home and it is my far the best summer activity for him. he loves being in the water.
These are great ideas! I always like hide and seek 🙂
Now these sound like some awesome ideas, there is nothing like having a wail of a time in the summer. x
Growing up, we spent our days at the swim club. My mom was a SAHM so we could do that. We always packed a picnic lunch and went to the park for lunch and back to the pool! Now that I’m a working mom, I’m thankful my hubby works from home so she can still go swimming every morning.
Camping in the backyard is so much fun. In face I have been known to still do it.
I loved camping as a child. I need to go camping again soon.
Awesome ideas! It’s winter time here though but I’ll bookmark this for when the weather gets a little warmer. My kid definitely loves water play!
Awesome activities, those girls seem to be having a lot of fun, kids love these
These look amazing! These are perfect summer activities. I always thought summer is too good to be wasted playing on gadgets and staying indoors. but sadly, that’s what kids do now.
You are right. There is so much fun to be had outdoors. Kids just need a reminder.
A great list, and your pictures definitely create a great setting for it! I’ll have to do some of the activities you’ve suggested for my younger kids!
Thank you!!
My kids loved playing with water toys. They would stay outside forever anytime we had them out during the summer.
Summer is my kids favorite season. We are fortunate that we have the in-ground pool and pond that they swim. They also invite some friends. They both loved the water. They’re already tan before the summer started. I LOVED the photos. The tips are greatly helpful as well.
These are really good ones! I remember playing some of these games with my siblings in our yard!
Last night, we actually saw these products at the store, and my kids wanted them. I think I might get them the pool to play in.
Love the shape of the pool. We just took our inground pool out and this would be a good alternative for the grandchildren. Beautiful children!
I don’t think I even realized that you could take an inground pool out. Do they just fill it back in with dirt?
This looks so fun! Love all of your suggestions. Will have to save this so that when it is cool enough here to get outside without being in water the kids and I can use some of your suggestions.
That sliding game looks like so much fun! I would even enjoy it!
This brings back such good memories from my childhood! My sisters and I did just about everything on this list many, many times! I’ll have to look into getting the light-up pool for daughter!
These look so fun! I have never seen anything like that light up thing before that’s awesome! Great pictures!
Those water toys look so incredible! Love the ideas you shared and so excited for summer vacation to start for my son next week to start getting out in the sun and having fun as a family.
Water balloon/water gun fights are always awesome! Its a great and certainly fun way to cool off in the summer. Plus you can get out there and do it with your kids too and all have fun together.
well someone was having a good time. My son has always loved water play. I remember as a kid not having cool water slides so we took trash bags and made homemade slides.
Playing in the rain is the greatest! My son loves it and I like it too! Looks like my childhood is being back to me again.
I like getting rained on, too. It reminds me of when we went to Dominica a few months ago. It’s a rainforest so it rained. Duh. This woman was so mad about it and she fussed the whole way. I thought it was lovely. 🙂
I love summer activities with the kids! It’s good for quality time and for keeping them active during the summer. These are amazing suggestions!
Summer is a season that I really enjoy especially with my kids. I really think they’ll go crazy over these activities especially the ones with the water slide, the balls splash, and the pool!
These are all wonderful ideas. My daughters already do many of these. Having water fights is always a fun one! Scavenger hunts are another fun one. My daughters love to go out and look for things.
look at all the water fun! Yes water + fun + sun is a great combo for kids. I used to love a good slip and slide!
We love park hopping! We also enjoy water play on the days when it is just too hot!
My family loves water parks and water slides! We live about an hour away from a theme park that has this. No doubt we will be visiting them again soon this summer! Thanks for all your summer ideas!
My kids love playing in the water during the hot summer months. I think they will LOVE that color wave pool you mention!
That looks like such amazing fun wow! I wish I was a kid again haha.
Yay! Very cute! Definitely a GO for kids to enjoy. My nieces and nephews love activities like these. Seeing their smile is priceless.