Summertime Fun: Activities to Keep the Kids Engaged and Active

Resources

Congratulations! Another school year is in the books. Summer is a great time to reconnect with the family, try new things and have new adventures. At Defending Education, we wanted to reflect on some of the fun ways we enjoy summer break with our kids.

Have a great suggestion to add to our list? Please contact us at [email protected]. 

Happy summer!

Summer reading: Pick something age appropriate and interesting to your child. You can keep a book log to track all the books they have read and celebrate when they reach certain milestones. 

Lemonade stands: Lemonade stands are a great way to keep kids busy and feed their inner entrepreneurial spirit! In addition to lemonade, they can sell their artwork, cookies, etc. Lemonade stands are great opportunities for the kids to practice their math skills and salesmanship. 

Gardening: Gardening is great for all ages! Planting and watching things grow is a great exercise in patience and perseverance. Kids love getting dirty and they love to eat what they grow! Younger kids need more guidance. Older kids can be given direction and sent on their way. 

Treasure hunts: Hunting for treasure and following maps is fun and challenging. Have an older neighbor or family member make a map to the hidden treasure. Kids can divide up into teams for larger groups or go it alone for smaller groups. The maps should be age appropriate and not include things like crossing streets or anything that could be dangerous. Keep it simple and be mindful of the ages of the kids participating and their attention span.

Open a bank account: Having their own bank account is a great way to teach kids about money and savings. Kids love going into the bank to make a deposit – regardless of the amount! Many banks have special checking accounts for minors that can be opened under a parent’s account. This keeps tracking everything easy and all in one place! Older kids can work toward saving for something big. 

Day visit to local farm: Does your town have a local farm? Kids love to visit farms, feed the animals and take a ride on a tractor. Pack a lunch and make a checklist of what to look for to keep kids engaged. 

Picnic: Picnics are a lost art! Pack up everyone’s favorites, and a few new things to try, and head to your local lake, park or public garden. Bring a big blanket. Set everything up and see how the conversation and interaction changes when you are outside. Bring a ball, frisbee, cards etc. to add to the fun. 

Painting en-plein-air: Painting outside is fun, different and easier to clean up! Grab some extra large pieces of newsprint or paper. Tape them down to the driveway. Let the kids experience painting outside! If you live near the beach, bring water color paints to your next outing so your kids can paint sea shells.

Chalk drawings: Grab a BIG box of sidewalk chalk. Kids can draw pictures or make a 4-Square or hopscotch board. Kids love to write their names on the driveway, play tic tac toe, draw elaborate pictures outside. When you are done, have them help you clean up. 

Hiking: Older kids enjoy rock climbing, hiking and exploring outside. Hit an area park or trail. It is cooler in the shade and fun to experience the view after a long climb up a mountain! Bring plenty of water and snacks to keep you going. 

Archery: Lots of local parks have archery ranges. Take a lesson and rent equipment. 

Zipline tour: Zipline parks are popping up everywhere! Parks are set up for different ages and many also have challenge courses. These are fun ways to spend the day and walk away with the feeling of accomplishment. 

Driving range: Hit the driving range! If your child doesn’t have the attention span or interest in playing 9 or 18 holes of golf, the driving range is a great, fun alternative. A few quick lessons from an experienced golfer can get them started. Kids love to see their progress and how they improve over time. Many driving ranges also have mini golf, which is always fun regardless of your age. 

Camp in your backyard: Have your children been asking to go camping, but it’s too daunting to get everything together to go on a camping trip? Set up a tent in your backyard and share a cozy night outdoors with your kids.