50 (Mostly Free) Summer Activities for Kids of All Ages
In the movie The Interpreter, Nicole Kidman’s character, Silvia Brown, is having a drink with Tobin Keller, played by Sean Penn. She tells him that “farm kids will do anything” to keep from being bored.
“Mostly they fight. I read. My brother was into lists. How many times our mother said the ‘F’ word. Countries with the most advantageous ratio of males to females. Odd animal facts.”
I tend to be a list maker myself. Here is my list of fun activities for the summer, many of which are FREE!
(A word of advice: Don’t ruin your summer fun. Drink lots of water, apply frequently a sunscreen with a high SPF number and spend the hottest hours of the day inside.)
Lawn and court games
There are lots of different types of outdoor games. You can arrange pick-up games and play for fun or set up a tournament and play for kitschy trophies.
1. croquet
2. bocce ball
3. badminton
4. tennis
5. volleyball
6. softball
7. whiffle ball
8. horseshoes
9. washers
Water activities
Sometimes you can find several of the following activities all in one place (can you say “Lucky me?”)
1. swimming – in a pond, pool, creek, ocean – whatever gets you wet and keeps you cool!
2. Sunbathing (don’t forget the sunscreen!)
3. waterskiing
4. rafting
5. kayaking
6. canoeing
7. wading in a creek or pond
8. looking for tadpoles
9. fishing
10. piloting bumper boats
11. running under a sprinkler
12. snorkeling
Outside fun
Summer is a time to be outside to enjoy the feel of warm breezes blowing and the sun on your face. Try one of these fun activities.
1. play tag
2. play mumbly peg
3. play hide-n-seek
4. go to a drive-in (yes, there are still some around)
5. build a tree house
6. build a fort
7. catch fireflies
8. play miniature golf
9. go for a walk
10. ride a bike
11. have a picnic with friends and family
12. plan a family reunion
13. go camping
14. go to the state or county fair
15. go to the zoo and make faces at the monkeys
16. go to a water park
17. rappel off the side of a cliff
18. bungee jump
19. take a hike
Inside fun
When it’s just too darn hot to be outside for longer than it takes to walk from the air-conditioned house to the air-conditioned car, try the following activities.
1. play “Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?”
2. play I Spy
3. snuggle with your child and read a book
4. have a movie marathon night (or afternoon), replete with snacks, intermission and a cartoon to start it all off
5. play board and card games
6. visit Mall of America, the world's largest indoor shopping mall
7. visit a museum
8. bake cookies or cupcakes
9. play video or computer games
10. go to the library and participate in one of its summer programs
BONUS!
But the very best thing to do in summer is.……..NOTHING!!
