Summer break has arrived for mine and Kristy’s family, and that means an immense amount of time is spent outdoors! I have lots of entertainment right in my own backyard. Our pool is a big source, and the Jersey heat…IYKYK! We have a huge play set and playhouse so that comes in handy during intermittent pool breaks! There are a lot of fun activities that can keep the kids entertained…here are some of our favs to share with you – a mix of purchasable items and ways to get creative!
Sprinkler Fun – We purchased the kids a trampoline a couple years ago and we were later gifted a trampoline sprinkler and boy does it take the trampoline, which is already a backyard outdoor fav, to another level! A great alternative to beat the heat if you don’t have a pool!
Water Table Play – My littlest guy isn’t too into our pool just yet and isn’t a fan of sprinklers, but give him a water table and he’s set to go. He loves to pour and dump the water and uses the “tools” to make a welcomed water mess, since it’s outdoors of course!
We have gone through a lot of splash pads – they are very much well-loved and get a lot of use during the warmer summer days when the kids aren’t quite ready to be fully submerged in the pool or when they just need a quick cool down!
Balloon Volleyball – This one is fun for the whole family and is pretty simple – grab a jump rope or hose and make a line to separate your courts – first one to 21 wins! If you have young kiddos and tend to be competitive, just tell them it’s like the keepsy upsy game from Bluey!
Hot Day? Try using water balloons (underhand toss) – don’t drop or squeeze the balloon too hard – first team to pop 21 balloons loses!
Treasure Hunt – Kristy’s kids love this activity and it’s considered one of their favorites. Kristy usually creates her own scavenger hunts based off of what she has in eyesight for her kids. Take a clip board or binder and some crayons or pencils and you have a fun yet simple activity! With the treasure hunts, she will grab fun bulk items from our group page and will hide them in the backyard. She recently had extra stars from her son’s birthday party so that’s what she hid the other day. Whoever collects the most gets to choose the game or movie the family watches that night – and of course keep their findings.
Sun Melted Crayons – Most kids come home at the end of the year with all of the leftovers from their school desk, with 75% of it being broken crayons. Start by ripping the paper off and putting them inside a cookie cutter sitting on tin foil and place them out in the sun. Have the kids take turns checking the progress of their new crayons in the making. Voila! Now they’ll have fun new crayons for summer!
Rock/Seashell Art – Kristy lives by the beach so they go a lot, both during the on and off season (so you can imagine the collection of rocks and shells they’ve built over the last 6 years). On rainy days or as a boredom buster, they pull out their paint and markers and start creating masterpieces on the rocks and shells. Over time the rain can wash some things away, but it gives them the opportunity to color again and again!
Outdoor Movie Nights – If you’re like us we take every opportunity to get outdoors in the summer and that even means winding down for bed!! I mean who wouldn’t love movie nights on a cool summer night, enjoying some s’mores?! Grab some old blankets, outdoor pillows, your favorite snacks {mine is popcorn} and a portable projector and you’ll have endless memories for many summers to come! You can use your vinyl fence (if you have one) as a screen, but you can also grab a portable screen off Amazon or get creative with a sheet, clips and siding hooks!
Some of the best memories are made during the summer months so get outside, enjoy the sun and have some fun!
leave a comment