Summers at home can often feel like a full-time job of having to find constant entertainment for the kiddos. The good news? You don’t need an elaborate vacation or expensive outings to create a summer that’s filled with memories. Thinking of new, fun, and engaging activities can be difficult, but we’ve got a list of indoor and outdoor activities to keep your kiddos busy the rest of this summer. With a little creativity, your home and backyard can transform into a space for adventure, imagination, and learning.
Indoor Adventures for Hot or Rainy Days
- Build a Blanket Fort - Create a cozy hideaway using pillows, blankets, and chairs. Add snacks, flashlights, and board games for a full-on fort experience.
- Indoor Camping Night - Set up sleeping bags in the living room, pop some stovetop popcorn, dim the lights, and tell spooky (or silly!) stories under a "starry" ceiling made with string lights.
- Try a Science Experiment - Make a homemade lava lamp using oil, water, food coloring, and Alka-Seltzer. It’s part fun, part educational!
- Family Game Night - Rotate between classic board games, card games, or even a family trivia night.
- Get Cooking Together - Pick a favorite family recipe and let the kids take the lead in preparing it (with a little supervision, of course). Cooking builds confidence and math skills, too!
- Host a Talent Show - Everyone gets to perform - sing, dance, juggle, or tell jokes!
- Dance Party - Clear the living room, crank up the music, and let loose. Bonus points for glow sticks and themed playlists!
- Balloon Volleyball - All you need is a balloon and some space. Try not to let it touch the ground!
- Indoor Obstacle Course - Use couch cushions, chairs, and tape to create a course to crawl under, jump over, and balance through.
- Build a Fairy House - Gather mini decorations and build a tiny fairy house in a fishbowl or planter. Add moss, pebbles, and little treasures for extra magic.
Outdoor Activities for Summer Sunshine
- Paint & Hide Kindness Rocks - Decorate rocks with bright colors or messages and place them around your neighborhood or park for others to find.
- Play Tag (with a Twist!) - Try variations like freeze tag, shadow tag (tag by stepping on someone’s shadow), or flashlight tag after dark.
- Catch Fireflies - On warm nights, grab a jar (with holes!) and watch the backyard light up with bugs.
- Build an Obstacle Course Outside - Use hula hoops, pool noodles, cones, and jump ropes to create a fun physical challenge.
- Relay Races - Classic backyard fun! Sack races, spoon races, or even a silly costume relay—whatever gets them moving and laughing.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt - Create a list of items to find: a red leaf, a feather, a smooth rock. This builds observation skills and keeps walks exciting.
- Color Walk - Each person picks a color, and as you walk around the neighborhood, count how many things you can find in your chosen color.
- Capture the Flag - Team up and strategize in this high-energy backyard game. It’s great for older kids and promotes teamwork and leadership.
Summer is all about making lasting memories, fostering creativity, and spending time with family and friends. With this list of activities, you’ll be thinking outside of the box, promoting teamwork skills, building confidence, and having fun!
Have fun, stay cool, and don’t forget to document those memories!
Author: Corrine Robinson, Family and Consumer Science intern, University of Illinois Extension. Robinson is a Biological Sciences major at Parkland College from Tuscola, IL, is passionate about nutrition and wellness and plans to use her knowledge to support and uplift her community.
Reviewed by: Cheri Burcham, Family Life Educator, University of Illinois Extension.