Kids will love it! Summer vacation games, recreation, and hands-on activities
Summer vacation feels really long, doesn’t it? Even kids who are happy to have every day off may start to feel their playtime getting a bit monotonous when the break goes on and on.
When they say things like, “I’m tired of going to the pool every day!” or “I’m bored—there’s nothing to do!” it can leave you wondering what to do next.
In this article, we’ve gathered summertime play ideas and activities that kids will love.
If you’re a parent thinking, “What should we do tomorrow…?” please use this as a reference.
From everyday play to activities perfect for special days like during trips, there are plenty of recommendations!
Kids Will Love It! Summer Vacation Games, Recreation, and Activities (1–10)
Ice cream making
How about making ice cream together—something kids love and adults do too? You might think making ice cream sounds hard, but it’s surprisingly easy and uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients! Just mix milk and heavy cream with yogurt and fruit, pour it into a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for 2 hours.
Take it out, knead it through the bag, then freeze it again and knead once more—then it’s ready! You can use toppings kids like, and since you don’t need any machines, it’s an easy and fun activity to do together.
Highly recommended.
Home festival
https://www.tiktok.com/@momo.mam4/video/6994964906655223042A perfect idea for kids interested in summer festivals: an at-home fair.
Going to a real festival is fun, but the great thing about an at-home fair is the freedom—you can play your favorite games as much as you want, pour on as much shaved ice syrup as you like, and enjoy it your way.
There are lots of handy items available these days, so you might be surprised how easily you can set one up at home.
Try planning it with ideas kids love, like shooting games, yo-yo fishing, and lucky string pulls.
Put on some festival background music and transform your room into a festival venue!
Surface Tension Game
The “Surface Tension Game” is played by filling a glass with water right up to the brim and then taking turns dropping coins into it.
Naturally, whoever makes the water overflow loses—it’s a penalty game.
Even though the glass is already filled to the limit, the water surprisingly doesn’t spill right away.
The suspense of “When will it overflow?” and “Is it still okay?” is a lot of fun.
In summer, even if the water does spill, it feels cool and pleasant to the touch, so give it a try!
Water Shooting Game
In summer, you just want to be around water, right? If that’s you, how about a water gun? There are all kinds of water shooting games using water guns.
It’s not just about splashing water.
For example, you can make targets and try to shoot them down with your water gun.
Or you can play a survival-style game where you fill the guns with colored water, and if you manage to hit your opponent, you win! There are so many new ways to play with water guns now!
Water Balloon Battle
A water balloon battle is perfect for playing outside on a scorching midsummer day! The great thing is that it’s fun with both small and large groups.
Split into teams and hit the other team’s “it” player with water balloons—the team that gets the other side the most soaked wins.
The simple rules are part of the appeal.
It does take a bit of effort to prepare lots of water balloons, but it will definitely become a cherished summer memory for your kids! You can also expand the fun with variations, like hanging paper targets around players’ necks or doing a relay where you burst balloons along the way.
Give it a try!
Playing in the water with a bubble bath
When summer comes around, many families head to the pool, but sometimes you just want an easier way to enjoy some water play, right? In those moments, playing with water in the bath is highly recommended.
Put on swimsuits, grab some water toys, and have a blast right in the bathtub! Even bubbles, which are usually a no-go, are fine to add to the tub during water play.
These days there are products that let you make bubble baths easily, so check them out.
Touching the foam, piling it on your head—you can enjoy a different kind of water play with sensations you don’t get from plain water.
summer festival
When it comes to summer traditions, you can’t leave out summer festivals! Kids love them too, so they’re of course great as recreational activities.
Summer festivals offer classic fun like food stalls and fireworks, and the events vary by region.
Besides your local festival, it might be nice to visit festivals in different areas this summer and enjoy the unique differences.
Pool play
Speaking of summer, it’s all about the pool! Many of us probably went countless times as kids during the season.
From pools with lots of athletic attractions to the local community pool, you can find them everywhere.
Many schools also open their pools on certain days, so you can even get in for free sometimes! With lazy rivers, wave pools, and water slides, you can spend the whole day there without getting bored.
It’s also great for going regularly to practice your swimming!
home vegetable garden
Isn’t a home garden the perfect place to observe how plants grow and experience the joy of harvesting? It’s also great for a summer vacation science project! Why not choose plants, vegetables, or fruits your child loves? Summer vegetables are relatively easy to grow, so give it a try together as a parent-child activity! You can even start from soil preparation, tailored to your child’s age.
Your child will be excited to see how plants sprout and grow.
By keeping an observation diary and taking charge of daily watering, not only the plants—but your child, too—will surely grow!
Insect collecting
They’ve caught bugs in video games, but never real ones—that kind of child is apparently becoming more common.
With so many ways to play nowadays, chances to go insect collecting in nature may have decreased quite a bit.
But it’s such a waste to spend summer—when you can encounter all kinds of insects—just playing games! Lure them with syrup or fruit, sprint after flying bugs, and observe the ones you catch.
How about heading out into nature once in a while?