Summer is the perfect time to focus on family fun. Being goofy and doing things together enable you to build on your family’s bond and create some of your most cherished memories. To get the fun started we have compiled a checklist of 20 Summer Activities for Family Fun.
20 Summer Activities – Family Fun Checklist
Start creating memories by doing some (or all) of these family fun activities together. Let the fun begin!
[ ] Head to the lake, river, or pond and try your hand at skipping rocks. Half the fun is finding the perfect flat skipping stone.
[ ] Visit the local drive-in or look for an outdoor screening and enjoy a movie under the stars.
[ ] Have an ice cream sundae, for dinner; set-up a buffet of toppings so everyone can customize their own creation. We made an extreme ice cream float and the kids loved it.
[ ] Get soaked during a water fight. If you’re not big on water guns, try using a few sponges and a bucket of water. Checkout some of the water fun toys we like.
[ ] Enjoy a picnic in your local park or even out in the backyard. There’s something so fun about sitting on a big blanket eating sandwiches. Our How to Plan a Picnic will give you some suggestions on what to pack and what to eat.
[ ] Make a family mural. Stick a large sheet of paper on the side of the house or on the fence and let everyone add to it. Or if paper is hard to come by, mark out an area on your driveway to create a family chalk mural.
[ ] Lay in the grass and pick-out shapes in the clouds as they float by. It’s amazing to hear not only what your kids see but also the stories they develop around the cloud shapes.
[ ] Celebrate a favourite colour. Wear the colour, eat food that colour, make pictures using that colour.
[ ] Spend the afternoon outside reading. Everyone can use a little downtime in the summer. Find a nice spot in the yard and bring out a stack of books, magazines, comic books, anything that the family enjoys reading and flipping through. Looking for a good family read or the kids need ideas for their own reading? Checkout our Kids Book Reviews section for some great suggestions.
[ ] Have a backyard BBQ. Nothing beats cooking and eating outdoors. Stick with the staples or try something new. We’ve even started our own Summer BBQ Sunday series.
[ ] Blow bubbles. Even as an adult I love bubble blowing. Take turns blowing and popping or see how big you can make the bubbles or how many you can blow at one time.
[ ] Go on a scavenger hunt. Look for animal tracks, feathers or other found things. Make up your own list or check out our free printable scavenger hunt list.
[ ] Head out on a nighttime walk. Your neighbourhood can have a whole different feel at nighttime. Walk around the block, look at the stars, and bring flashlights to look for night creatures.
[ ] Be a hometown tourist. Visit the museum, take a trolly ride, visit a place in your own town you haven’t seen in awhile, a place you would take visitors. You might just discover something new in your town.
[ ] Take a road trip. This doesn’t have to be a long distance drive with luggage and hotel reservations. Just pile into the car and drive. Stop at a roadside stand for fruit or visit a park in a neighbouring town, then drive home. Be sure to pack a few road trip friendly snacks.
[ ] Build a puzzle together. Puzzles are another great downtime activity. Everyone can work on finding colours or building a certain part of the puzzle. Put it on a piece of cardboard that can slide away and be pulled out anytime throughout the summer.
[ ] Camp in the backyard. I’m not a big camper but even this is something I can do. Kids will love sleeping outdoors and the bathroom is close by.
[ ] Build a fort. This could be from sheets, cardboard, sticks, pillows, or a combination of all these things.
[ ] Make and break a piñata. Who doesn’t like smashing and finding treats? Make a simple piñata using a balloon and paper mache, fill with treats and enjoy.
[ ] Sleep at a hotel. It doesn’t have to be fancy or far. It can be a hotel in town or just out of the city. Enjoy the pool, room service, cable TV, and jumping on the bed. Plus you don’t have to clean the room when you’re done. Checkout some other fun family travel ideas.
Don’t let this summer go by in a blur, full of missed opportunities to do things as a family. This 20 Summer Family Fun Activity Checklist is just a start; add to it the activities your family enjoys doing together but perhaps haven’t done in a long time. Start building your memories now.
Happy Summer Fun!