28 Ideas to Try Right Now
⚡ Filter by Time & Constraints
Showing 28 of 28 ideas for Kids during summer
⏱️ Duration
🎯 Requirements & Effort
🧊
#1·⏱️ 15 min prep + 20 min playmess freelow effortno prepno materials
Frozen Treasure Dig
🛒Materials: Large container, water, small toys, salt, warm water squirt bottle
- 1Freeze small toys inside a large block of ice overnight.
- 2Give your child salt, warm water, and spoons to excavate.
- 3Race to free all the toys from the ice.
🪨
#2·⏱️ 20–30 minlow effortno prep
Painted Rock Garden
🛒Materials: Rocks, acrylic paint
- 1Collect smooth rocks from outside.
- 2Paint them with bright colours and patterns.
- 3Arrange them in the garden when dry.
💦
#3·⏱️ 20+ minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
DIY Sprinkler Run
🛒Materials: Garden hose or plastic bottle with holes
- 1Poke holes in a large plastic bottle and attach it to a hose.
- 2Turn on the water and lay it on the lawn.
- 3Run, jump, and dance through the sprinkler spray.
💡
Works just as well with a regular hose on a fan-spray setting.
🧺
#4·⏱️ 10 minno prepno materialslow effortmess free
Laundry Basket Race
🛒Materials: Laundry basket, soft floor
- 1Child sits inside the laundry basket.
- 2Parent pulls them across the floor — or they scoot themselves.
- 3Set up a 'race track' with turns and a finish line.
🧪
#5·⏱️ 10–15 minmess freelow effortno prepno materials
Kitchen Science: Density Tower
🛒Materials: Tall glass, honey, dish soap, water, oil
- 1Slowly pour honey into the glass first.
- 2Then carefully add dish soap, then water, then oil.
- 3Watch the layers stack — each liquid has a different density!
💡
Drop safe items in (cork, grape, large plastic block) and see where they float.
🌋
#6·⏱️ 15–20 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
Couch Cushion Lava Floor
🛒Materials: Couch cushions, pillows
- 1Scatter cushions across the living room floor.
- 2The floor is 'lava' — you can only stand on cushions.
- 3Navigate from one end of the room to the other without touching the floor.
🌯
#7·⏱️ 5–10 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
Blanket Burrito Roll
🛒Materials: A blanket
- 1Lay a blanket flat on the floor.
- 2Child lies at one end and rolls themselves up into a 'burrito'.
- 3Add 'toppings': pillow as cheese, stuffed animal as salsa.
💡
Deep pressure from the blanket is genuinely calming — great before bedtime.
💃
#8·⏱️ 5–10 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
Dance Party
🛒Materials: None (just music)
- 1Play your child's favorite upbeat song.
- 2Dance together in the living room.
- 3Pause the music randomly and yell 'Freeze!'
❓
#9·⏱️ 10 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
20 Questions
🛒Materials: None
- 1One person thinks of an animal, object, or person.
- 2Others ask yes/no questions to guess.
- 3Maximum 20 questions allowed.
🎈
#10·⏱️ 10 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
Balloon Keep-Up
🛒Materials: 1 balloon
- 1Blow up a balloon.
- 2Rule: it cannot touch the floor.
- 3Count how many hits before it drops.
📖
#11·⏱️ 10 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
Storytelling Chain
🛒Materials: None
- 1First person starts a story with one sentence.
- 2Each person adds one more sentence.
- 3See how wild it gets!
👑
#12·⏱️ 10 minno materialsno prepmess freelow effort
Simon Says
🛒Materials: None
- 1One person is Simon.
- 2Simon gives instructions: 'Simon says jump!'
- 3Only follow if it starts with 'Simon says' — catch everyone out!
🕺
#13·⏱️ 10 minno materialsmess freelow effort
Freeze Dance
🛒Materials: Phone/speaker
- 1Play music and dance freely.
- 2When music stops, everyone freezes.
- 3Last to freeze is out!
🎨
#14·⏱️ 30–45 minmess freelow effortno materials
Sidewalk Chalk Mural
🛒Materials: Pavement chalk
- 1Choose a big section of pavement or driveway.
- 2Plan a theme: underwater scene, space, jungle, city.
- 3Each person works on one section — connect them all into a giant mural.
🗣️
#15·⏱️ 10–15 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
Interactive Storytelling
🛒Materials: None
- 1Start telling a story about a character.
- 2Pause at key moments and ask your child to make the decision.
- 3Continue the story based on their choices!
🧲
#16·⏱️ 15 minmess freeno prepno materialslow effort
Fridge Magnet Stories
🛒Materials: Magnetic letters or word magnets, fridge
- 1Use fridge magnets to spell out silly sentences.
- 2Each person adds one word to make the sentence longer and sillier.
- 3Read the final sentence out loud — guaranteed laughs.
🐞
#17·⏱️ 30 minmess freelow effort
Bug Hotel Builder
🛒Materials: Sticks, leaves, pinecones, an old pot or brick pile
- 1Stack bricks or pots to create 'rooms'.
- 2Fill gaps with sticks, pinecones, bark, and dry leaves.
- 3Place in a shady garden spot and check back daily for guests.
💡
Genuinely educational — you'll attract beetles, woodlice, and spiders within days.
😂
#18·⏱️ 10–15 minno prepmess freelow effortno materials
Mad Libs Story
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil
- 1Write a short story leaving blanks: 'The ___[animal] ran to the ___[place].'
- 2Without showing the story, ask for random words to fill the blanks.
- 3Read the finished (hilarious) story aloud.
🐺
#19·⏱️ 10–15 minno materialsmess freelow effort
Shadow Puppets
🛒Materials: A lamp (or phone torch)
- 1Darken the room and point a lamp at the wall.
- 2Use your hands to make animal shadows.
- 3Tell a story with shadow characters.
🦢
#20·⏱️ 15 minno materialsmess freelow effort
Paper Origami
🛒Materials: Square paper
- 1Search 'easy origami for kids' and pick one design together.
- 2Follow along step by step — pause and check at each fold.
- 3Make a few different designs and display them.
🎯
#21·⏱️ 5–10 minlow effort
Tape Maze
🛒Materials: Painter's tape
- 1Lay tape on the floor in a maze pattern.
- 2Walk only on the tape lines.
- 3Add challenges like jumping at certain points.
🔍
#22·⏱️ 15–20 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
Scavenger Hunt
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil
- 1Write a list of 10 things to find around the house or garden.
- 2Include colours, textures, shapes, and specific objects.
- 3First to find everything wins — or race your own best time.
🕯️
#23·⏱️ 15–20 minmess freelow effort
Shadow Drawing
🛒Materials: Paper, pencils, toys, a lamp
- 1Place a sheet of paper under a lamp.
- 2Line up small toys to cast shadows on the paper.
- 3Trace the outlines of the shadows and color them in.
👁️
#24·⏱️ 5–10 minno prepno materialsmess freelow effort
I Spy
🛒Materials: None
- 1One person says 'I spy with my little eye, something...' and gives a clue.
- 2Others guess what it is.
- 3Whoever guesses correctly goes next.
🎲
#25·⏱️ 20–40 minmess freelow effort
Board Game Hour
🛒Materials: Any board game
- 1Pick a game you haven't played in a while.
- 2Read the rules out loud together.
- 3Play 2 rounds — loser picks the next game.
📚
#26·⏱️ 20+ minlow effortmess free
Book Club for One
🛒Materials: Books
- 1Let your child pick 3 books.
- 2They read (or look at pictures) independently.
- 3Later, ask them: 'Which was your favourite and why?'
🧱
#27·⏱️ 30+ minlow effortmess free
Building Block Free Play
🛒Materials: Lego, Duplo, or any blocks
- 1Set out a bucket of blocks.
- 2No instructions — free build.
- 3Only rule: must name what they built when done.
🎨
#28·⏱️ 10–15 minlow effortmess free
Sorting Game
🛒Materials: Mixed safe household items (colored socks, cups, blocks)
- 1Mix together safe items like colored socks, cups, and building blocks.
- 2Sort by colour, then size, then shape.
- 3Celebrate each sorted group!
