Summer Activities for Kids with Free Printable Calendar
Summer is here and I’m sure you’re looking for ways to keep your kids entertained this summer.
At the end of this blog post is a free monthly printable with different daily activities for kids. Save the calendar or print it out for easy viewability. You can also pin the calendar to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later.
Kids need activities to keep them engaged otherwise they’ll go look for something to do… And most of the time, it’s something that will get them in trouble like coloring on the walls, cooking with all the real spices and oils in the spice cabinet, or unraveling a whole roll of toilet paper. (:
Below is a printable calendar with different themed days of the week. Each activity corresponds with the theme of that day. You will see a mix of educational, fun, and entertaining activities to keep kids engaged. There is also a self-care Sunday theme to encourage kids to practice self-care.
The calendar is yours to customize. You can follow the calendar exactly or use it as inspiration for ideas. Or you can change some of the days around if that fits your family’s schedule better.
Have fun this summer making everlasting memories with your kids!
Self-Care Sunday
Self-care is an important practice to teach kids. Teach kids to take care of their mental and physical health by doing things that make them happy and feel good. Ideas for children on self-care Sunday are simple, easy, and realistic for children of all ages.
Make It Monday
Make It Monday is a theme for kids to be creative and have fun making something. They can bake, cook, do simple arts and crafts, or sew. The theme on Monday is to be creative and the possibilities are endless.
Take a Trip Tuesday
Take a Trip Tuesday is a day to get the kids outside of the house. With a quick Google search, you can find somewhere local to go to in your area. Kids will have fun exploring the library, zoo, museum, park, and local fair. You can also go to a jump park, splash park, community pool center, or farm.
Water Play Wednesday
Water Play Wednesday is a day for kids to have fun getting wet. Since it’s so warm in the summer, playing with water is a great way to stay cool. Make sure to check out my summer safety tips for reminders on keeping kids safe by the pool and playing in the water.
Thinking Thursday
Thinking Thursday is an educational-themed day to keep kids thinking. Activities include reading, STEM activities, and ideas to keep kids from falling into a mental slump over the summer. Keep their brains inquisitive and learning this summer with some fun and engaging activities.
Family Fun Friday
Family Fun Friday is for the family where you can do activities together. Everyone gets to enjoy each other’s company and soak up the warm summer nights with picnics at the park or camping in the backyard. Continue below for more family ideas.
Selfless Service Saturday
Selfless Service Saturday is a day to give back and be kind to others. Teach kids compassion, kindness, and generosity with some selfless service ideas. Ideas include giving back to the community, neighbors, family, and Mother Earth.
Calendar of Activities
Make it Monday
Make a Fruit Smoothie
Throw anything you want in this refreshing fruit smoothie. We love using organic berries, strawberries, spinach and a banana in our smoothies. The banana gives our smoothies an extra bit of creaminess in our drink. And spinach helps us get a boost of our greens in for the day.
Make a Card
Make a Card or draw a picture of something nice that can be hung up on the fridge.
Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies? And even if you’re not a cookie fan, you can always bake something else. We enjoy baking in our home because it’s a fun activity to get the kids involved in the kitchen. They learn how to read, follow instructions, and learn some basic math.
After we’re done mixing the batter, the kids can roll it into little balls ready to be placed on the baking sheet. It’s a simple enough baking activity for two toddlers.
Paint With Sponges
Take some extra sponges you have laying around and cut them into fun shapes like circles, hearts, and stars. Let your kids use them to paint with varying colors. They can just play around with the paint, make patterns, or get creative and try to paint a picture.
Make a Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
We love eating seasonal fruit in the summer. It’s healthy, nutritious, and a great snack in between meals. Making a yogurt parfait is great because you can have fun assembling the parfaits however you want. You can lay out all the fruit, granola toppings, berries, and have the kids scoop up how much they want of everything into their parfait bowl.
Take A Trip Tuesday
Go to the Library
Our local library offers several activities throughout the summer such as toddler storytime, crafts, free meals during the weekday, and book club meet ups. They also have summer reading challenges to encourage kids to read throughout the summer.
I know many parents don’t want their kids to go through a summer slump and reading is a good activity for kids during the summer.
Check out your local library to see what kind of activities they offer throughout the summer. Sign up for a summer reading challenge! Or just go and check out some books to read.
Explore a New Playground
We enjoy going to new playgrounds and exploring different neighborhoods. Since our kids wake up early, we like to go to the playgrounds in the morning and then try somewhere new to eat for lunch.
Go to the Beach
If you live near the coast, going to the beach during the summer is a great way to stay cool. Don’t forget to bring your sand gear to build sand castles, swimming gear, fresh fruit and sandwiches to snack on, and spf to protect your skin.
Hike Along a Kid Friendly Trail
Going for walks and exploring the outdoors is a great way to get outside the house. You can do a scavenger hunt and see what you spot during your hike.
Go to an Indoor Playground
I never knew about indoor playgrounds until my son started watching Blippi. There are a lot of indoor playgrounds that kids can climb on, crawl through tunnels, and jump in ball pits. There are also some indoor playgrounds that adults can participate in too! Find one that you and your kids can enjoy together.
Water Play Wednesday
Swim in a Kiddie Pool
Fill up a kiddie pool to help them stay cool this summer. Kids love splashing around in the water and this is a great way for them to burn off some energy.
Visit a Splash Park/ Splash Pad
Splash pads and splash parks are very popular in the summer. Its a fantastic way to stay cool. Kids have such a blast running through the splash pad and sprinklers.
Wash Toys in the Yard
Throw a couple of your kids toys in a large plastic bucket, give them a sponge and let them “wash” their toys. This activity kept my kids occupied for at least an hour. They had so much fun washing their toys and making them clean.
Scavenger Hunt Ice Box
If you have space in your freezer for a large box, fill up a large bucket or box with some of your kids favorite figurines and let it freeze over. Your kids can chip away at the ice block and try to get their figurines out.
Water Balloon Toss
A water balloon toss is such a fun and classic way to have fun in the summer. There are so many things you can do with water balloons such as play catch and just toss them back and forth.
Thinking Thursday
Read a New Book
If you went to the library to check out some books, challenge your kid to see if they can finish the book today.
Whisk Bubbles
In a large bucket, pour in some water and dishwashing soap. Give your kids some whisk and have them whisk away some bubbles. You can add some food coloring to see if they can whisk up colorful bubbles.
This is great arm exercise for the kids and they can dress themselves up in bubbles afterwards.
Alka Seltzer Rocket Experiment
Rhyming Words Ice Cream Match
For this activity, you would print out ice cream cones. And then write words that rhyme on the ice cream and the cone. Kids will match the corresponding rhyming words using the ice cream and ice cream cone.
Lemon Volcano
Family Friday
Build a Fort with Family
Gather some blankets, pillows, and build a fort in the living room. You can make smores and watch a movie.
Play Charades with Family
We love pretending to be different animals. Our toddlers are learning about different safari animals, sea creatures, and farm animals. I like to pretend that I’m different animals and have the kids guess which I am.
Board Game Night
There are some simple and easy board games that preschoolers can participate in. I enjoy board game night because it’s time that our family is spent intentionally with each other. We sit with each other, talk, and focus on one another. There’s no screens and we
Go Out to Dinner
Make Pizza With Family
My husband was never a big fan of pizza until we started making our own. It’s so much more fun making your own pizzas and putting your own toppings on. You can make the dough from scratch or just buy your own pizza dough.
We usually just buy our pizza dough to keep it simple. And then we roll out single-serving pizza pans. Everyone gets to throw on their own sauces, cheese, and toppings. Kids love this because it gives them a chance to work in the kitchen and they can make their own tasty creations.
The hardest part for the kids is waiting for the pizza to be done after we’ve thrown it in the oven. But after it’s ready, they can’t wait to dig into some hot and fresh pizza.
Self-less Act Saturday
Write a Card to Someone You Love
Write a thoughtful message to someone you love such as a mom, dad, or grandparent. It can even be a friend from preschool. Draw a picture and write something that you love about them.
Pack a Lunch for Someone
Kids can pack a lunch for someone they love.
What sort of food does dad like to eat? What kind of snacks does mom enjoy?
Have your kids put together a thoughtful and delicious meal for someone they love.
Write a Nice Message Using Side Walk Chalk
Using sidewalk chalk, write a kind message for a stranger to see. You can write something as simple as, “smile!” or “you’re great!”
We love taking walking in our neighborhood and I always enjoy seeing what people are drawing on their driveways and on the sidewalk.
Donate an Unused Toy
If there’s a toy that hasn’t been played with in a while, donate it to another child who may enjoy it more. Not only are you donating to someone else, but you’re also clearing out your space.
Facetime a Relative
Facetime or call a relative that is not near you. It’s always great connecting with loved ones.
Self-care Sunday
Draw a Picture of You Doing Something You Enjoy
Have your kids draw a picture of themselves doing something that they enjoy. It could be reading a book, playing with mom and dad, or eating their favorite food.
