Try our list of fun summer ideas and activities

Editor’s note: This post was updated on March 30, 2022.

How’s everyone’s summer shaping up? Do you have weeks of camp scheduled? Or are you or a caregiver free-wheeling with your kids?

In our house we usually mix it up: a few weeks of camps and a few weeks with nothing planned so we can enjoy the slow pace of summer. I love to let my kids lead the way in terms of our daily activities and usually don’t plan big outings or adventures. We love nature walks and the splash pad at the park. We set up the sprinkler, ride bikes, and eat snacks on the front porch.

If, like our family, you have some downtime planned this summer, or if, like a good friend of mine, you’re planning to alternate with a few other parents and each take a small group of kids for a week of home camp, it does sometimes help to have a few structured activities in your back pocket.

That’s where our list of summer ideas and activities comes in with weekly themes — like rock and roll, exploring, and nature lovers, for example. For eight weeks, we have suggestions for simple ideas, activities, and outings that can be the adults’ go-to when the kids are ready for some structured fun.

How you use it is up to you; steal one activity or embrace the weekly themes, add in your own twists, or let the kids pick what they want to do. You can even print it out [PDF] to hang on the fridge so that everyone can have a say.

If your kids do try any of the activities, please let us know how it goes! Tag us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!