10 Fun and Frugal Activities to Keep Kids Busy All Summer Long!
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar. With summer break fast approaching, the thought of being home with my 6 kids all summer long brings such joy to my heart (and by joy, I mean the pure terror of trying to find things to keep them occupied for an entire day without plopping them in front of the TV!) I can't tell you how many times I hear "I'm bored!" every summer when I tell them to turn off the screens. I try to keep the kids outside as much as possible during the summer, but I also like to make sure they are actually still learning things and have a little bit of structure. I absolutely love the Summer Brain Quest books! The only downfall is they only go from Pre-K to K up to 5th - 6th grade. So if you have kids older than those going into 6th grade, you are kind of out of luck there. But these are great to keep the kids learning all summer long. Plus they have fun little outdoor activities to complete as well, with a map and stickers! Here's an example:
Now onto the activities...
1. Giant Dry-Erase Mat
From I Heart Arts and Crafts I really love this idea! It is great for both indoor and outdoor and kids of pretty much any age. We have a dry erase door at home and our kids from ages 2-13 draw on it all the time!
2. Outdoor wood blocks
From Filth Wizardry My toddler loves to build with blocks and my 7-year-old daughter loves to paint, what a perfect combo! The great thing about these is that you can put them together for practically free! Ask around for wood scraps and grab the paint from your art center, badabing badaboom!
3. Frozen Sparkle Paint
From Teaching 2 and 3-Year-Olds This is another one that could be an indoor OR outdoor craft, but I would probably keep it outside in an attempt to keep the house clean (haha!). The older kids can help to make the craft while the younger kids actually paint with them.
4. Foam Sidewalk Paint
From The Tip Toe Fairy This stuff is SOOO fun! Our sidewalk is decorated with chalk and drawings pretty much all the time and this is a great addition to the outdoor art arsenal!
5. Backyard Obstacle Course
From Step 2 Blog This uses dollar store pool noodles and other stuff you probably have sitting around in your yard! Get creative with it, let the older kids use their engineering skills to build some cool obstacles while the younger ones run around and tear them all down...I mean run the course!
6. Squirt Gun Painting
From Fireflies and Mudpies The messier the better! Ok, so this activity doesn't actually have to be that messy, but what fun for kids (and adults) of any age!
7. Giant Bubbles
From Baby Savers. Who doesn't love bubbles?! Bubbles, especially huge bubbles, are a great activity for any age.
8. Squirt Gun Races
From This Grandma Is Fun Need more ideas to add to your outdoor obstacle course? Check out these squirt gun cup races! Who knew you could do so much with squirt guns!
9. Water Balloon Pinatas
From Milk Allergy Mom. Water balloons are always a great option for kids in summer. This puts a fun spin on water balloons rather than just pelting each other with them.
10. Real Life Angry Birds
From Cul de Sac Cool Kids love angry birds, but why not try and kick it up a notch with a real-life version? Gather up your random boxes, balloons, homemade slingshot and stuffed animals and knock down your builds. Related post: 25 Ways to Save Money Everyday (Part 1) Sharing is caring! 💓 for later or .
What are some of your favorite frugal activities to do over the summer?
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