40 Summer Fun Ideas
Unleash your junior explorers as they leap, bounce,
and even organize their way into unexpected learning.

3-5 Year Olds

1. Ball Boogle Mark off a starting point and an ending point in your yard. For three year olds keep the distance to about ten feet, increase for older children. Have the first child sit on the edge of an exercise ball and hold onto it with his hands. At go have him bounce his way to the end point. Have the next child start at the end point and work his way back to start. Continue until every child has a turn. Learning Connection: Large Motor Skills, Taking Turns
   
2. Bicycle Derby Indoor/Outdoor Activity. Have kids lie on their backs and put their legs in the air, pretending to pedal a bicycle with their feet. For extra fun, give each child a water bottle. Tell the following the story emphasizing the bolded words by ringing a bell or clapping your hands. When the children hear those words are to perform that word while staying in the pedaling position. Story: Everyone smiled as they pedaled to the starting line for the Bicycle Derby. Ready. Set. Go! The wind blew in their faces as they raced on the path. Oh no! A hill! Each bicycle grunted and groaned as they tried to pedal up the steep hill. Finally, they inched to the top. Time to race down! Speed up! Faster, Faster, now coast. Slow down. Time to slow down, and take a break. Drink some water. Start again. There’s a bridge. Bump up and down on the bridge. Almost to the finish line. Come on! Faster, faster! You can make it! Hooray! Whew. Congratulations, you won! Drink some more water. Great job. Learning Connection: Large Motor Skills, Listening to Instructions
   
3. Slippery Slide Mark a beginning point and an ending point on a carpeted space. Give each child two pieces of paper to put under his or her feet. When you say go, have them slide toward the finish line. Learning Connection: Large Motor Skills, Listening to Instructions
   
4. Under, Over, Around and Through Design an obstacle course and allow each child to work his way through it. Don’t time them. Praise them for completing it. Learning Connection: Large Motor Skills, Sequencing
   
5. Collection Central Find bugs in the backyard. Look them up in a bug book. Learning Connection: Searching Skills, Classification
   
6. Town O’Rama Create a town out of big boxes. Have the kids decorate the boxes as a hospital, ice cream parlor, hotel, etc. Help them cut out windows and doors. Learning Connection: Creativity, Role Play
   
7. Baking Bonanza Let the kids decorate cookies, cup cakes, etc. and have the kids sell them at either yours or a neighborhood yard sale. Use the proceeds to finance a trip to the zoo. Learning Connection: Creativity, Cause and Effect
   
8. Nature Nurturer Give each child a bag and go on a nature walk. Let them collect items such as leaves, grass, rocks. When you get home, count together all the items collected. Learning Connection: Love of Nature, Counting
   
9. Teddy Bear Picnic Invite a few friends to bring their favorite teddy bear to a picnic. Eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut with a teddy bear cookie cutter in the backyard. Have each child say why he likes his or her teddy bear. Count the teddy bears arms and legs out loud together. Make teddy bear cut out cookies. Learning Connection: Creativity, Description, Counting
   
10. Cutter Creator Pass out scissors and newspaper. Have everybody cut the paper into shapes. Identify each shape. Play “basketball” by wadding up the paper and throwing each piece into the trashcan during cleanup. Learning Connection: Fine Motor Skills, Shape Recognition, Throwing to a target

6-8 Year Olds

1. Scavenger Survivor Divide into teams and have each group search the yard for the following items. List: A smooth rock, acorn, small green leaf, spider, earth worm, piece of trash, piece of bark, one item that is not usually outside, something orange, something purple, weed, two different color flowers, a root from any plant, and three pieces of grass braided together. Learning Connection: Teamwork,
   
2. Rock Invention Search the yard for rocks. Divide into teams and create sculptures. Paint. Learning Connection: Searching Skills, Teamwork, Imagination
   
3. Science Central Visit a craft store and pick out supplies for a science experiment. Invite a friend over and do it together. Learning Connection: Science, teamwork, following directions
   
4. Garbage Barrage Give each team a large garbage bag. See who can collect the most garbage around the neighborhood in a certain amount of time. Go miniature golfing afterwards. Learning Connection: Teamwork. Clean up, Community awareness
   
5. Stage Play Act out a Bible story using costumes, and props. Invite the neighborhood kids to come and watch. Learning Connection: Teamwork, Acting, Planning
   
6. Track Meet Plan several courses around your yard in varying lengths. Use a timer and hold an afternoon of races. Chill out with Popsicles. Learning Connection: Large Motor Skills, Competition
   
7. Book Nook Create a comfortable place in the living room or your child’s room for him or her to read in. Decorate it. Learning Connection: Creativity, reading
   
8. Ministry Minded Visit a local nursing home and have your child pass out homemade cookies. Learning Connection: Compassion, following directions
   
9. Bike Hike Help your child shop for and prepare a picnic lunch for a family bike hike. Learning Connection: Creativity, Compassion
   Book Writer Purchase a blank book and fill it with either your child’s own pictures or magazine pictures. Write a progressive story line. Learning Connection: Writing, Creativity

9-12 Year Olds

1. Eco Challenge Write the following tasks on a piece of paper. Fold the paper up and put it in a zip lock bag. Attach yarn to holes in the bag and have the child wear it around his or her neck. As each task is completed, he must come for a signature before he completes the next. Have medals (from the dollar store or party section of your local Walmart or Target) ready. Tasks: Run around the house nine times, Ride bike down sidewalk to a certain point and back three times, Sit in a wagon and use feet to go a certain distance, climb a large rock or fence, gather all the trash you can find, do fifteen push ups and sit ups, find five cloud shapes. Learning Connection: Reading and following directions, Speed, Gross Motor Skills
   
2. Colossal Cookie Use a cookie recipe to make one giant cookie on a cookie sheet. Decorate with frosting and candy. Cut into pieces with a pizza cutter. Learning Connection: Following Directions, Creativity
   
3. Bigger Better Machine Decorate a large cardboard box with markers, paper, stickers, etc. Cut open the bottom of the box and a small opening in the top of the box. Shop for items that have smaller versions of each other (i.e., small box or cereal, large box of same cereal, small candy bar, larger candy bar, small toy boat, bigger toy boat) Invite smaller members of the family or the neighborhood kids over for a Bigger Better Party. Have your child sit under the box and have the bigger items inside. When a kid drops a small thing into the slot, shake the box for a while and then pop out the bigger matching thing out of the bottom of the box. Learning Connection: Planning, Shopping, Creativity, Compassion
   
4. Excursion Craze Go through toys and books and let the kids decide which ones they’ve outgrown. Hold a yard sale letting them keep the proceeds for a special trip to the zoo or water park. Learning Connection: Cause and Effect, organization
   
5. Sibling Revelry Give each sibling a small jar. Every time you see someone do something nice for a sibling, put a quarter into a jar. When the jars are full, go camping or to an amusement park letting the child spend the money in the jar. Learning Connection: Getting along with others, Cause and Effect
   
6. Memorization Mania Have a memorizing party. Select several verses and put them in a jar. Let everyone draw a verse out of the jar and memorize it. Set the timer and see who memorizes it first. Learning Connection: Memorization
   
7. Random Selection Find things around the house or yard that the Bible talks about. (example: grass, flowers, trees) Write a verse that mentions that object. Learning Connection: Searching Skills, Matching
   
8. Obstacle Observers Have the kids plan an easy obstacle course on paper and then set it up in the back yard. Invite younger siblings or neighbors to come over and try it. Time everyone and keep records of each participant. Learning Skills: Planning, helping others
   
9. Sewing Circle Find a friend who knows a skill like quilting, knitting, crocheting, or cross-stitching and have her teach it to your daughter. Learning Connection: Receiving instruction, learning a skill
   
10. Art Appreciation Sign up for a local art class. Learning Connection: Creativity

13-16 Year Olds

1. Olympic Dreams Let the teens organize a neighborhood Olympics. Design a flyer with dates times, and ages. Create rewards and medals. Figure out games like a timed obstacle course, track events, tossing games, etc. Learning Connection: Organization skills, people skills, design
   
2. Entrepreneur Express Dream with your teens about a business they could start. Dog sitting and walking, selling produce from the garden, lawn maintenance, house-cleaning, or window cleaning. Let them design a flyer and help them distribute it. Learning Connection: Business Acumen, Design, Perseverance
   
3. Valiant Volunteers Pay $5 per job done for a neighbor or a shut-in.
   
4. Creative Café Come up with a theme meal (Mexican, Tropical, Italian, etc.) to create for the family. Design menus, shop for supplies, and prepare the favors and food. Learning Connection: Following Directions, Planning, Creativity
   
5. Sweet Treats Prepare brownies or cookies for a new neighbor. Learning Connection: Compassion, Following Directions
   
6. Promise Maker Create a Bible Promise Book for a friend or family member. Look up verses pertaining to the following subjects in a concordance or use a computer Bible program. Choose appropriate verses and copy them into a blank book under the appropriate headings. Subjects: Faith, Hope, Love, Comfort, Help, Strength, Prayer Learning Connection: Searching skills
   
7. Blind Volleyball Invite friends and play volleyball except drape a large sheet over the net. Learning Connection: Teamwork
   
8. Spa Splash Set out bowls of hot water for soaking feet, nail polish, emery boards, facial masks, etc. invite several friends and have fun doing each girl’s makeup, and giving manicures and pedicures. Learning Connection: Planning, Body Care
   
   
   Copyright © 2005 Julie Dearyan. For reprint permission please contact the author.