What do you have planned this summer? Anything? Good! Let’s do this together… let’s plan a slow, awesome staycation summer where we spend time with our kids exploring in nature, adventuring and plain ‘ol playing. I’ve put together 40 staycation summer activities you can mix into your weeks for something a little extra special and allow the magic of summer to take over your house. 

Plan an awesome staycation summer with these 40 fun activities to guarantee a memorable and fun staycation summer with your kids
Staycation Summer Activity Ideas for Kids & Families 

Come February every year, parents begin scrambling to figure out summer plans and get their kids registered for camp before spots fill up. It seems to be a popular topic of conversation among parents and for months I get asked:

“What camps are your kids signed up for?”

“Have you registered yet?”

“Were you able to get into this, and that, or this?”

Summer camps are (outrageously) expensive and even if I hadn’t already decided to forgo for a slow staycation summer, I wouldn’t be able to afford them anyways.

If You Need a Screen-Free Activities your Kids will LOVE…

 

What is a Staycation Summer?

A staycation summer is a slow pace of life from June through August. We plant our feet at home and spend our days exploring in nature, adventuring, swimming and being together through all the sweetness of hot, sticky days and cool dives in the pool.
The intent is to savor the long, hot days and give kids freedom to explore and use their imaginations without the structure of school.
Sure, the thought of a three-month staycation with little kids might strike fear in the hearts of some parents. Visions of sibling bickering and talking down your child from a tantrum might immediately pop in your head, but you guys, I’m telling you, a staycation summer is awesome.
It’s exactly the type of summer kids need and it’s not as hard as you may think.
Sure, this may not be possible for working parents and camps might be the best answer.
Yet, if you’re a Stay at Home parent or work part-time from home an have a flexible schedule you should consider a slow, savory summer.
Last year, I was burnt out on being busy and my children were sick of doing so many activities. Instead, I replaced busy plans with an open backdoor and letting them dig, explore and use their imaginations from dawn until dusk.
We had an amazing summer and the dirt in the bottom of the tub each night was all the proof I needed to know we were doing summer the right way.
Kid’s creativity and imaginations skyrocket when they live a slower lifestyle and play outdoors. In fact, this recent study suggested kids need at least three hours outside every day and with a staycation, you can give them much more.
A summer staycation doesn’t mean you don’t make plans, in fact, use your neighborhood, city and state as a means to get out and explore. When you mix your own at-home adventures in with fun activities, summer becomes twice as memorable.
I’m sharing our own list of activities for you to mix things up once or twice a week. Here are 40 Awesome Activity Ideas for a fun staycation with your children.

 

BONUS: 2-Page Printable with the 40 Staycation Summer Activities & a Blanket Summer Bucket List to Fill Out with Your Kids. Happy Summer!

Download Your Printables Here

 

STAYCATION SUMMER ACTIVITIES 

1) Go for a Hike – Whether it’s a trail walk or big hike, get out in nature!

2) Ride Public Transportation – Do you have a lightrail system, trolley or train nearby you can ride?

3) Create a Faux Vacation Day with fruity drinks, leis, an inflatable pool, tropical music and festive decorations

4) Picnic at the Park – Spend breakfast or lunch at the park and then hit the playground to burn pent-up energy. Try a new park every week to sustain the excitement.

5) Play Dress-Up with Your Kids – Throw on Costumes, your Wedding Dress even and have fun!

6) A Day Built Around Water – Sprinklers, Pool, Water Balloons, and Squirt Guns

7) Plan a Slip ‘N Slide Day with Neighborhood Kids and also turn on the Sprinklers

8) Spa Day at Home – Paint Nails, Curl Hair, Face Masks, Massages, Foot Soaks… the whole spa experience!

9) Go to the Local Fair or Carnival for the day

10) Spend a Night in a Hotel – be sure to visit the hotel pool!

11) Go Rollerskating / Inline Skating at a Skating Rink

12) Host a Lemonade Stand – You can also offer Cookies and Snacks

13) Build and Hand Out Kindness Bags 

14) Put Together a Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

15) Movie Day with Popcorn at Home – Set up Sleeping Bags, Couch Cushions, Blankets, Inflatable Mattresses and Close the Blinds for the Full Movie Watching Experience.

16) Arrange a Block Party BBQ and Block off the Street and Let Kids Ride Bikes, Roller Skate and Have Running Races

17) Head to an Indoor Ice Skating Rink

18) Host a Campout at Home Complete with Hot Dogs and S’mores

19) Visit a Stream/Lake/Ocean to Explore and Get Wet!

20) Go Bowling (or bumper bowling)

21) Miniature Golfing

22) Visit a Local Bounce / Trampoline Park

23) Go Apple/Berry Picking

24) Plan for a Pool Day – is There a Pool nearby With Special Slides or a Lazy River?

25) Visit Local Amusements (Zoo, Aquarium, Museum)

26) Art Day full of Textiles, Recycled Goods, Painting and Different Mediums

27) Cooking Day – Kid’s Choice of one Thing to Make

28) Bumper Cars / Bumper Boats

29) Go for a Bike Ride

30) Visit a Petting Zoo or if You Have Older Kids, Consider Horseback Riding

31) Plan a Kayaking / Paddle Boating out at a Nearby Park or Lake

32) Random Act of Kindness Day – Choose an Activity and Surprise Others with Kindness

33) Take in a Special Movie at the Theatres or a Drive-In Theatre

34) Make Friendship Bracelets, String Bead Necklaces & Macaroni Noodle Necklaces

35) Tie Dye Day – Tie Die Shirts, shorts, bandanas, etc.

36) Paint Pottery

37) Make a Bird Craft Feeder and Wind Chimes from Recylced Cans

38) Board Game Day – Play Classic Board Games like Chutes & Ladders, Monopoly, Twister, and Battleship

39) One-Day Road Trip – Pull Out Your Map and Find Someplace within 1 or 2-Hour Drive you can Visit in the Same Day

40) Kid’s Choice for the Day – What do They Want to do??

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2 Comments

  1. Summer can be a very busy time, but take time out to enjoy your kids and spend time with them. I love the great ideas you have come up with. There are so many things going on within our city, state and the areas around us that we can take advantage of! Thanks for your thoughts!

    1. So glad you liked the ideas, we’re already breaking into the list and it’s our third day of summer break 🙂

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