Summer is here!  Summer means all of my kiddos are home.  There are some pros and cons with this.  My kids will argue out of boredom when we spend too much time in the house. Especially if there is no structure or activities during the day. I have a huge bank of ideas I pull from all summer long.

I am always looking for things to do that are FREE or at least pretty cheap to entertain my kids.  Let me just say…I do not think it is our job to “entertain” our kids every minute of the day in the summer.  It is important for them to have time for creativity and playing on their own.  With that being said, I do plan a few activities a week for us to partake.

Top 10 Cheap Summer Activities

1.  Water balloons, water guns, water hose…some kind of water.

Water entertains kids for hours on end.  We get water guns and balloons from the $1 store and the kids run around for hours on end.  If you don’t want to spend anything, just give them a water hose and they will be in heaven.  It is the perfect cure for boredom.  They make great childhood memories and you can take a break.

2.  Bubbles.

I have a 3, 9, and 11 year old.  They all love bubbles, even if embarrassed to admit it.  I can grab one of those mega bubble containers for super cheap and they will blow them non-stop.  You can also look up a simple recipe to make your own bubble solution and that cuts costs as well.

3.  Outdoor art.

The thing I love about summer is messy indoor activities can be moved outside. I don’t have no clean up.  Paint is very inexpensive.  I buy just a few colors, they can sit on the driveway, and paint whatever their heart desires.  Sidewalk chalk is another great buy.  You can never have enough.  They get to enjoy the summer weather and use their creative skills.

4.  All the balls.

We go to Five Below and stock up on balls for summer.  Basketballs, Soccer Balls, Big Bouncy balls and Baseballs.  I send them to the back yard and they go to town.  It’s a great way to keep them active and they can be creative in making up new games to play together.

5.  Have a picnic.

It doesn’t cost anything to take lunch outside with a blanket.  It’s so simple, but kids think this is so much fun at every age.  Lunch feels special and it makes great memories.  After eating, grab some popsicles or ice cream to eat outside and it will make their day.

6. Hit up the nearest playground.

Even though I love our backyard, there is nothing like playground equipment for kids.  They love it and it’s free. Most importantly, they can get their energy out, making for a great nap-time at my house.

7.  Go on a hike.

Even if you just find a local trail, kids love to be outside and exploring.  Many times we will play “I spy” or other creative games to make it even more fun.

8.  Make something homemade.

We are going to be making our own popsicles this week.  The containers are so cheap to pick up and can be used for years on end.  I usually stick to fruit juices or look up simple recipes.

9.  Go to the library.

Our library has a variety of summer programs for kids.  We love joining the reading programs at our library and local book stores.  These reading programs usually include some kind of festival and prizes when the children complete their logs.

10.  Volunteer.

This is important for keeping kids grounded, and thinking of others instead of themselves.  We love to find ways to help out in our communities.  There are so many places you can get involved.  Do just a little research and it will change your child’s life forever.

I am looking forward to doing these activities with my boys this summer. I hope you will try them too.  No matter how young or old your kiddos are, the simplest activities seem to bring the most joy.  You don’t need to spend a fortune to make memories this summer.  Let them play independently and join in at times.  Both are important for their development.  I hope you have a fantastic summer!

For more money saving tips, check out ” The Best Time to buy EVERYTHING”

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cheap summer activities

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53 comments

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These are great ideas for the summer with the kidos!

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Yes to all of them! Especially number 4. I bought a ball pit and it keeps my little guy entertained for hoooours!

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That is brillant! LOL

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Eek! I can’t wait to try ALL OF THESE this summer! The playground is a staple in our schedule, but I had completely forgotten what fun water balloons are! I’m thinking we need a whole water day – water balloons, water guns, and slip ‘n’ slide – this weekend! Thanks for the inspiration!!

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Omg your kids will love you! LOL

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These are such great tips! I’d be trying some, if not all, this summer.

Belle | One Awesome Momma

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So great! Thanks!

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Love this post! Great ideas for summer fun with your family! 🙂 Have a great summer!

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Thanks you too girl!

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You had me at super cheap, LOL. These are all such great simple ways to have some fun and spend quality time which is all our kids need anyway. Great reminder, thank you!

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LOL!! Yes for sure!

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Great idea and definitely cheap for the family. Get outside and play together

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For sure!

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Great ideas!!! We love summer days – we also love splash parks too … those are so fun and can stay there for hours on super hot days!

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Yes! Those are the best!

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This is a great list! My daughter loves playing in the water outside. We’re going to the park to play and have a picnic later today and she’s so excited. It’s the little things that make kids so excited!

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Aww sounds so fantastic! It truly is!

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I only have 1 child still at home (11 years old) and it’s been tough getting her out of the house away from her computer this summer. I’m definitely going to try the bubbles and the water balloons! She loves to draw too so the sidewalk art also sounds like a fun idea.

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I have an 11 year old too and he loves all of these things still!

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Yesssssss to the water play! This past weekend, we had our blow up pool, water table and sprinkler set up just for our two kids! They were thrilled and everyone slept really well that night. Bonus!

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That sounds like so much fun!

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YES! To all of these! Love the idea of having art outside!

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Especially because there is no clean up! lol

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I will totally use these ideas this summer! It’s so true with kids it’s hard to keep them entertained with no structure or activities scheduled for the day. Thank you for these amazing ideas 🙂

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It sure is, no problem!

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All great summer activities! We love having picnics outside in the summer 🙂

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Thank you!

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Love these ideas! I need to break out the bubbles!! 🙂

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These are all great ideas! It can be so easy to feel like you are out of ideas for things to do over the summer!

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Yes! Totally!

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This is a great list–full of activities good for the body, mind & soul of little ones. Hope you have a great summer!

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Thanks so much!

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What a great list! I have never thought about the volunteering, love it!

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Yes, my kids love it!

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Great, simple ideas! Kids and water, always a blast. Love outdoor chalk too.

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Agreed!

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Great list! This is great for all ages too!!

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Yes to all of these! We are pretty much outside every day all day except for rainy days. There is so much fun to be had for free in the summer.

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Going to the library is our favorite! Thanks for the other great tips.

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What a great list! I have to get pretty creative during the summer, since my kids are not shy about telling me when they’re bored, LOL! Love that there are indoor and outdoor ideas we can incorporate into our days!

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Don’t forget napping and playing at city run splash pads!

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These are great ideas. It’s good to go out do stuff without spending money and just enjoy and focus more on family bonding.

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Great ideas! I am always looking for fun things to do with the kids especially in the summer!

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These are great, simple ideas! My 3 kids and I plan on trying a new-to-us library (we have many very close by) each week!!

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These are such good activities! We love outside art too–so much less mess!

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LOL right?!

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Such great ideas!! My kids can go through jugs of bubbles (but that’s because 21 month old just eats/ dumps them all over). 😉

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LOL!!!

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These are such great tips! I’d be trying some this summer. Thanks for sharing!

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I have never had good luck with cheap water guns. They are a pain to refill and are sometimes difficult to spray. I discovered that spray bottles are more reliable and easier to refill. The littlest kids may struggle with the spray trigger-it can be too big for their little hands, but the bigger kids do great with them.

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Great idea!

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I do LOVE this list. My kids currently love scavenger hunts so we take them every time we spend the entire day at home 2-3 times a week. They are young now, but I’ve done more “advanced” ones with my students and high school athletes as well as summer camp groups. Always a hit! Definitely pinning this. Thanks!

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Thanks so much lady!

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