Summer Activity List for Kids: Printable Bucket List of 60 Fun and Frugal Activities
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A downloadable summer activities bucket list of frugal, flexible ideas for busy families balancing work and time off. Create memories without breaking the budget.
Summer is here, and the kids are off school for six whole weeks (or up to twelve if you’re in the US).
That’s a lot of time to fill. And for parents who are juggling work, vacation time, and childcare, it can be A LOT.
While yes, kids should be bored sometimes and yes, they should be able to use their imagination to come up with their own activities, we all need a little inspiration at times.
That’s why I’ve created this summer bucket list of ideas, full of fun, frugal activities that kids can do independently as well as ideas to do as a family to make forever summer memories.
From quick activities to weekend adventures, this list offers flexible options to make the most of summer.
Why You Need A Summer Activities List
We’ve all had those moments when the kids are bored with ‘nothing to do’. Having a pre-made bucket takes the stress out of planning, offering inspiration at a glance.
In our family, we pin our activity lists to our noticeboard so the kids can pick what they feel like doing, whether it’s an independent activity or something we do together as a family. It’s a simple way to beat boredom while encouraging creativity and screen-free time.
Quick, Flexible Activities for Busy Families
Whether you’re managing a work-from-home schedule or trying to make the most of evenings and weekends, these activities can fit into your routine.
Quick Activities (15–30 Minutes)
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Let the kids explore the backyard or a nearby park with a list of things to find—like pinecones, flowers, or unique rocks.
- DIY Craft Projects: From painting rocks to creating greeting cards, these quick crafts spark creativity with minimal mess.
- Water Balloon Toss: Beat the heat with a quick water balloon toss or run through the sprinklers (assuming no water restrictions!)
- Mindfulness Moments: Teach kids easy breathing exercises or yoga poses for a fun and calming break.
- Snack Art: Use fruits, veggies, and spreads to let kids design and eat their creations! Or let them make a fruit grazing platter.
I like to plan ahead and stock up on icy poles (zooper doopers) when they are on sale as a summer treat or ingredients so the kids can make their own ice blocks.
Evening and Weekend Ideas
- Star-Gazing Night: Grab a blanket, find a dark spot, and look for constellations. Bonus: Download a stargazing app!
- Backyard Camping: Set up a tent or beach cabana, tell stories, and toast marshmallows over a fire pit or BBQ. Don’t forget the mozzie spray!
- Outdoor Movie Night: Use a projector or laptop and enjoy a family-friendly movie under the stars.
- Local Adventure: Take a walk on a nearby trail or visit a park you haven’t explored before.
- Themed Picnic Night: Pack a picnic with foods from a specific country and learn a fun fact about its culture.
- DIY Craft Kits: Use pre-made kits for quick and enjoyable crafts without needing to gather supplies – check spotlight, Aldi, and Officeworks. I grabbed an ornament set at Officeworks.
- Family Game Tournament: Dedicate an evening to board games or card games.
Educational and Skill-Building Activities
- Library Scavenger Hunt: Use a library visit to teach kids how to find books and explore new genres. Our library actually hosts a scavenger hunt, so check out what activities they have planned.
- Cooking Together: Let your kids pick a recipe and help them make a simple meal or dessert. (Summer in Australia means Christmas! And baking in the air con. Our older kids make a gingerbread house from scratch as a challenge).
- Mini Science Experiments: Try vinegar-and-baking-soda volcanoes (always a classic!) or simple slime recipes.
Independent Play Ideas for When You’re Working
- Building Challenges: Set up Lego or block-building competitions with themes like castles or futuristic cities.
- Reading Challenges: Encourage kids to read as many books as they can over the summer, with small rewards for milestones.
- Creative Journaling: Provide prompts like “Draw your dream summer day” or “Invent a superhero and their story.”
Check out your local thrift store for craft supplies, puzzles, and outdoor items like bikes and skipping ropes.
Encouraging Screen-Free Activities
When my kids were younger, we would have an enforced screen-free week for the first week every holidays. The first few days were chaos as they adjusted from the very structured nature of school to the more casual home environment.
But after a few days, their creativity thrived and they would play like it was 1986!
The kids are teens now, and screen-free time is a little harder, so I create guardrails around screen time, like the kids must do chores and something non-screen time first and prioritise creative screen time like editing photos or coding over mindless YouTube watching.
To encourage creative screen-free time, I take a leaf out of the unschooling movement and ‘strew’.
The concept of ‘strewing’ simply means leaving out materials or prompts that spark curiosity, like craft supplies, books, puzzles, and let kids discover them naturally. They are more likely to discover and use these materials if there are guardrails around screen time.
This approach is great for vacation time even during busy workdays (assuming here you’re working from home)—it’s a subtle way to encourage self-guided play without needing constant supervision.
“Strewing is the art of casually yet strategically leaving “invitations” for learning and creativity out for your kids to discover on their own.”
The Artful Parent
How to Use the Summer Bucket List
- Download the List: Click the button below to download the list. Print it out and hang it on your fridge or noticeboard.
- Customise It: Cross out activities that don’t suit your family and add your own ideas.
- Check Them Off: Let the kids tick off completed activities, building excitement and a sense of accomplishment.
This printable list isn’t just for the kids—it’s designed with busy families in mind. Whether you’re working from home, coordinating around hectic schedules, or just looking for a budget-friendly way to maximise family time this summer vacation, this list has something for everyone.
More Ideas for Summer
What Are Your Favourite Summer Activities?
Do you have go-to activities your family loves? Share your ideas in the comments below—we’d love to hear them!
I remember the days of hopscotch, skipping, climbing trees and spending time outdoors. There was always this urge to go outside, we didn’t have to be pushed. Nowadays, it’s the Xbox, iPhone, or television that come first in line as choices of entertainment and it’s so sad because many kids are missing out on the joys of childhood – most which are completely free.
The list you’ve come up with isn’t just great for kids, it’s a nice way for grown ups to spend time together too. Visiting a farmers market, going to the park or beach, having a picnic, watching the sunrise and many more on your list I enjoy doing on a regular basis much more than spending on cinemas, fancy restaurants etc. Although, I still wouldn’t pass up a day at Dreamworld on the odd occasion.
Skipping! I forgot how we used to do skipping!. I wonder if you enjoy picnics and sunrises etc more than cinemas etc, because of the way you spent your childhood??? We visited nanna’s house recently (which is where I grew up) and the kids spent all day in the backyard. From the time they got up, their first question was, ‘can I go outside?’ And there wasn’t anything particularly exciting – a couple of bikes is all. The one year old played in the gravel patch every day for three weeks!
Where we live, we only have a little tiny courtyard and the kids are ‘bored’ all the time. I wonder if how much kids choices are influenced merely by availability??? We didn’t have a computer when I was growing up, and if the television was on, mum was watching Days of Our Lives :).