31 Fun Free Things to Do With Your Kids on Summer Vacation

31 Fun Free Things to Do With Your Kids on Summer Vacation

Don’t let boredom set in for your kids during summer vacation, but don’t think you have to break the bank either with expensive camps and trips. There’s plenty to do that costs little or nothing and maximizes outdoor time, play time, friend and family time, and creativity INSTEAD of screen time!
Here’s our brainstormed list of 31 fun free things to do with your kids this summer vacation, and the best thing is that most of them cost noting at all!
1. Turn on the sprinkler and let ‘em run through in swimsuits. I did it when I was a kid and even though the water was cold, it was SOOOOO fun!
2. Sidewalk chalk hangman.
3. Blow bubbles (string and dish soap make tons of fun!).
4. Build a blanket fort in the living room.
5. Climb a tree.
6. Go on an adventure walk around your neighborhood.  What’s an adventure walk? Take a camera and toy binoculars with you for full impact.
7. Visit the library for story time in the kids’ section. And while you’re there, try #8 & 9…
8. Check out some free library books and movies to take home with you.
9. Sign up for your library’s summer reading program.
My family has now completed reading programs in 3 different states and enjoyed them every time.
The prizes vary from bookmarks to free books to stickers to larger prizes. Many have free passes as the grand prize for completing the whole summer’s worth of required reading.
In California, our grand prize was free passes to Legoland. Here in Colorado, we’ve gotten amusement park tickets and mini golf tickets so far. We use the free passes as an end-of-summer treat and it’s always a fun blowout celebration to say goodbye to summer vacation and get ready for back-to-school.
10. Make a summer vacation journal to remember all the fun things you did! Add photos or draw pictures of the outings, games, friends, and more that made for a fun summer vacation.
11. Put up a tent in your yard. Day time play, night time sleep… We’re talking DAYS of fun!
12. Ride bikes. Take a short ride or help a new learner practice riding with no training wheels.
13. Free kids’ bowling if you live in one of the 20 qualifying states.
14. Fill up a wading pool with water and colored ice cubes. Just freeze water mixed with food coloring in your ice cube trays for this fun treat!
15. Go fishing at a pond, lake, or river.
16. Go bird watching and start a bird journal. When I suggested this to my son, he scoffed at the idea. But turning the bird journal into a comic book type of journal in which kids draw a picture in the frame and write about the actions is a fun twist on nature observations.
17. Have a campfire to roast hot dogs and make smores.
18. Have the kids write letters to all their friends from school to tell them about their summer vacation.
19. Go to your art or science museum’s free days.
20. Do a neighborhood trash cleanup as a family.
21. Have a garage sale. Declutter as a family and use the proceeds for a splurge day activity. Let the kids be “cashiers,” “salespeople,” or even have a table to sell homemade cookies and brownies along with coffee and lemonade to refresh the shoppers.
22. Make homemade fruit juice popsicles. Make sure to put some chunks of berries or fruits in the mixture as well for extra fun while eating.
23. Make ice cream in a bag.
24. Let the kids have a lemonade stand to raise extra fun money.
25. Plant a garden together. Let each kid pick out their own seeds (you can usually get these for cheap at the store or free from your local cooperative extension).
26. Fireworks display camp out in the back of the car.
You can count on plenty of fireworks for 4th of July. Plus, often the state or county fair will conclude with a fireworks display.
If you have a car with a back hatch, like a wagon or minivan, here’s a super fun kid activity. Bring sleeping bags and pillows and “camp out” in the back of the car with the trunk door open! Let the kids bring stuffies, a friend, wear their pajamas, anything to make it more comfy and fun. Remember the snacks and a giant thermos of hot chocolate!
27. Start rock collecting. Look for “crystals”, fools’ “gold”, and cool patterns!
28. Make a movie as a family.
29. Start a family board game night.
30. Movie marathon time!
Summer vacation is the perfect time to squeeze in looooooooong movie marathons of series you’ve been meaning to get to but never have the time. Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings will take up quite a few movie nights. Don’t forget the popcorn!
31. Go to a park. Call some mommy friends, let the kids run free and catch up on grown-up time!