Summer has arrived! And while the world is slowly opening back up, many parents are looking to spend some quality time with their kids – without having to risk too much exposure. However, that might just mean that you have to come up with some creative endeavors to keep kids excited and engaged!
Struggling to find new ideas? Here are our top 4 creative activities to do with your kids this summer!
1. Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Combine cornstarch, water, and grated sidewalk chalk to make different colors of sidewalk chalk paint. Place different colors in a muffin tin to create a “palette” and head outside!
Beyond painting pictures, you can paint out:
- A racetrack for toy cars
- An obstacle course
- Practice letters
- Fun photo backdrops to lay on
- Classic hopscotch
It’s a great activity for the whole family to do together!
2. Get into Gardening
“Normal” gardening can be boring – and a little too labor intensive – for younger kids. However, painting cheap pots is a great way to get them involved in the garden. They can plant and care for their own flowers or you can flip the pot upside-down and hot-glue the drainage plate on top to create a fun bird feeder.
Have old dolls and toys? Spray paint dolls (like Barbies) light gray and use a sponge with dark gray paint to make a speckled look. You now have a small army of statues that can be moved around the garden! Or, cover a beat-up soccer or basketball with fish bowl stones for a bright, eye-catching orb!
Painting rocks like bright bugs or favorite cartoon characters is a great way to add some extra pops of color here and there, as well!
3. Go Viral with a Social Media Video
It’s no secret that TikTok has taken over the social media space for most teens and pre-teens. If your children enjoy watching TikTok trends, why not recreate one as a family…and maybe go viral?
Unfortunately, not every TikTok trend is appropriate for all age groups, but there are some out there that can pull family members together!
Here are some of our favorites:
- Get your dance on with the “Something New” Challenge
- Film a family reunion with “Come Here, Mom” Challenge
- Involve your pets with the “Level Up” Challenge
- Recreate family photos with “I’m Just a Kid” Challenge
Or come up with your own!
4. Create a Shooting Range
Turn your backyard into the Wild West! Have kids paint old cans, recycled water bottles, and styrofoam cups any way they’d like. These can be full color, ‘X’-marked targets, or just about any other design. Attach string or yarn using hot glue and hang your targets throughout the yard on tree branches or other structures.
Whether you’re using ping pong balls, DIY sponge balls, Nerf guns, or water guns, you’re sure to see some sharp shooting!
Feel free to set up a scoreboard to record family members’ winnings. You might want to judge by how many targets are hit in a certain amount of time or how many targets are hit in a round (ex: 15/20 targets hit).
