Bike rides. Take your kids out for a fun bike ride, either near your house, or if the kids are older, take them on a bike trail.
Make ice cream.
Have a picnic at a local or state park.
Sidewalk chalk murals.
Backyard camping.
Backyard stargazing. Put out a few blankets and lie down in your backyard, and gaze upon the stars.
Make a kaleidoscope. Here is a fun guide to show you how to make one!
Water balloon baseball. Just take a whiffleball bat and fill up some water balloons. Splash!
DIY bird feeder. Cover a pine cone with peanut butter, roll it in birdseed, and hang from a tree. Make sure to have your bird ID guide handy!
Build a fort or tent. Take an afternoon and push your couches close together. Drape them with blankets or sheets and eat a snack or play a game under your fort or tent!
Play hide and seek in the dark. Bring on the flashlights!
Do a puzzle together.
Paint rocks. Place them around your garden, use as paperweights, leave nice messages along trails for hikers to find.
Balloon tennis. Make racquets using paper plates and paint stirrers, then blow up those balloons. This is both indoor AND outdoor fun!
Plant flowers or vegetables. Plant flowers or vegetables in your flower bed or in a pot by your home. They can water it every day and watch them bloom!
Plant a butterfly garden.
Go hiking. Look up your local parks or trails to see what your area has to offer.
Run in the sprinkler. This is a cool, easy way to beat the heat.
Take an early morning/late night walk. You could also do a pajama walk right before bed.
Have a bean bag toss. Using a sewing machine, you can sew fabric and buy beans to make the bags. Kids will feel accomplished and appreciate the game more when they create it themselves. Toss the bags in your backyard or in buckets.
Blow bubbles. Bubbles lighten the mood and do wonders for entertainment.
Fly a kite. Pick a clear area to run and fly a kite. Flying a kite teaches kids patience and coordination. A plus is that they are pretty to watch high in the sky, with a bright sun, on a fun summer day!
Make a video. Using the family video camera or a smart phone, have your kids video the summer-y nature with commentary, conduct talk shows, or play the part of actors and actresses. It can be an amusing memory to look back on one day.
Make color-changing flowers. Put a white flower in a glass that is half full of water. Put a couple drops of dye in the glass and watch as the change slowly occurs. For more fun, use several flowers and different dye colors, but make sure you only put one flower in each glass.
