10 Summer Backyard Activities for Kids to Beat Boredom

For children, school breaks are typically a time for play, relaxation…and boredom. Yes, those first few days of freedom from school might taste delicious but before long, parents begin to hear wails of, “I’m bored!” and “There’s nothing to do!” Check out these 10 best summer backyard activities for kids.

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1. Tiptoe through the sprinklers.

There is something so deliciously sweet and summery about running through a garden sprinkler to cool off on a hot day. If you have a big backyard, break out the Slip N Slide for even more fun!

2. Make alphabet soup.

Young children will love learning their ABCs while making water play alphabet soup. Purchase some foam letters and dump them into a big bucket or tub. Then add water and encourage kids splash and spell.

3. Paint with squirt guns.

Painting with squirt guns is a lively and crafty backyard activity for kids. Set up easels and paper for your children’s creations. Then fill water guns with liquid watercolors and let your little artists get creative.

4. Make an outdoor fort.

Kids of all ages love making forts from sofa cushions and blankets. Take this activity outside for even more inventive play. Build using outdoor furniture, shipping boxes, and beach blankets. Challenge children to create tunnels to connect forts to build a mini city of sorts. Your kids just may want to stay inside their outdoor fortress, crafting, playing with toys, and reading in cozy nooks.

5. Have a ball in the play pool.

You don’t need a big in-ground swimming pool to have a splashing good time. Play pools come in all sorts of sizes to meet your family’s needs. Choose from a wee splash pad for babies, to a big ol’ inflatable pool to fill up using your garden hose.

For a drier activity on chilly days, fill your pool with plastic balls instead and make your very own ball pit. Young children love to toss, catch, crawl and dive with the balls. For even more fun, get a pool with a built-in hoop for shooting and dunking balls!

6. Make bubbles.

What kid doesn’t like the magic of making bubbles?! A variety of bubble blowers and wands add to the fun. For the ultimate bubbly backyard activity, fill a plastic wading pool with bubble solution and make gigantic bubbles using a hula hoop.

7. Get splashy with a water play table.

Water play tables are sure to wash away any boredom for the toddler and preschooler set. This sensory experience encourages young children to learn through touch and play. I especially like this water play table by Step 2.

8. Play with shaving cream.

During a playdate at a neighbor’s house one summer during my childhood, my friend’s mom busted out a few cans of shaving cream and encouraged us kids to spray and squish with this delightfully foamy stuff. It felt so exciting to play with this “grown-up” substance. For easy cleanup afterward, jump to number 1 above.

You can also add food coloring and white school glue to shaving cream to make puffy paint for a unique craft project.

9. Make your own frozen pops.

Keep kids hydrated while playing outdoors with some homemade frozen treats. Ask children to help you add fruit juice (and sliced fruits, if you wish) into a frozen pop mold. Then put them in the freezer to set. Soon you’ll have the taste of sunshine on a stick! For fancier flavors, check out this list of 33 frozen pop recipes.

10. Host a sidewalk chalk art show.

Grab the sidewalk chalk and invite all family members to create an impromptu art show on your backyard patio. Announce each and every participant a winner for various categories, like most original, most colorful, most playful, and so on. Call out different themes for each round, such as: ocean, animals, and abstract design. Award budding artists with homemade frozen pops (above) or simple party prizes.

More things to do at home with kids

For additional home activities for children, take a look at this list of the best travel books for kids and these travel-themed movies for families!

Protect skin while having fun outdoors

Before diving into these fun activities to do in your backyard, be sure to keep your family safe from harmful UVA and UVB rays by generously applying sunblock to any exposed skin.

Blue Lizard Sunscreen is dermatologist and pharmacist recommended. Although Blue Lizard is now made in the U.S., it was originally created in Australia, where sunscreen standards are the strictest in the world. 

Choose from Baby, Sport, Sensitive, Face, and Regular in a variety of sizes. My favorite is Blue Lizard’s Sensitive sunscreen, which is paraben-free, chemical-free and fragrance-free. Buy yours now at www.bluelizard.net. 

Save these fun backyard activities

Be sure to keep this list of fun activities to do in your backyard. Simply pin the image above to Pinterest. We hope you’ll follow Travel Mamas on Pinterest while you’re at it!

Do you have any suggestions for fun activities to do in your backyard? Let us know in the comments below!

A Note from The Travel Mama: Thank you to Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen for sponsoring this backyard activities blog post. I received sample products and compensation related to this story. All opinions are mine, as always.

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