35 Free or Cheap Summer Activities for Kids
Having Fun While Social Distancing
Social distancing has put a damper on summer plans and fun for many people. School is out and my kids are mostly over being on their iPads after using them for school multiple hours every day. We had been looking forward to spending time at the pool, going on a long road trip, and driving up to the North Shore of Lake Superior. Coronavirus has put a stop to those plans. Although many people seem to be pretending everything is back to normal, many of us still want to engage in social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid19. But just because we have to social distance doesn't mean we have to give up on fun.
35 free or cheap summer activities for kids
Get a pass to the state parks near you and go exploring. Stay 6ft or more from others and plan short trips so bathrooms won’t be necessary.
Explore lesser known parks and trails near you
Roast hot dogs and marshmallows in the backyard or at a firepit in a park.
Turn on the sprinkler
Make a scavenger hunt of things in your neighborhood. Include families in your area to share the fun
Draw pictures with chalk on the sidewalk
Make a backyard obstacle course
Time your kids to see how long it takes them to run, skip, or walk backwards around the house
Plant and tend a garden
Go for walks. Let your kids pick the route.
Find a big parking lot of a school or something that is closed and let the kids bike or scooter.
Play old-school games like Kick the Can, Capture the Flag, or Four Square.
Have a dance party
Let the kids “camp” in a different room of the house.
Build a fort
Find an online guide to animals or plants in your area and see how many you can find
Do online tours of museums and zoos
Check with your local library and community education programs to see what options are being offered this summer
Write letters to friends and family
Have an ice cream taste testing
Get a projector and a white sheet for outdoor movies
Make popsicles
Picnic
Make ice cream
Have game nights
Get an inexpensive inflatable pool
Collect sticks and build something
Choose a country or region, learn about it, and make a meal from that area.
Pick a topic and spend the week learning about it in different ways (reading, art, experiments, videos, etc).
Learn a new skill or language with free online resources
Cook or bake something that you normally buy
Draw, paint, color, sculpt
Make playdough
Find an online workout, dance, or yoga video for kids and do it with them
Practice ball handling skills: dribbling, shooting, kicking, catching, throwing, etc
For more ideas for free or cheap summer activities for kids, follow my Free Fun Pinterest board.