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Fun, Engaging Summer Activities to Do With Your Kids
Your children have already been spending more time than usual at home — and summer promises even more time with them at home.
At Just For Kids, we’re sure that you’ve already run down your list of things to do and now you’re running out of ways to entertain them. We also know that when you set up activities to do with your kids, deep down, you dread it.
That’s why we’re here with a blog post filled with fun, educational, and engaging summer activities you can do with your kids. —and we promise these activities don’t require doing an entire arts and crafts project for them!
When it’s time to find a summer camp, after school program, or preschool program for your children, remember Just For Kids in Chicago. We work hard to provide an enriching environment where your children can grow academically while also having fun, engaging with other peers, and finding new interests. Contact us today to learn more!
Activities to Try This Summer
Educational and engaging activities you can do with your kids this summer.
Cooking
Cooking is both practical and something that can help you bond with your children. Bake some cookies or plan out a dinner that you can do together. Personal pizzas are easy, mess-free, and allow everyone to customize their own meal!
Stargazing
Take your children outside after the sun goes down and look up at the stars. This is a great way to have them spend some time in nature and appreciate what’s around them. Bring a blanket and some pillows so you can snuggle up and make a great experience out of stargazing. If they have their own telescope, have them bring it so they better see what they’re looking at!
There are also some stargazing apps that will tell you what constellations or objects you should be able to see depending on your location and how they are aligned. This is another great way to educate your children about our solar system while also finding an activity that’s fun for you too! Can’t see the stars from your house? Some apps will even show you what the stars would look like if you weren’t in a big city.
There are also some fun and simple crafts you can do to go along with stargazing. A red flashlight is a great way to preserve night vision while giving you a little light when you’re outside in the dark. If you don’t have one, have them take a normal flashlight and wrap red cellophane over the light, securing it with a rubber band.
Music
Music is a great way to bring the family together. Do your children play any instruments? Do you play instruments? Practice a song together. Then, once you have it down, put on a performance in the evening. Tape it and send it to your family and friends!
If you don’t play any instruments, sing along to their favorite show or movie, or find a song they love and learn the lyrics to it. Don’t worry about hitting all the noites — no one can hear you!
Other Simple Activities
Some other activities you can do this summer are super simple, and don’t even require any preparation from you! Use this list if you’ve run out of fun activities for them to do!
- Have a picnic outside or in your living room
- Grab a disposable or polaroid camera and have them make a photo journal of their day
- Clean up trash in your yard and neighborhood
- Go on a bike ride
- Go for a nature hike or walk through your neighborhood
- Interview an older relative or friend — this is a great way to get them on the phone with someone
- Plant a garden
- Practice your shadow puppets on the wall
- Spend the day being pirates. What kind of treasure can you find?
- See what insects you can find in your backyard. Compare them with an insect encyclopedia
Find a Summer Camp in Chicago
Right now, we know that most summer camp activities have been canceled for the summer, but we hope that you keep Just For Kids in mind when it’s time to find a summer camp or after school program for your children. We are always here to provide a space where your child is safe and can have fun through different educational activities and opportunities.
Contact us for any questions about our services. And, if you’re still looking for ways to push your children or keep them engaged, make sure you take a look at some of our previous blog posts: