Are you trying to come up with fun things to do at home in the summer to keep your kids occupied? You won’t want to miss out on these hobbies for your kids to explore at home! Scroll down to see them all!
This post about fun things to do at home in the summer with kids was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Coming up with fun things to do in the summer at home with kids can be more challenging than any mom could ever imagine.
Helping your children find a hobby allows them to explore the world around them and find things that interest them enough to want to learn more.
Often, hobbies that are discovered as children become lifelong passions that parents can one day share with their children.
During the summer months, when kids are out of school, is an excellent time to encourage them to find a hobby of their own.
Here, you will find a list of hobbies that your kids may enjoy exploring this summer on their own or as a family activity that you can all do together.
8 Fun Things to Do At Home in the Summer with Kids:
Gardening
Gardening is an excellent hobby for kids to explore. Watching their own flowers and vegetables grow instills a sense of responsibility and an awareness of the environment around them.
Knowing how to grow flowers, fruits, and vegetables is also a skill that can help them to provide for themselves for the rest of their lives. Creating a fairy garden can add a magical touch to their gardening experience.
If you don’t have enough outdoor space for gardening, or you live in an apartment, you can always introduce indoor gardening and let your child plant some herbs on a windowsill that you can use for preparing meals.
To make it a bit more fun, get your kids this adorable gardening set so they can dress up as they learn how to plant a garden. Or have them plant flowers and paint little signs with this cute flower-growing kit.
Dance & Choreography
Dance classes may be canceled in person for now, but that doesn’t mean your kids can’t explore dance and choreography as a hobby at home this summer.
There are lots of YouTube channels devoted to teaching dance and choreography to kids of all ages and abilities from beginner to advanced. Learn easy choreography to an Ariana Grande song or “Can’t Stop The Feeling” with the KIDZ BOP Kids.
Practicing dance helps keep kids fit and physically active, boosts their self-confidence, and enhances their coordination skills.
And, if you remember doing Dance Dance Revolution when you were growing up, there’s a fun light up dance mat so your kids can try it out for themselves!
Sketching
Does your child enjoy art and drawing? If so, why not grab them a sketch pad and some drawing pencils and encourage them to let their imaginations go wild?
You don’t have to buy any special equipment if you already have paper or notepads and pencils at home. If your child really gets into sketching, you might consider a sketch pad and specialty sketch pencils.
There are lots of YouTube videos that will teach your child the basics of sketching, and you can also search on Instagram with the hashtag #artteachersofinstagram for lots of helpful resources.
Our family always loves doing the Animation Academy when we visit Disneyland, so we’ve been loving these YouTube videos on how to sketch Disney characters.
Cooking and Baking
Cooking and baking are essential life skills to learn, but they can also make for a great hobby. You never know. You might just have the next kid’s cooking or baking champion on your hands!
From exploring how different flavors work together and new cooking techniques, there is so much to be learned by exploring in the kitchen. This hobby is a great way to spend time as a family as you prepare and enjoy meals together.
Mastering the skills of cooking and baking helps to build confidence and self-esteem. They are also a nice way to sneak in a little bit of math and science, too.
Our family loves watching MasterChef Junior together, as our kids can see other kids cooking and trying new skills. There’s a whole line of MasterChef Junior cooking supplies and recipes that are easy for kids to follow. You can watch the show and then have your kids try it out for themselves.
If you’d like your kids to bake independently, this is a cool baking set with pre-measured ingredients as they are learning to bake.
Sewing, Knitting, Crocheting, or Quilting
Learning how to sew, knit, crochet, or quilt are all excellent skills for children to learn at home this summer.
Learning how to do any or all of these activities is a skill they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Sadly, many of these skills are slowly being forgotten as people spend more time with technology than they do with hands-on skills like these.
Many tutorial videos on YouTube can help you learn all of these skills, and you can also find kits online with everything you need to get started.
Even younger children can learn how to sew with plastic needlepoint kits, which are wonderful at helping them to develop their fine and gross motor skills.
Older kids will love learning to sew with this adorable, funny monster kit. And kids of all ages can master this loom kit.
Coding
Does your child enjoy technology, apps, and video games? If so, they may enjoy the hobby of coding.
Coding is the programming language computers use to tell them what to do and how to operate. By learning how to code, your child can learn how to create video games, apps, websites, and more.
There are lots of free tutorials online and even free games that can teach children how to code and program in a fun and interactive way. Learning to code builds confidence, problem-solving, math, creativity, and communication skills.
We have the Code and Go Robot Mouse Kit that has been fun for preschoolers/kindergartners trying to get the concept of coding.
There are also a TON of coding camps and online classes available if your kids end up really getting into it.
Origami
If you haven’t heard about this before, origami is the art of folding paper into intricate shapes, thought to have originated in Japanese culture. It is a simple hobby for kids to explore at home this summer because all that they need to get started is paper.
While origami paper is super cute, you can also use any paper you have lying around. Just cut it to form a perfect square.
Not only are origami sculptures beautiful, but this ancient art of paper folding also teaches important skills such as problem-solving, geometry, fractions, and critical thinking.
There are lots of video tutorials available for free online that can teach your kids the art of origami, and you can also find step by step books that teach this hobby as well. I recommend starting with a video for younger kids so they can learn the different folds more easily.
And if you want to make it a family activity (or have older teens), check out these books for Star Wars origami, Harry Potter origami, and Disney origami.
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is another hobby that your children may enjoy exploring at home this summer. There are lots of fun scrapbooking kits available, but you can put your own scrapbook materials together at home, too.
You can fill your scrapbooking kit with paper, scissors, markers, glitter or paint pens, sequins, buttons, glue, feathers, and more. That is the beauty of scrapbooking with kids, anything goes and just let the creativity flow.
Right now might be a great time to build a scrapbook as a family documenting the current quarantine and how your family is dealing with it. It will be a historical document for generations of your family down the road.
Other Fun Activities for Your Kids This Summer
If you think your kids won’t enjoy the hobbies above, there might be other activities that best suit them. The important thing is they get engage with others and spend summer on other cool things!
Outdoor Movie Night
One magical way to spend a summer evening is having an outdoor movie night. Set up a projector and a large white sheet in your backyard. Create your own outdoor cinema. Invite friends and family.
Bring out blankets and lawn chairs to create a cozy viewing area. Don’t forget to pop some popcorn and prepare snacks like hot dogs and s’mores.
Choose your family’s favorite movie or have a movie marathon featuring a series of films everyone loves. This is a great way to keep the kids entertained while enjoying the summer heat.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Organizing a nature scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to get your kids excited about exploring the outdoors. Create a list of items for them to find. Include different types of leaves, rocks, or insects. You can do this in your backyard, at a local park, or on a hiking trail.
This activity encourages kids to observe their surroundings closely. It can be both fun and educational. Turn it into a photo scavenger hunt where kids take pictures of the items they find. This will keep them engaged and active for a few hours.
Toy Car Wash
Set up a toy car wash to give your kids a fun way to cool off in the summer heat. All you need is a garden hose, some buckets, soap, and sponges.
Let your kids bring out their toy cars, trucks, and other washable toys for a thorough cleaning. This activity keeps the kids busy and teaches them about responsibility. Playing with water is always a hit during the hot summer months.
Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course in your backyard to challenge your kids’ agility and problem-solving skills. Use household items like hula hoops, cones, ropes, and boxes.
Set up various obstacles. Include activities like crawling under a rope, jumping over cones, and balancing on a plank. This activity is perfect for keeping kids entertained and physically active.
Invite neighborhood kids to join in. Turn it into a friendly competition that will keep them engaged for hours.
Fun Things to Do in the Summer At Home Wrap-Up
Summer offers endless opportunities for fun and learning at home with your kids. A summer bucket list can help you plan exciting activities. This keeps the kids engaged and entertained throughout the season.
Organize an outdoor movie night or plan a water balloon fight to beat the heat.
For quieter days, have a photo scavenger hunt or a play charades session. These can be fun indoor activities that everyone enjoys. Don’t forget to play hide and seek to add a bit of excitement.
If you need to keep the kids busy while you handle chores, try activities like a nature scavenger hunt or a toy car wash. These can provide hours of fun.
Sometimes, a busy mom needs a break too. Consider having a spa day at home with your kids. Pamper yourselves with face masks and nail painting. This can be a great bonding experience.
Invite friends over and play their favorite board games. This can create wonderful memories and strengthen friendships. Invite friends to join in these activities, spreading joy and creating lasting bonds.
No matter what you choose, the goal is to have a great summer. Keep your children engaged and happy with these varied activities. You’ll create wonderful memories together.
Remember, you don’t need to spend extra cash to have fun. Simple, creative activities can provide endless entertainment. Enjoy the summer, and make the most of this precious time with your kids!