As the weather starts to get warmer, all parents start looking for fun and healthy ways to keep their kids active. Whether it is to sign them up for swimming classes, take them to the local sports camp or even have them participate in arts and crafts events, you’re always looking for new ways to keep your kids engaged in summers.

The good thing is that there is no shortage of summer activities – especially for kids. In fact, you can basically take them for a new adventure every day with these fun summer activities for kids.

1. Bike Parade

There is no argument that learning to ride a bike is a very important skill. Not only can it be fun and exciting for kids, but just learning this important skill can become a huge benchmark during your child’s formative years. At the same time, it is a very healthy activity and may turn out to be a useful skill later on in life.

To motivate your kids, you can host bike parades during the summers. You can gather some neighborhood kids or some of your kids’ school friends. You can also encourage the kids to decorate their bikes with stickers, streamers, flags, confetti, and anything that they can think of.

2. Make a Bird Feeder

A DIY Bird Feeder isn’t that hard to make and can be a really fun activity for kids. Help your kids invite summertime birds over to your yard and befriend them. This can be the perfect opportunity to teach your kids about animals, nature, and empathy.

It also provides the kids with a sense of responsibility, which can further support their emotional growth. And most importantly, it’ll keep them busy throughout the summers. Just watch them get excited every time a bird comes to have a meal in their tiny bird feeder.

3. Backyard Camp

Taking your kids for a camping trip can be an enriching experience, but it can also be a little inconvenient at times. Just because there aren’t any campgrounds near your house doesn’t mean that you can’t take your kids on an exciting camping trip. In fact, you can do it in your very own backyard.

Pitch a tent in your backyard, set up a bonfire, and spend the night underneath the stars. You can roast some sausages and marshmallows over the bonfire with your kids and tell campfire tales all night. You can also gather some of your kids’ friends to further enhance the experience. And the best part is that there would be a working toilet within walking distance!

4. Backyard Stargazing

While setting up a backyard camp can be fun, it may not be something feasible enough to do regularly. For days when your kids want to explore the outdoors but you don’t have the means to set up a camp at hand, you can instead take them for backyard stargazing.

All you need is a few blankets and a good, skin-friendly insect repellent. You can lay outside with your kids and stargaze until all of you fall asleep. It is also the perfect opportunity to teach them about constellations. If you are serious about stargazing, you can even invest in a good, user-friendly telescope.

5. Meetup With Friends at the Local Playground

Sometimes, a simple activity can result in some of the best childhood memories for your kids. Call up some of your friends’ parents and make a plan to gather the kids at a nearby playground. Playgrounds are designed to be fun and exciting for the kids, making them one of the best summer activities for your little ones.

In addition to that, playgrounds can really tap into the kids’ more creative sides. They come up with various games, which can allow them to explore their creativity further. You can make it a regular activity for your kids and their friends. Just make sure the kids are wearing sunscreen at all times.

6. Learn a Cooking Skill

Not all summer activities have to be outdoors. In fact, all the free time also provides the perfect opportunity to teach your kids some important skills – such as cooking. You can pick some of your favorite foods, such as cookies or grilled cheese, and make some with your kids.

However, make sure not to pick something too complex. You want your kid to feel a sense of achievement. If you start with a batch of lasagna, they likely won’t be able to pull it off and feel disappointed. Instead, pick some easy recipes or easier variations of some recipes, and start trying them with your kids. Eventually, they may be able to pick up a few recipes by themselves.

7. Science Experiments

Another classic indoor activity that provides the perfect opportunity to enhance your kids’ skills is some good old science experiments. There are a number of kid-friendly science experiments that you can try with things that are likely already available at your house.

From making volcanoes with baking soda to growing crystals in Borax solutions, there are all types of science experiments that kids of all ages can try. Just find something that interests your kid and start working on bringing the supplies together. Chances are that your kid will do the rest. But make sure to be there in case they need any help.

8. Local Tennis Camp

Tennis is one of those sports that most kids don’t get to play during their school year. In a way, this snatches away their chance of exploring this sport and developing an interest in it. The good thing is that most towns have a local kids’ tennis camp that you can enroll your kids into.

If they end up liking the sport, you can further their interest by encouraging them to go more often, even as an extracurricular activity after the school year begins. If they get bored of tennis, you can always find another sports camps that your kid may be more interested in.

9. Do a Puzzle Together

Puzzles are a great way to help your kids’ brains develop so that they function properly later in life. It can teach young kids the concept of a whole and how each piece plays an important role in bringing the big picture together. It also helps develop concentration, focus, patience, goal setting, and a sense of achievement.

Of course, puzzles are extremely fun for most kids as well. So you likely won’t have any trouble getting them into this activity. To further encourage them, just get a puzzle of something they’re interested in – from nature and space to their favorite cartoon. As they start mastering the skills, you can bring bigger puzzles with more pieces to keep them engaged.

10. Go Fishing

Fishing is a classic summer activity that every kid should get the opportunity to experience. You don’t need any fancy gear or equipment for fishing either. All your need is some basic fishing gear; just a fishing rod and some bait are enough in most cases.

Just pack your gear and head over to the nearest fishing lake. Teach your young angler all the proper fishing techniques before allowing them to take a go at it themselves. However, make sure to look into the local laws about fishing. In some states, you may need a license for it.

11. Rock Decorating

Another interesting hobby you can encourage your kids to try is rock decorating. Have them go to the local park or even your backyard and make them collect the most interesting rocks they can find. Bring the rocks back home to decorate then.

You can gather some art supplies, such as paint, glitter, markers, confetti, and anything else you think can be used to decorate rocks. Ask your kids to get as creative as they want with the rock. Once they’re done, you can display the finished product around the house, use them as paperweights, or even make them gifts some to friends and relatives.

12. Tour Your Hometown

A lot of people feel that they’re so used to their hometown that they never think about exploring it as a tourist would. We feel that it only counts as a vacation if you leave your current town of residence. However, the truth is that you don’t actually have to leave the town to go on a vacation.

This summer, why don’t you take your kids to visit some local landmarks you’ve never had the opportunity to take them or that new restaurant you’ve been meaning to try? You can even take them on a local bus tour to explore the city. You never know what you may come across that you’ve never seen before!

13. Explore Wildlife Refugees

How about encouraging your kid to play naturalist for a day and explore the wildlife? There are a lot of wildlife refuges around the country. And with more than 150 million acres to explore, getting there may be a lot easier than you think. These are public lands and waters set aside to conserve animals and plants – especially the endangered ones.

You can hike through the lush forests to identify hundreds of native species or go swimming in the pristine lakes and rivers. So pack your backpacks, lace up your boots, and go explore wildlife. And of course, don’t forget the bug spray.

14. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is the perfect way to channel your kids’ inner Indian Jones. The object of a scavenger hunt is very simple: to find hidden objects with the help of cleverly set up clues. However, once you start setting up a scavenger hunt, you’d learn that the possibilities are endless.

You can setup up specific themes for the hunt – fairytale, Halloween, superhero, or of course, Indiana Jones – or just hide simple objects. Your kids can go about the hunt by themselves or you can arrange a scavenger hunt for their friends to participate as well. You can even make a competition out of it. As stated before, the possibilities are endless with a scavenger hunt.

15. Plant Flowers or Vegetables

Summers are the perfect time to plant some flowers and vegetables and watch them grow for the rest of the year. So use this opportunity to teach your kids how to plant. You can plant flowers or vegetables in your backyard or get some pots for this purpose.

However, while deciding what to plant, be sure to do your research beforehand. Every plant has a specific season and time of the year when it can thrive. For instance, celery needs a cool atmosphere to grow. So planting them in the summers may end up burning the plant. Make sure that the plant you choose is suitable for plantation in the summers.

16. Plant a Butterfly Garden

Did you know that there are over 750 types of discoverable butterfly species in the world? While it may not be possible to witness all of them, you can help your children discover a good number of these by planting a butterfly garden. You can make a game out of it as well – encouraging your kids to learn more about butterflies and challenging them to identify as many butterflies in the garden as they can.

Setting up a butterfly garden is a lot easier than it may sound, and all you need to do is plant some specific plants that attract the butterflies. However, make sure to use only organic matter in your garden. Fertilizers made with chemicals and other toxic substances can be harmful to insects – including butterflies. Plus, going organic is a lot better for the environment.

With these activities, you will never run out of fun things to do with your kids this summer. So try one or a few of these summer activities and keep things fun and exciting throughout the holidays.