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60 Awesome Summer Outdoor Play Ideas for Kids

June 25, 2018 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

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Head outside with the kids with this list of awesome fun in the sun ideas for summer!

Summer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for playing outside.

We live in the South and it. gets. hot. But that’s never stopped our kids from wanting to be outside playing every game imaginable.

After a while, though, the same old games just don’t do it for them anymore.

And that’s why I wanted to find some awesome fun in the sun ideas for outdoor play in summer.

60 Fun Outdoor Summer Play Ideas for Kids

Below, you’ll find 60, count’em, SIXTY different summer outdoor play ideas for kids.

And they are awesome!

They can make their own bubble wands, create slime that fizzes, build mud kitchens, and much more!

You can get also get a printable preschool summer activity calendar free! Read on to see how to score this for this summer.

And if you need more ways to make summer fun, check out our list of 40 simple summer crafts kids can make!

This list of 60 outdoor summer play ideas is perfect for keeping kids happy all summer long!

60 Awesome Outdoor Play Ideas for Summer

Several of these summer play ideas for kids also feature learning concepts, such as STEM engineering, art, math, sensory play, and more.

So you can play while giving kids a little more learning. Trust me, they’ll never know.

If you try some of these with your kids, I’d love to hear which ones they loved the most!

1. DIY Fizzy Slime – Look! We’re Learning!

2. How to Make a Kite – Red Ted Art

3. Driveway Shape Maze – Creative Family Fun

4. Backyard Olympics – Kid World Citizen

5. DIY Rockets for Kids – Frogmom

6. Wet Chalk Color Mixing – School Time Snippets

7. Catapult Splat Painting – There’s Just One Mommy

8. Squirt Gun Painting – Fireflies and Mudpies

9. DIY Mud Kitchen – Megan Zeni

10. Sidewalk Paint Rockets – Gluesticks

11. Recycled Chalk Paint – Rhythms of Play

12. Splash the Alphabet – Days with Grey

13. Ocean Sensory Bin – Frogs and Fairies

14. DIY Obstacle Course for Kids – Buggy and Buddy

15. Outdoor Rainbow Weaving – Where Imagination Grows

16. Summer Paint Sensory Play – Mama Smiles

17. How to Make DIY Bubble Wands and Homemade Bubbles – Natural Beach Living

18. Rainbow Windsock Craft – Kids Craft Room

19. Pool Noodle Boat Racing Game – See Vanessa Craft

20. Bouncy Ball Process Art Painting – School Time Snippets

Summer Outdoor Play Ideas for Kids

21. Colorful Moon Sand – Look! We’re Learning!

22. Cardboard Arc de Triomphe Craft – Non-Toy Gifts

23. $1 Soda Bottle Sprinkler – Gluesticks

24. Plant a Pollinator Garden – Outdoor Families Online

25. Watermelon Fizzy Science Activity and Sensory Play – Natural Beach Living

26. Look Inside a Volcano Project – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

27. Amazing Hand Bubbles – The Craft Train

28. Playground Scavenger Hunt – KC Edventures

29. Water Balloon Bash – Fireflies and Mudpies

30. Water Table Play – Creating Creatives

31. Garden Xylophone – The Moments at Home

32. Alphabet Ice Boats – School Time Snippets

33. Sidewalk Puffy Paint – Fun Learning for Kids

34. Clay Sculptures – Red Ted Art

35. Mud Pie Nature Art – Rhythms of Play

36. Silly Races – Creative Family Fun

37. Salt Art Project – Buggy and Buddy

38. Sea Animals Party Game – There’s Just One Mommy

39. How to Make Chalk – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

40. Frog Habitat Garden – The Craft Train

60 Fun in the Sun Ideas for Kids

41. Sidewalk Chalk Math Game – Look! We’re Learning!

42. Ice Excavating – Gluesticks

43. DIY Craft Stick Peg Doll Boat for Kids – Rhythms of Play

44. Dinosaur Dig Excavation Activity – Fun Learning for Kids

45. Backyard Treasure Hunt – Kid World Citizen

46. Build a Dinosaur Garden – Megan Zeni

47. Beach Detective Game – Kids Craft Room

48. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt – Buggy and Buddy

49. Pop Rock Science Experiment – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

50. Pond Sensory Bin – In Our Pond

51. Cardboard Car Wash – Non-Toy Gifts

52. Fish Ice Play Activity – Messy Little Monster

53. DIY Outdoor Chalkboard – Rhythms of Play

54. Build a Stick Maze – Mother Natured

55. GIANT Bubble Solution – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

56. Color-Changing Sidewalk Chalk – Frogs and Fairies

57. Outdoor Creative Art Station – Where Imagination Grows

58. Photo Scavenger Hunt – KC Edventures

59. Pine Cone Trail Outdoor Activity – Preschool Toolkits

60. DIY Water Wall – There’s Just One Mommy

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Printable Summer Activity Calendar for Preschoolers

This list of summer outdoor play ideas is awesome for filling up summer with kids of all ages.

But if you’re trying to keep preschoolers happy, you’re working with a unique crowd.

I’ve been there.

PreK Summer Activity Calendar for Kids

Which is where this printable preschool summer activity calendar can be a life saver!

This printable calendar features 12 early themes with a different activity to try each day. Planning done!

Printable Preschool Summer Activity Calendar

To get this printable preschool summer activity calendar, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter – coming up this Sunday!

Click here to get your free printable

>>> Preschool Summer Activity Calendar <<<

Check out these other summer ideas!

Make this summer one to remember with these easy ways to have a fun summer with kids!
This fun confetti ocean slime recipe is perfect for summer sensory play!
Make this easy sea animal suncatcher craft for a simple summer art project this year!

Filed Under: Fun Activities for Kids, Outdoor Play Tagged With: outdoor play, summer, summer activities, summer activities for kids

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    May 29, 2015 at 12:09 am

    Thank you so much for featuring our DIY Chalk Paint and Sidewalk Chalk Games list! We just love playing with chalk – it was fun coming up with all of those fun activities. We’re looking forward to trying out every one this summer! Great party as always – thank for hosting! -Jess
    http://www.sweetlittleonesblog.com

    Reply

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