Summer Activities for Kids That Are Fun and Productive!
Disclosure: This post contains multiple affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase a product. It won’t cost you any extra money. Please read the full disclosure here.
By the way, if you shop online often, take advantage of Amazon Prime and you’ll be eligible for awesome benefits on shipping, streaming, shopping, and reading! Try it out for 30 days without any cost at all!
It’s almost summer here in the Philippines!
With the scorching heat in the Metro, one could wish to just stay in the house; relax with his AC or fan at max while watching TV all day or playing with his favorite gadget 24/7!
Oh! I could almost see my son doing all those (LOL). While I’m not totally against it because I understand him wanting to have some fun and “freedom” from schoolwork, I know there is still sooo much to do than be glued to his smartphone the entire vacation 🙂
So with my 12-year-old son in mind, I listed down 10 productive summer activities that kids his age can engage with and enjoy this hot season.
Summer Activities for Kids
1. Making smoothies
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Who doesn’t want a cold thirst quencher this warm season?
Making smoothies is first on my list of summer activities for kids.
I’m sure it will be a hit for the young ones and adults alike.
They’re easy to prepare and nutritious at the same time.
All it takes to make are just your favorite fruits (ours are mangoes), ice, milk, sugar, and of course a blender.
For business-minded kiddos, they can even sell some, starting with the small cup at Php 20/serving.
You can easily buy smoothie blenders on Amazon here!
Get this on Amazon
Get this on Amazon
2. Cooking
For aspiring chefs, now is the best time to train them. Just a reminder Moms, be careful with this, okay? Your supervision is highly needed because we’re dealing with heat.
I first taught my son how to cook rice when he was ten (maybe it’s a little late).
But now, frying has become easy-peasy for him. Here, he made his version of “hotsilog” (hotdog, fried egg, and fried rice) for me and it’s just so sweet and perfect!
By the way, try this Cheesy Hotdog Rolls recipe. My son made this delicious snack for my other lifestyle blog 🙂
3. Swimming (summer activities for kids)
For athletics, this is a very good form of exercise minus the sweat as we all know.
Let’s encourage our kids to be physically active during this time.
Like our son who’s on the heavy side, he aims to slim down before the next school year starts. So, good luck, “Anak”!
Reminder: for you and your kids’ protection, always have sunscreen in handy 🙂
We love this Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Sunscreen Stick. It’s dermatologically recommended and it’s so easy to apply even on wet skin.
Buy this on Amazon
You can find more sunscreen for kids spray on Amazon here!
4. Playing Guitar
Are your kids musically inclined? Let them learn new chords now.
Kids today are mostly self-learners. Let them watch guitar tutorials and soon after you’ll hear them strumming on their own.
Not only will it keep their little hands busy but it will unleash their creativity ala, Carlos Santana.
…and shameless plug here…My son just recently launched his YouTube channel, featuring his guitar covers.
We bought his first acoustic guitar when he was eight and his electric guitar on his 14th birthday. And I think he’s doing great!
I’d appreciate it if you could visit his channel here. Thank you!
You can easily buy this product on Amazon here!
5. Learning Calligraphy
This one is included in my dreams and wishes list. I’m fascinated with people who are good with calligraphy.
I know my son has some potential too. His penmanship is nice so I’d like to share this activity with him.
Pick this idea if you think your kids have a passion for this art of beautiful writing.
Get this calligraphy workbook on Amazon
You can find more calligraphy sets for beginners on Amazon here.
See also: The Beginner’s Guide to Modern Calligraphy
6. Gardening/Planting (summer activities for kids)
Since it’s not being taught in most schools practically, let’s remind our little fellows to take care of our environment through planting.
It doesn’t have to be a big garden, even simple pots will do.
Make it their daily habit to water the plants.
The idea here is to instill a sense of appreciation and love for nature.
There’s a good and easy-to-read book about gardening on Amazon here!
7. Crafting
Photo by Decor Hint on Unsplash
I have always wanted my son to develop his fine motor skills more.
But working with scissors is something he’s not so fond of so it’s a challenge for me.
For the creative ones, I suggest this idea. They can play and be imaginative at the same time.
I recommend this CraftLab Sewing Kits from Amazon. These are for 7 to 12 Age Kids.
Get this on Amazon
Each sewing kit includes 5 pre-cut animal sewing projects, 6 colors of embroidery thread, 5 sewing needles, 40 straight pins, a pin cushion, scissors, non-toxic fabric glue, stuffing, easy-to-follow instructions, and a cute portable carry case for travel and playdates.
Perfect for tiny hands to get busy with!
You can find more fun and creative craft kits for kids from Amazon here!
8. Recycling
Old magazines? Newspapers? Used bottles? Time to be eco-friendly! Let’s turn them into something new and useful.
Unlimited DIY tutorials are there on the net or both of you may opt to make your own.
Try to be innovative!
9. Reading (summer activities for kids)
Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash
For enthusiastic readers, summer vacation doesn’t mean books are closed.
But some kids might find this activity a little boring so let’s try to include some fun.
Read aloud together perhaps? Add some sound effects? Or play classical or smooth jazz music in the background?
Whatever works for your kids! A little imagination will do.
The goal here is to have engaging and inviting reading time.
10. Visiting places they’ve never been to
And last, on the list of our summer activities for kids is traveling to places they’ve never been to before.
I want my kid to see museums and art galleries.
Again that’s for educational purposes but it can be anywhere – outdoors, amusement parks, beaches as long as your kids will enjoy and bring with them new memories this summer!
Photo on: Port Discovey
Port Discovery Children’s Museum is located in Baltimore, Maryland- right by the inner harbor!
With easily accessible parking and three floors of interactive exhibits, it’s a perfect spot for you and your kiddos! Address: 35 Market Place | Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
Zoo is the perfect destination for your next summer vacation.
Pack up the kids for a memorable road trip and discover breathtaking scenery, LOVEworks, and hidden gems along the way.
Capturing Memories: AMAZON
Keywords: digital camera, camera, polaroid camera, disposable camera
Time passes by so fast and before we know it, vacation is over. So let’s make the most out of it and encourage our kids to be productive!
So, which summer activities for kids will you try? Let me know in the comments!
More Articles You’ll Love:
- 22 Healthy Popsicle Recipes Kids Will Love!
- Beat the Heat at MASA (Makati Aqua Sports Arena)
- How I Teach My Baby to Talk: My Top Nursery Rhymes
- To the Boy, I Love: A Letter to My Firstborn Son on His Birthday
If you find this article useful, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest. Thank you for visiting The Cheerful Spirit!
Follow us on PINTEREST for more summer activities ideas!
I love this list. We're very fortunate to have a pool and when the weather permits we make it a point to head out there and splash around.
These are some fun ideas! I am always looking for new ways to keep the kids entertained.
Great ideas! We love all of these things! I have been wanting to set up a fairy garden for them. Hopefully I'll get to that before summer is over!
Great list. I wonder what one can do in terms of crafting and recycling? It's school holidays here in South Africa too.
Awesome ideas! I love going to the library with my daughter, baking, and spending time at the pool!
These are such great ideas. I love the idea of teaching them to garden and play a musical instrument. My little already loves to bang around on the piano and I think she'll be musically inclined like her dad.
So many great ideas! I would love to learn how to do calligraphy. I should check out some books, and watch some you tube videos.
Calligraphy is a great idea. My oldest daughter would love that. I bought her an origami set and she's going to work on that. My girls have also done some knitting this summer. That was fun to learn!
Sounds like fun! Thanks for liking.
Hope this list helps you. Me too, I want my kid to enjoy his vacation 🙂
Thank you! Why not try making a paper mache from old newspapers? Just my thoughts 😂
Thank you that you love these! Wow! A fairy garden sounds wonderful, yeah hope you could do that.😄
Thanks! Spending time with your daughter is so sweet!
Your little one must be talented! Great!
Definitely fun to learn! I really love calligraphy too for my kid and knitting is also nice😄
Thanks! We're on the same boat! 😉