5 Summertime activity ideas for young kids

I am trying to keep my kids away from the screen time this late in Summer. I want them to love being outside, being active, and playing with one another. Being only 4 and 3 years old can make it hard for them to come up with a bunch of ideas that both of them can do. So I started a Summertime Fun bucket with all sorts of ideas listed on strips of paper. That way they can then pick one, and we all know that it will be fun, active and work for both of them. Below are 5 of the fun activities that we have done. 

Hula Hoop Contest:

hula hoop contest

Don’t just go for the standard “how long can you last” contest, although it is fun. Add other ideas to it too

  1. Who can twirl it on their arm
  2. Jump rope with the hula hoop
  3. Balance it straight up
  4. Who can roll it the furthest

Obstacle Course:

obstacle course for young kids. A great way to keep them active during the Summer

Find random objects around the house to form an obstacle course. We used a large tub (climb over) pool noodles (hop over) a tunnel (crawl thru) chairs (run around) and the kids even wanted to add on half way thru and made a “cave” our of small chairs and a blanket. That’s the fun part about this activity; the kids can use their imagination and create whatever obstacles they want. 

Hopscotch:

teach young kids to play hopscotch

Have the kids draw our their own; this is a great way to get them to learn their numbers. They always seem to love it even more when they have drawn it themself. Even if each square is 2 feet away from one another!

Water Balloons:

water balloon toss for young kids

This is perfect for a really hot day when you all just want to cool down. Fill up a whole bunch of water balloons and have the kids practice their throwing and aiming skills. Just beware, it will most likely turn into a large water fight.

If you have a bunch of kids involved, start a game of water balloon volleyball. You can do it even without a net. Just have a person hold each end of the towel (2 people per 1 towel) and start one person with the balloon. Then have them bounce the towel to toss the ball from one couple to the next.

Ball Throw:

ball toss competition for young kids

Set up some hula hoops and a bucket full of balls. Have the kids try to get different shaped and sized balls into the circles. This is great for all ages because you can adjust where the kids throw the balls from. But it can also be a great learning experience talking to the kids about the arch of the balls, bouncing and also how the force can make them roll past where they land. 

A few tips:

  • Don’t go buy stuff for these activities. Just find what you have around your house and make it work!
  • No need for “rewards” for the winners. Just let them pick the next competition to play
  • Remember that you do have all ages participating. So you may need to make some adjustments throughout the activities
  • Anything outside and away from TV is great. Even if you guys are playing tickle tag; you are being a great parent to those little ones!
  • And of course, encourage them to drink a ton of water as they are sweating a lot during these activities.
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