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101 summer holidays activities

Maya Griffiths

Maya Griffiths

If you’re anything like us you’ll half-dread the summer holidays, because kids are not great at entertaining themselves (if you’ve got a child who takes themselves off for hours quietly to make something out of Lego, hats off to you). Summer holiday activities ideas can sometimes involve spending money, being distracted from work or constantly taking the kids out. However, our ideas for the summer holidays avoid unnecessary cost and hassle, and get the kids to entertain themselves. Sounds good, right?

Over the next month you will probably hear the words ‘I’m bored’ a hundred times. It’s vital, therefore, to have an arsenal of things to do to answer that question. So here, dear readers, is the answer to your prayers: 101 ideas of things for kids to do over the summer. You’re welcome. Stick it on the fridge and let the kids pick an idea whenever they’re at a loss of what to do.

  1. Bake cakes
  2. Build a den
  3. Build something out of Lego
  4. Clean the car
  5. Collect some stones and decorate them
  6. Copy a picture in a book
  7. Create a family flag or coat of arms
  8. Dance
  9. Do a good deed
  10. Do a puzzle
  11. Try a science experiment
  12. Do brain teasers
  13. Do gymnastics
  14. Do some colouring in
  15. Do some exercises (try Joe Wicks on YouTube)
  16. Do some maths
  17. Draw a family portrait
  18. Draw a picture while blindfolded
  19. Draw an alien
  20. Draw an animal
  21. Draw our house
  22. Dress up
  23. Try face painting
  24. Find a recipe and cook a meal together
  25. Find five toys to donate to charity
  26. Find out five facts about a country
  27. Find out five facts about an animal
  28. Find something in your house that starts with every letter of the alphabet
  29. Go bug hunting
  30. Go for a walk
  31. Go swimming
  32. Go to the £1 shop and choose 1 item
  33. Spend a few pounds on items in a charity shop
  34. Go to the library
  35. Go to the park
  36. Have a picnic- indoor or outdoor
  37. Have a quiz
  38. Interview someone
  39. Invent a new language
  40. Invent your own board game
  41. Learn a magic trick
  42. Learn origami
  43. Learn ten words in a different language
  44. Learn the words to a song
  45. Look at old photos
  46. Make a card for someone
  47. Make a collage
  48. Make a healthy snack buffet
  49. Make a musical instrument
  50. Make a pasta necklace
  51. Make a paper doll and clothes
  52. Make a present for someone
  53. Make a sock puppet
  54. Make a treasure hunt
  55. Make a video
  56. Make an obstacle course
  57. Make friendship bracelets
  58. Make homemade ice lollies
  59. Make up a story
  60. Organise your toys
  61. Paint a picture
  62. Phone a relative
  63. Plan a trip
  64. Play a ball game
  65. Play a board game
  66. Play a card game
  67. Play a memory game
  68. Play a musical instrument
  69. Play hide and seek
  70. Play I Spy
  71. Play schools
  72. Make your own shop out of toys and food from the kitchen
  73. Play skipping games
  74. Play tag
  75. Play the alphabet game
  76. Play with a toy you haven’t played with in a while
  77. Play with dolls
  78. Play with playdough
  79. Write a family newsletter
  80. Press flowers
  81. Put on a sock puppet show
  82. Put together a time capsule
  83. Read a book
  84. Ride your bike
  85. Roller skate
  86. Sew something
  87. Sort out a drawer
  88. Sort out your wardrobe
  89. Spelling quiz
  90. Take photos
  91. Tidy your bedroom
  92. Write a birthday list
  93. Walk the dog
  94. Play with your pet
  95. Have a water fight
  96. Water the plants
  97. Write to a family member
  98. Write to a friend
  99. Write a play
  100. Write a poem
  101. Write and illustrate a cartoon or story.

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Click here for a free downloadable kid’s boredom buster activity book!

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