100 Fun and FREE Things To Do With Kids This Summer!

Summer is almost here!  Summer vacation is a great time to relax and unwind from a busy school year, but you don't have to break the bank in the process either.  Here are 100 completely free things you can do this summer, enjoy!

1. Have a picnic in the backyard.
2. Visit your local nature center.
3. Make an indoor obstacle course.
4. Place the baby pool next to the sandbox for an instant beach party!
5. Go to a story time at your local library.
6. Grab some wood sticks, plastic cups, and make homemade juice bars.
7. Have a cookie decorating contest.
8. Have a water balloon battle in the backyard.
9. Clear out the clutter and have a yard sale!  Give kids their own table to sell some of their things and earn their own money too.
10. Go bowling for free.  (Check out the Kids Bowl Free Program here)
11. Run through the sprinkler.
12. Birdwatch in the backyard with binoculars and a bird book from the library.
13. Start a neighborhood wide soccer game.
14. Plant a garden.
15. Be a bug scientist.  Look for bugs and observe.  Draw what you see.
16. Go to a free workshop at your local home improvement store. (Check out Home Depot to start)
17. Have a fancy tea party.  Be sure to wear hats, gloves, and use the fanciest tableware.
18. Make a pretend store with play money, left over grocery bags, and items for sale.
19. Have a weekly family board game night.  For even more summer fun, play games on a blanket in the backyard or at the picnic table.
20. Visit your local farmer's market. Find one near you here.
21. Make a photo book.  Take photos together, then make a scrapbook of your summer memories.
22. Make an outdoor water obstacle course.
23. Make a cardboard box car.  Use a paper plate for a steering wheel, bottle lids for buttons, etc.
24. Make your own summer reading list, try to read as many as you can.  Check you library for Caldecott Medals or Newbery Awards lists for great ideas.
25. Visit a National Park on a free day.
26. Earn a free book from your nearby Barnes & Noble bookstore.
27. Learn how things are made (pretzels, crayons, chocolate, toys) by going on a factory tour (note: many are free, but not all)
28. Try Geocaching, a fun family activity (learn more here)
29. Set up cones in the driveway or at a school basketball court to make a bike obstacle course.
30. Volunteer doing something you love.  Find opportunities here.
31. Have a neighborhood car wash.
32. Make a classic popsicle stick treasure box.
33. Make ice drawings on a hot day.  With an ice cube draw on construction paper.  As it drys it will disappear and you can keep drawing on the paper.
34. Go on a picnic in the backyard, a friend's house, or the park.
35. Check local museums for free admission days.
36. Have a neighborhood lemonade stand.
37. Make your own movie theatre.  Pop some popcorn, perhaps some boxed candy and put on a favorite film!
38. Have a neighborhood bike wash.  
39. Rearrange the kids rooms.  Declutter, move furniture around, donate some old toys and clothes, hang new art on the walls and voila! A fresh new room!  If you're feeling ambitious, maybe even paint it a new color.
40. Have a total PJs day.
41. Have a neighborhood bake sale.
42. Check your local movie theatre for free movie days for kids...a great way to beat the heat too!
43. Have a dance party.  Crank up the music and dance the day away!
44. Make a cardboard box house and let them color and decorate it with found objects from around the house.
45. Have a family yoga session and get moving together!
46. Have a big family art show.  Display art around the house and invite everyone to walk around the "gallery"
47. If you have a Pottery Barn Kids near you, they have story times and other free events for families.
48. Fill up the baby pool with water and soap and have an outdoor bubble party!
49. Make a string of paper people.
50. Have a giant Lego building fest...get everyone involved and see if you can try to use every single piece.
51. Stay up late one night to do something fun.  Just make sure everyone can sleep in the next day!
52. Check out the local fire station.  Many of them will give tours to small groups.
53. Have a spa day at home.
54. Go camping in the living room.  Bring the sleeping bags, books, flashlights, and of course fun snacks too!
55. Fill a small baby pool up with shaving cream for some super messy fun!
56. Bring toy cars, dump trucks, and shovels to a dirt spot in the yard or sand box to create a tiny construction site.
57. Make small bike "roads" in the driveway with a piece of sidewalk chalk.  Don't forget parking spots too!
58. Bake cookies together.
59. Allow kids to make dinner...it may be something totally off the wall, but they will be super proud of themselves.  Don't forget clean up too!
60. Create a pretend library, create book displays, make library cards, make a little book nook to read, and have a family story time.
61. Create a play of a classic story (The Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, etc).  Make backdrops, costumes, and older kids can even make a script.  Perform play for the neighborhood too if you like!
62. Drag all of the board games out and have a board game marathon.
63. Make some fun paintings with veggies!
64. On a really hot day, turn on the hose and take turns spraying each other for some good clean fun!
65. Stage a cooking show in the kitchen with an easy cooking project and even make a video of the show.
66. Learn a new skill...go to the library and find a topic that is interesting such as learning to type, playing the piano, or woodworking.  Have fun learning together!
67. Host a potluck play date...have each person bring a different kid friendly snack and enjoying sampling different foods together.
68. Go on a nature walk, then make a beautiful collage of all of the treasures you find.
69. Study the night sky and locate the constellations.
70. Have a make your own sundae night.
71. Teach older kids how to use a sewing machine.
72. Have a breakfast for dinner night.
73. Make a painting with your toes (outside!)
74. Play an alphabet I spy game.
75. Lay on your back outside and watch the clouds.  See if you can find any pictures in the sky.
76. In the backyard or on the hiking trail, lift up a rock to see what surprises you may find!
77. Play tic tac toe with sidewalk chalk.
78. Make a fabulous jewelry box from an egg carton.
79. Play the freeze dance game. (freeze when the music stops)
80. Pick some flowers, then press them.
81. Make a car or house out of a big cardboard box.
82. Spend a hot afternoon looking through old photos.  Kids love seeing themselves as babies!
83. Try a kid's e-book. Not only does it read the story to them out loud, but are usually very interactive as well.
84. Make a sock puppet from an old sock.
85. Grow a little plant from a seed.  Look up and learn the parts of a plant. (dry lima beans work well, just soak overnight before planting)
86. Allow kids to play dress up in your closet.
87. Learn some new words before school starts!  Make and play a word match game.
88. Put white flowers or celery in water with food coloring added and watch the color travel upwards!
89. Make a dollhouse out of old shoe boxes, scrap fabric, scrap paper, etc.
90. Punch holes in a picture (from a magazine, old photograph, etc).  Practice sewing with a piece of old yarn by lacing through the holes.
91. Get a bowling game going with a small ball and plastic cups.  Teach older kids how to keep score too.
92. Start a donation pile...clean out closets, under bed, toy boxes, etc.
93. Make some throw pillows from outgrown clothing!
94. Check your local park or museum for a free concert series.
95. Start a play group from kids in your child's class or kids from the neighborhood.  Learn how to start one here.
96. Raid the recycling bin and make a work of art from things that would otherwise be thrown away.
97. Check out local restaurants for "Kids Eat Free" days.
98. Go on a self-guided walking tour in a nearby town.  Often a visitor's center will provide information, or create one yourself!
99. Join the summer reading program at your local library or book store, often they will give kids a book prize when they complete the program too.
100. Make the biggest blanket fort ever...gather up every blanket and chair in the house and create a giant fort!