As the season turns into summer, there are many things you can do to keep kids active and get them outside. We wanted to share a few ideas of activities you can do with your kids, both indoors and outdoors, that will be fun and entertaining.
Color Coded Scavenger Hunt – This is a simple and easy way to keep kids occupied and to get them some time outside. Simply take a piece of paper and create a grid of different colored squares on the page. Kids then take the paper and head outside to find things that match with the colors. Gray for a rock, green for grass, or even pink for a flower. This can also be done indoors with things around the room. ( https://iheartcraftythings.com/simple-color-scavenger-hunt-kids.html )
Ice Cube Painting – On those hot summer days, this is a fun way to keep kids active and stay cool. Take a bag of ice, or use the ice in your ice maker, and dump it into a shallow bin. Then kids can use chalk paint, or water based paint to create designs on the ice cubes. They can paint each cube a different color or try to create a design. When the ice melts, the paintings are gone, so if you want to remember them, be sure to take a picture! ( https://busytoddler.com/painting-ice-cubes-activity/ )
Create a Paper Plate Snail – An easy and fun idea to get kids into summer. Take a paper plate and cut it into a spiral until you hit the center. Then round the outermost edge to create a “head” for the snail ( you can even put googly eyes on it). Use cotton balls with different paint colors to allow kids to paint their snails. They can create a design, or just blot each color on the plate with the cotton balls. Simple, easy, and a different way to celebrate summer creatures. ( https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/83376/cotton-ball-painted-snail-paper-plate-craft/ )
Rock Painting and Hide and Seek – There are many scavenger hunts out there, but this one can be customized. Find a few flatter rocks in your yard, and then have kids use paint to create designs on them. This can be a flower, a heart, or even a ladybug. Then have the kids hide them in your yard or in your house. They will then look around for each other’s painted rocks. Kids can even give each other clues to help them find the rocks. ( https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/112656/rock-painting-ideas/ )