15 Fun Lockdown Summer Activities for Kids

Staying at home has never been more important than with the current COVID-19 situation. For kids, this means that summer vacations will be spent largely indoors, and for parents, this means coming up with all kinds of summer season activities to keep the little ones occupied. And while this might seem a little daunting, the good news is that there are countless summer activities that your kids can enjoy while staying safe and at home.

Here’s our list of fun summer activities you can try at home with your children!

1. Plan an Indoor Scavenger Hunt
   If you’re trying to plan fun summer games & activities at home, there’s nothing quite as exciting and easy-to-plan as an indoor scavenger hunt. If you want to keep it simple, scour through Pinterest for printable scavenger hunt lists (such as this one), or you can even make your own. If you have a bit of extra time, you can even make your own clues or a (treasure) map of your home and let your tiny pirate get to work!
2. Help them write and send sweet notes to family & friends
   While you might not be able to meet your loved ones due to the current situation, you can still spread some cheer with the help of your kids. Help them write sweet notes to your loved ones who are struggling in the present scenario. Encourage them to be creative or even write a poem or story. You can then take a picture of the note or scan it and send it to your loved ones.
3. Paint rocks
   Here’s another easy & fun at-home summer activity! You’ll need some smooth, palm-sized rocks for this. Try and procure some from your garden or park area. Wash them well before letting the kids have them. Then, all you need are some paints and newspaper (to protect your floor). Let the kids paint their own rocks. (If you’re not afraid of a little extra mess, hand them some glitter and let them add a little bling to their rocks). You can then use their pretty rock creations as paperweights or display them as a curios.
4. Try making DIY stress balls
   Did you know you can make your own DIY stress ball with a few simple items? Here’s the tutorial. Make one for each member of the family as a little gift.
5. Try this simple magnifying glass activity
   Kids are born explorers. And while they might not be able to fully explore the outdoors this summer vacation, there’s so much they can do at home as well. Give your little one a magnifying glass and ask them to try and observe unseen things around the house. Whether it’s small bugs or plants, there’s so much for them to learn even indoors.
6. Go on a virtual holiday
   Even though family holidays might not happen this summer, there are still so many ways to teach your kids about our great big world. Ask them to make a list of different places they would like to visit and then plan a little virtual holiday. Kid World Citizen has a bunch of resources to help you teach your children about different places around the word.
7. Help them create their very own superhero costume
   Who doesn’t want to be a superhero? Your kids will have a ball with this fun summer activity. Ask them to think of what kind of superhero they want to be and what superpower they’ll have. Then give them some old clothing and let them create their own superhero costume, with a cape, chest symbol, eye mask, or anything they can think of. Then, watch as they wear their new superhero costume all summer long.

8. Exercise together
   While planning summer activity ideas for your little ones, don’t forget the most important and simplest of them all. Exercise! Since you’re at home together, plan fun exercise time daily, whether it’s skipping rope, dancing, or even yoga. Here’s a great channel with specially-designed yoga exercises for kids, that they’ll love to follow!
9. Plan video calls with your family & friendsThis is an important time to teach your kids about kindness and compassion. Explain to them why it’s important to check in on your loved ones over the phone as often as you can. Schedule skype dates with their grandparents, other elderly relatives and friends, whenever possible.

10. Start a gardening project together
    Whether it’s growing fresh herbs or starting your own vegetable patch, or planting some flowers, gardening is always an educational and fun summer activity for your kids. Not sure where to begin? Kids Gardening has some great resources, tips and tools to help you get started.
11. Experiment with fun hairstyles on one another
    The most exciting summer activities are the ones that don’t require a whole lot of planning (for you, dear parents)! Let your little one play hairdresser for an afternoon (or vice versa) and have a bit of fun. Just make sure you keep the scissors out of sight. Oh, and don’t forget to take some pictures for the gram! 😊
12. Bake together
    Baking and cooking are great skills to start teaching your little ones at an early age. And they’re also great fun! Here are some great ideas for delicious desserts you can make with your little ones.

13. Sign them up for Online Summer Camps
    While it is important to limit screen time even though the kids are at home, signing them up for an online summer camp is a great way to keep their minds occupied and help them learn new skills.
14. Create a cozy reading nook and spend afternoons reading new books togetherUse blankets and pillows to create a cozy reading area for the little ones. Encourage them to spend their afternoons reading or read together.

15. Enlist their help with home chores and make it fun
    Here’s a summer activity idea that mom & dad will love! Got a closet that needs clearing up or a room that needs to be organized? Enlist the support of your tiny helpers and look for easy ways in which they can help you out. This is an activity best suited for slightly older kids. However, even if you have a toddler, you can get them to help out in small ways, such as teaching them to put their toys and books away or helping you tidy up.

Still need more ideas? Get your kids involved. Sit down together and list as many summer activities as you can come up with. Then make an entire schedule for the month so you don’t have to plan new activity ideas daily. Have fun and have a safe summer, parents!