55 Fun Summer Activities For Kids (that you can still do in 2020)

Looking for some fun summer activities for kids that you can still do in 2020? Me too! Check out this list!

Maybe you’re like me and you keep thinking… “What are my kids going to do all summer?!”

Every time another summer camp, activity or event gets canceled, I’m taunted by this question. We had some pretty grand plans for the summer, but almost all of those things are completely canceled.

The past few months there has been an overwhelming stamp of “it’s canceled” on literally everything that makes up our rather “normal lives.” We’d be lying if we said we weren’t discouraged by that. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that my kids shed a few tears over the news that summer camp was canceled.  

But I’d also be lying if I threw up my hands and proclaimed that there was absolutely NOTHING to do this summer. That’s just NOT true. It might not look like it usually does, but summer is officially ON and it can’t be canceled.

So let’s find some worthwhile things to do because even if you were letting your kids play video games and eat chips all day, that’s getting pretty old about now.

We’ve compiled a list of 55 fun summer activities your kids can STILL do this summer (2020), even in the midst of all the shutdowns.

Take a deep breath. We got this, fellow mamas!

We’ve compiled our list of 55 fun summer activities for kids in categories to help you stay focused on what’s most important. Not to mention, we all want “well-rounded” kids, right? That just really means that we are constantly working on all of the areas of our lives and not just certain ones.

I would encourage you to select items from each category. You might choose more in one than other, but at least try a few in each category.

Our fun summer activities for kids has these categories: spiritual, intellectual, physical, relational, and vocational. Of course, some of these can just be ideas that you take and run with, but the all have links to help you find some of our favorite resources.

One suggestion from a mom who has actually enjoyed 16 summers with my kids… name your weeks with “themes,” especially if you have kids younger than 5th grade. There is just something amazing about a theme. It makes even the mundane things seem really fun. All you have to do is name is something different to match your theme!

You can also do themes by the day, such as Water Wednesday or Make Something Monday. Click below and download the free printable to try this method.

I can’t wait to see what fun summer activities this list will inspire for your family!

Fun Summer Activities for Kids

Spiritual

Learning about God and growing in faith is the MOST important thing you can do this summer. We’ve selected these fun summer activities for kids specifically to help grow their spiritual lives!

1. Do a family Bible study together.
2. Do this Scripture memory challenge and see how much you can learn.
3. Study the Names of God as a family with these free devotional printables.
4. Learn how to have a quiet time or work on having consistent devotions with this Bible study for kids.
5. Grow your prayer life as a family. (<— Lots of tools in that post.)
6. “Attend” a FREE VBS at home from Answers in Genesis. This would be a great theme for one of your weeks.
7. Learn to be content with your circumstances from this contentment challenge.
8. Study the armor of God or learn verses about self-control.
9. Learn to tame your tongue with this mouth challenge for kids.
10. Create principles and priorities God’s way by studying Proverbs 4:23.
11. Become more engaged with your pastor’s sermons by learning to take better sermon notes.

Intellectual

Whoever said learning wasn’t fun clearly was doing the WRONG kind of learning. Growing your mind is exciting. So let’s find some of those fun summer activities for kids will inspire our kids intellectually!

1. Take the summer Reading Challenge with this reading bingo game.
2. Get ahead on school for the next year. (I mean why not?) It might seem surprising, but this was my kids’ choice. They figured they might as well get something productive done and maybe they could do some of the other things in the fall instead.
3. Learn better time management in the Time Planagement Challenge for kids. Summer is a PERFECT time to brush up on these skills.
4. Put on your lab coat (or housecoat) and do some explosive Summer science experiments. Ok, they don’t have to be explosive to be fun!
5. Take a summer stargazing course. This one is free and your kiddos will love it!
6. Discover Backyard Bugs is another free online course for families by the same company. (One of our favorite trusted resources for Biblically sound content!)
7. Make a Smore in a DIY Solar Oven. It’s easy and tasty!
8. Do a STEM science project with CampKiwi. They have lots of free things listed and lots of online weeks you can join, too.
9. Start a summer journal and sharpen those writing skills. These free tips are perfect!
10. Read a missionary biography (or watch a documentary). The lives of missionaries are usually very exciting, plus they will inspire your faith!
11. Take a scenic drive and enjoy audio books. This is one of our favorite things to do and that list we put together is over 16 years of epic favorites that you won’t want to miss.

Physical

I know it’s hot, but summer is always a fun time to be outside, so let’s get physical! These fun summer activities for kids will inspire kids to move their physical bodies!

1. Make an obstacle course for your siblings.
2. Go backyard camping. Yes, it’s totally a thing and if it rains, you can just do it another day. Instead of being miserable all night. 🙂
3. Play some of these epic water gun games with your family or friends.
4. Get creative with these sidewalk chalk activities.
5. Make a lemonade stand and donate the money to your favorite charity.
6. Do a neighborhood car wash and bless your neighbors. If they try to pay you, tell them to send it to their favorite charity!
7. Play flashlight hide and seek/tag one night.
8. Find a pond and go fishing. (<— How to teach your kids included here.)
9. Take Karate online with Totally Christian Karate and learn Scripture as you go!
10. Go on a hike and play these fun hiking games.
11. Have a backyard challenge and see who wins! (<—free printable below).

Relational

Spiritual, intellectual, and physical activities are all important, but we can’t forget the relationships in our lives. These fun summer activities for kids will help grow their relationships with their parents and siblings!

1. Do the Sibling Challenge for kids. It’s a week-long video class the whole family will love. (Link coming soon!)
2. See what the Bible says about obeying your parents.
3. Make family meals together while having family conversations.
4. Have a family karaoke night with your favorite songs.
5. Volunteer together or complete some Random Acts of Kindness.
6. Create a family storybook (traditions, memories, pictures).
7. Write a family newsletter together to send to friends and family.
8. Write Fruit of the Spirit love notes to your family members.
9. Schedule in some of these crazy wild Family Fun Nights.
10. Pick one of these family bonding activities and do a new one each week.
11. Do a family round of the Sibling Challenge Game together.

Vocational

Vocational is a bit of a weird word, but it’s actually a really important one. Think of it as life skills, the things you need for life! These fun summer activities for kids will inspire their passions toward a possible future vocation and prepare them for adult life.

1. Learn to cook with Erin Chase and her 4 boys.
2. Learn to sew or sharpen your skills by creating a fun project.
3. Be challenged to do hard things in this must-read book for teens.
4. Take an Entrepreneurship class and learn how to create your first business.
5. Learn to build a website.
6. Learn to manage money (<— this one is SUPER important)
7. Attend an online art class
8. Teach kids how to do chores and set up a better system.
9. Learn how to grocery shop with this DIY course.
10. Learn about public speaking and acting with Nicole’s Attic, a super fun video series for kids that’s full of adventure, lessons about the theater, and God’s truth!
11. Learn acting skills or puppetry with these online classes from The Academy of Arts. This is our local theater. It’s top-notch for teaching and can’t be beat for its Christian worldview.

These are strange times we’re living, but God is still faithful. He has purposes for us even while we find ourselves a bit stranded at home. Praying you choose joy as you find things to do that build your relationships with God and each other!

What other ideas do you have for summer fun? Drop your links in the comments so we can all share!