Hey mamas, happy summer!

So, it’s summer. This means hot weather, long days, and sometimes boredom. If your children attend school it also means summer break, which keeps them home with you all day.  Or, if you homeschool (Which is everyone right now…)

It just means way more free time for the kiddos. So what’s a crazed mom to do all summer? Don’t worry, I got you. I have come up with 5 fun activities to do with your kids this summer. From water play to adventures with colorful toys, we got this!

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5 Fun activities to do with your kids this summer.

Activity #1: Make your own backyard water park.
For the kids and inner kid in us, bringing the water park home isn’t very difficult, and putting it all together as a family would be a fun way to spend an afternoon together out in the sun.

All you need to bring this water park to life is a few small kiddie pools, a plastic slide (big enough to fit you if you plan to slide if not then little kid-sized will do.) A water slide or you could even make your own using a sprinkler head, a hose, and a tarp.

This turtle sprinkler water toy, or some sort of fun water toy that attaches to a hose, and basically just any other outdoor toy, activity, or even just an adult-sized wading pool will complete your backyard water park. Pretty simple and is sure to keep you and the kids entertained and cool without having to drag them to an overcrowded and expensive water park.

Activity #2: Make your own ice cream and set up a full ice cream bar.
Have your kids ever churned their own homemade ice cream? It’s a great lesson in how things are made, learning to do something themselves, and for building up those ever-growing little muscles! Just simply invest in an old-fashioned ice cream maker, all the ingredients for as many ice cream flavors as your heart desires, and get to churning!

Then once it’s ready to eat, set up bowls of tons of toppings, and pile on the goodies! Chocolate syrup, M&Ms, Gummy Worms, Nuts, Sprinkles you name it! Have ice cream cones, fun bowls, and whatever else you’d like and have fun! Who doesn’t want to have an ice cream party on a hot summer day? You can count me in!

Activity #3: Outdoor Movie Nights
Wouldn’t it be neat to sit out just after sunset and watch a movie outdoors on a summer night? Uh, yeah! Well, you can! Here’s how to make it happen. If you don’t have the budget to just go out and buy all the expensive outdoor theater equipment, here’s the easiest and cheapest way to do it…

Search online, I recommend checking eBay first for a good deal on a film projector. Used or refurbished will get you the lowest price. Once you’ve got the projector, all you need now is some old stereo speakers that can connect to the projector.

Check all the wiring and connections for the best option for you. Then find a big white sheet as the screen. Hang up your plain white sheet on the side of your house or on a close line if you have one. You may need to use extension cords to plug in the projector and speakers, but that’s easy peasy.

Put out blankets, pillows, lawn chairs, whatever you want to sit in, pop some popcorn, and bam! You have your own outdoor movie night ready for your enjoyment. Pop in a DVD, light some citronella candles to keep the mosquitos away, and enjoy your night!

Activity #4: ORBEEZ
If you haven’t heard of Orbeez and spent hours playing with them, I promise I won’t tell 😉 then you need to grab yourself some now! Go online and buy some Orbeez. If you aren’t aware, Orbeez are round, colorful semi-squishy little water beads/balls that are therapeutic and oh so much fun!

You can put them in a kiddie pool to have some fun sensory water play, or fill up empty tubes for some bouncy colorful summer toys, or throw them into some homemade slime or play dough for therapeutic fun. The possibilities are endless, and you can browse Pinterest for more ideas! So go grab yourself a ton of Orbeez like now!

Activity #5: Washable Body Crayons
Kids love to get messy so why not find a way to let them get creative and messy in a fun way, and you can get in on it too! Washable body crayons are the perfect summer activity. You can paint yourself up like an animal, a superhero, a clown, let imagination take over, and just wash it off with ease in the bathtub! Or the sprinkler ;).

Let the kids run wild outside in their bathing suits covered in color…no one gets hurt and it comes right off. Your welcome moms! Grab your kids a set of face and body crayons!

I hope these activities have sparked your creativity and have given you ideas for some summer fun! Do you have any more activities we all should know? Tell me all about them in a comment! And don’t forget to follow my blog for more awesome mom …mom…ness and resources you won’t want to miss! Drop your email in the box below! 

Love and summer joy,
-Jess XO