8 Fun Summer Kids Toys & Activities

Summer days are a great opportunity for family fun both indoors and outdoors! Although we take a break from homeschooling, I try to maintain a simple summer schedule for our kids. Our days often include morning playtime, afternoon reading time, and occasional family game time. Here are some of the games and activities our family has enjoyed in the summer.

Legos

After our school routine ended this year, we had a lot of time on our hands. My kids love building with Legos and we also have a bunch of Lego play sets with instructions. Over the course of several days, we went through our huge bins of Lego pieces and put together a bunch of our Lego play sets. This was no small task, but it was a very fun activity our whole family could get involved in. I think I spent about 9 hours helping my kids re-build their Lego sets and find all the correct pieces!

My girls especially enjoy the Lego Friends play sets. These cute Lego sets for girls did not exist when I was a kid, so even I enjoy helping my girls put together their Lego sets! My girls so far have collected the Lego Friends pet shop, cupcake bakery, hair salon, horse stable and various Disney Princess Lego sets. Legos are inspiring because they encourage kids to build creative things or just play pretend with the Lego characters.

Little Passports Science Activities

The summer is a great time for kids to keep learning by doing fun activities! We especially enjoy learning about the Animal Kingdom and doing science activities. My kids love playing games like this interactive multi-player game from Little Passports. Once they put their Weddell Seals game pieces together, my kids took turns to spin the wheel and make their way around the game board. They learned interesting facts about Weddell Seals along the way. We received this board game in a kit that also included a Weddell Seals STEM activity, stickers, and an explorer backpack. Little Passports offers a variety of kids projects and science kits you can order to be shipped to your doorstep.

DIY Glitter Slime

Homemade glitter slime is a fun kids activity to make and an interactive toy to play with! To make slime, all you need is craft glue, baking soda and contact solution. Add any color of food coloring and even mix in glitter or confetti! My 8-year-old daughter Kiera can easily mix up her own slime using these simple non-toxic ingredients.

BunchO Water Balloons

A sunny day is a great opportunity to have a water balloon fight. This handy set of BunchO Balloons allows you to fill up a ton of water balloons in no time at all. We used these balloons at my daughter’s birthday party and my kids had several other afternoon water balloon fights. To fill up the water balloons, you’ll need a hose and a bucket. Simply connect the stem of a water balloon bunch to the hose, turn it on and watch the balloons expand and drop off into the bucket one by one. The water balloons are ready to throw and play right away!

Binoculars & Compass

Our family often goes on an afternoon hike to any of the beautiful forests and trails near our home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Hiking is a great way for our whole family to get exercise and enjoy the outdoors. A pair of binoculars allows kids to see birds and squirrels up close. My kids love taking their binoculars on our family hikes and camping trips. A small pair of binoculars is easy to pack in a backpack and pull out for an up-close look at things along the trail.

While you’re out hiking, you can also teach kids how to use a compass. Find the directions north, south, east and west, look for specific compass headings and avoid walking in circles if you get lost. You can even plan a compass scavenger hunt using the directional degrees on a compass to find specific locations.

Binoculars and a compass are great hiking tools to teach kids some simple observation and survival skills.

Tiny Tukkins

These plush pals are a sweet play set for kids to pretend and act out the roles of mom, dad and baby. Tiny Tukkins come in several sets and add-on characters. The box from the play house set cleverly turns into a Tiny Tukkins house with a closet that transforms into a fold-out bed. The plush characters can be dressed or undressed and the baby comes with a blanket, high chair and a diaper. My 5-year-old daughter Sylvie who especially loves stuffed animals enjoys playing with this cuddly family set.

Word Family Dominoes

I’ve also been trying to do some educational activities with my kids this summer. I created this game of Word Family Dominoes to help reinforce phonics concepts for my kids. The goal of this game is to match up words that have the same special sounds. You can easily make your own set of game pieces using cardboard and scrapbook paper. You can even customize the game pieces with words for your child’s learning level. My kids love playing games as part of our homeschool routine!

Vendees Surprise DIY Dispensers

Kids who love creating things will enjoy opening up the treasures within Vendees Surprise DIY Dispensers. These sets are an unboxing experience and a creative activity! Once kids open and reveal all the surprises, they can use the supplies to customize their own spa and beauty products. See our full review of the Vendees bath bombs and lip balm sets here!

During the summer, we try to enjoy a combination of exciting outdoor adventures and relaxing playtime at home. These interactive toys and educational activities have been helpful for keeping our kids busy on summer days. What are some of your family’s favorite toys and games?