As a former daycare provider to ten kids (including my own) for five years, I became a pro at keeping kids entertained over the summer for very cheap! We have a few camping trips and day trips planned this summer, so the rest of our fun we plan to do very pennies on the dollar. I thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite cheap at-home activities we do over the summer to create tons of memories, keep kids off screens, enjoy the warm months, but not empty our wallets!
I put together this free Summer Bucket List Bingo you can print out and mark off as you complete each item over the summer. I don't have any prizes if you get a bingo or a blackout, but know that the true prize is quality time with your kids!
Most of the bingo squares are self-explanatory, but in case you don't know how to do any of them or if you want more ideas, here are some explanations and links for each activity!
What's more fun than making your own homemade ice cream or popsicles? We love making homemade ice cream using this ice cream in a bag recipe. Who needs to spend $20 on the ice cream truck when you can make it yourself (but, also make sure to support local ice cream trucks when you can!).
If you have kids, you know that given the opportunity to paint things they normally aren't allowed to paint, they will go crazy! So, allow your kids to paint your outdoor toys and furniture using this tutorial and then they can have a fun wash party afterwards that will actually make all your items look even better than before they painted them!
Our 6 year old is our craft-aholic at our house and will create something out of anything she can get her hands on. Spend a week or so collecting your recycled boxes, bins, containers, etc. and let your kids spend an afternoon creating with them! Here's an awesome list of ideas of things they can make with recycled materials if they need some ideas to start brainstorming.
Creating an obstacle course inside could be a fun bingo activity to save for a rainy day, or you can create an obstacle course in your yard on a nice day! If you have trouble coming up with ideas, this list has so many great obstacle course activities to add to your own!
When your kids are bored, grab some paper and make paper airplanes! This website has tons of ideas if you forgot how to make them or want to improve your airplane-making skills. Then, take them outside and have a race!
Painting with frozen paint is one of our favorite summer time crafts! I usually roll out a large piece of paper and tape it to our outdoor table and then let the kids go to town! This is a great tutorial for frozen paint we have used many times and has worked great for kids of all ages!
Summer is the perfect time to have a nature scavenger hunt! Kick it up a notch by going on a rainbow scavenger hunt! You can either tape items to a piece of paper or take photos of items you see that are each color (if you can't or don't want to pick a bunch of flowers). It's a fun way to turn a normal daily walk into something new and exciting or look at your yard in a whole new light!
What says "summer" more than a picnic? We have tons of picnics in the summer, but in case you don't, this is a great thing to do with your kids! If you do have lots of picnics already, I encourage you to stretch yourself and check this off only once you do a picnic that is unlike any picnic you've had before. Maybe you have a theme for the food, you have a picnic in a tree, or you picnic in a new location. There are so many ways to make picnics more exciting and fun without spending any extra money!
We are a play dough-loving family, so this had to make this bingo sheet! Here is a list of different summer-themed play dough ideas you can try this summer!
Summer nights are usually spent outside with neighbor friends or going for a walk, but summer is also a great time to bring some board or card games outside and play as a family. Or, save this one for a rainy evening and play inside! Here is a list of top-rated family game night games you might want to try!
This is another favorite my kids of all ages have loved! Freeze some little toys in an ice cube tray, take them outside, and give them some wooden mallets and let them pound them until the toys are set free! It's easy, free, and so much fun!
We typically don't bake a ton in the summer because of the heat, but it can be a super fun time to bake with your kids. Brownie points if you give your treat away! Here is a list of delightful summer dessert recipes you might want to try!
We absolutely LOVE a sensory bin around here, and summer is no exception! Create a fun summer sensory bin you can even take outside to control the mess. Here are some fun sensory bins for summer your kids could try this summer!
This is on our list every year and we've never actually done it - so this year that will have to change! You can get super inexpensive kites at the dollar store. Wait for a windy day, take your kites out, and watch your kids' faces light up!
We do water play using our slip and slide every week, but we get our giant water blob out just once a summer and it's always the favorite! It's always fun to mix up your water play!
My kids love to paint rocks and hide them in the neighborhood for other kids to find! Here is a great website filled with rock painting ideas in case your kids need some inspiration!
For years, my kids have loved what we call "crazy craft." Basically, I have a bin where I keep random leftover craft supplies from craft kits. Think beads, pom poms, googly eyes, tissue paper squares, and other random items. Every once in a while, I dump the bin out, hand my kids some scissors, glue, and paper, and let their creativity flow! They spend hours creating using their imagination and I spend no money! It's a win-win! This is perfect for rainy days or days when you just want to beat the heat indoors!
Another favorite summer activity of ours is making chalk paint! It's super easy to use with items you already have at home and keep kids entertained for so long! The best part, it washes away just like normal chalk! Here is the recipe for chalk paint we've used and loved for years!
Do kids love anything more than throwing water balloons at each other? I don't think so! Make sure you plan at least one water balloon fight this summer. Here is a great list of different water balloon games if you are feeling extra creative!
Take your chalk play up a notch by challenging your kids to create a chalk city. Have them make roads, buildings, and even design little houses for each child. Then, have them ride their scooters and bikes on the streets and play in their chalk town! It's so much fun!
A childhood is not complete without having at least one lemonade or treat stand! My kids have been planning theirs since last summer and will also be selling homemade jewelery at theirs! You don't need anything fancy for a lemonade stand, but if you want to create your own DIY stand, here is a super cute tutorial.
We like to spend a lot of time reading in the summertime, but mix it up by reading in or under a tree! We have some pine trees in our yard that are super easy for kids to climb, and they often will be found in the branches with a good book. My dream is to read under a weeping willow tree, so we will need to find one at a park this year and bring some books for a story time!
If you haven't noticed, we love to paint at our house, and I especially love painting in the summer when we can take it outside and the mess stays out of our house! When I tell the kids to grab a bucket and find fun nature items, they get so excited because they know we are about to do nature painting! Have your kids collect things like leaves, sticks, mulch, pinecones, acorns, petals, grass, etc., give them some washable paint and paper, and then let them create using the nature as their paintbrushes! I typically use painter's tape to tape the creations to the siding on our house so they can dry outside in the sun.
Lastly, we love a good disco dance party at our house! We have a $10 disco ball we've used for years that we plug in, play some fun tunes, and then dance the day away! This is another fun one to save for a rainy day!
I hope this Summer Bucket List Bingo inspires and encourages your family to create tons of memories and have so much fun bonding together without spending any money!