10 Fun Summer Activities for Kids to Do Before Summer Break

This post is all about summer activities for kids to do before summer break!

Creative Summer Activities For Kids – Summer Break Prep!

As the school year starts winding down, kids can feel summer getting closer and usually their attention span disappears right along with it! Those last few weeks before summer break can feel a little chaotic, especially when routines start to shift and everyone is counting down the days.

One simple way to make this transition smoother (and more fun) is to start summer a little early with a few creative activities at home that help you get ready and excited for summertime. These small, low-prep ideas help build excitement, keep kids engaged, and give you a head start on making summer feel special without adding a ton of extra work to your plate.

If you’re looking for easy, fun summer activities for kids, these ideas are perfect for preschoolers and elementary-aged kids.

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**Why Do Activities Before Summer Break?**

It might seem more natural to just wait until summer officially starts, but doing a few simple activities before school ends can actually make a big difference for both you and your kids. Plus it extends the fun beyond summer break.

First, it helps ease the transition out of the school routine. Kids go from structured days to wide-open schedules, and having a few fun things already planned can make that shift feel exciting instead of overwhelming.

It also builds anticipation for summer break. When kids help create things like a bucket list, movie list, or reading basket, they start looking forward to what’s ahead instead of just asking “What are we doing today?” on repeat.

And maybe most importantly, it gives you a head start. A little prep now means less scrambling later, so when summer does arrive, you can actually enjoy it right along with your kids.

1. Paint Flower Pots for Summer Planting

This is such a fun and simple way to kick off summer. Grab a few inexpensive flower pots and let your kids decorate them however they want with bright colors, patterns, handprints, or even their names. Paint one along with them! While this is always on my list of fun summer activities for kids, I really like it as a summer break prep activity because then you’ll have beautifully creative and special flower pots ready to go by summer to plant flowers or herbs together!

It gives them something to take care of and watch grow all summer long, which makes it even more exciting.

Grab the supplies below and you’ll be all set!

Flower Pots

Orceler 6 inch Terracotta & Clay Pots for Plants with Saucer, Medium Terra Cotta Plant Pots with Drainage Hole, Flowerpot with Tray, Terracotta Pot for Indoor Outdoor Plant – Pack of 4 Planters

Premium Quality: These terra cotta pots are constructed of high-quality clay, which allows more water and air to circulate freely within the pots while yet maintaining their structural integrity. It’s an excellent choice for cactus, succulents, and other plants that thrive in dry soil, and it’s also appropriate for areas with lower temperatures. The high air permeability of the pot walls helps the soil to dry out more quickly
Safe Packaged: Orceler clay pots are fired at a temperature of 1922℉, deliver superior breathability, durability, and crack resistance. All packages have undergone a drop test from a height of 3 feet to ensure they will remain intact during delivery
Tiny and Cute: The terracotta pots have a height of 5.3 inches and a width of 6 inches, while the attached saucers measure 0.98 inches in height and 4.6 inches in diameter. They are specifically intended for growing succulents, cactus and herbs. Plants and soil are not included in our 4pcs plant pots set

Drainage Hole & Saucer: A small hole on the bottom of each flower pot enables water to drain and ventilate the soil. This helps avoid root rot, which may be caused by overwatering. The saucer serves to collect any extra water and maintain a clean environment around it

Acrylic Paint Markers (Great for more detailed designs or kids who have trouble working a paint brush)

ARTISTRO 36 Acrylic Paint Markers for Rock, Fabric, Wood, Glass, Eggs – Dual-Tip Paint Pens for Coloring Books for Adults, Teens, Kids – Art & Craft Supplies – Gift Idea – Easter Basket Stuffers

DUAL TIP FOR FINE + BOLD WORK: Each pen features a 1 mm fine tip for precise lines and a 1–5 mm dot tip for bold strokes and large-area coloring. Seamlessly switch between detailed outlines and vibrant coverage.
READY TO USE, NO PREP NEEDED: Pre-activated cotton nibs mean no shaking or pressing. Start creating instantly with smooth-flowing, fast-drying acrylic ink that resists smudging.

VIBRANT COLORS FOR CREATIVE FREEDOM: Bold, eye-catching shades, ideal for DIY crafts, cards, journals, school projects, and more. Mix, layer, and experiment for unique effects.
WORKS ON NEARLY ANY SURFACE: These multi-surface acrylic paint markers glide over paper, canvas, fabric, wood, glass, metal, ceramic, and rock with fade-resistant, even coverage.
SAFE, NON-TOXIC, BEGINNER FRIENDLY: This pack conforms to ASTM D-4236 standards. It’s odorless and safe for kids, teens, and adults, and perfect for classrooms, studios, beginners & pros, or hobby craft nights at home. CONVENIENT HORIZONTAL STORAGE FOR LONGEVITY: Store markers horizontally with caps tightly closed to maintain ink quality and flow. This tip ensures your markers are always ready for smooth, vibrant strokes.

Acrylic Paint Set (Comes With 4 brushes)

Caliart Acrylic Paint Set, 52 Colors Art Craft Kit Paints Waterproof for Adults Artists, Canvas Ceramic Wood Rock Painting Supplies with 4 Brushes, Easter Basket Stuffers Essentials

52 VIBRANT COLORS : Caliart premium acrylic paint set features 52 color options, each paint contained in a 2oz/59ml squeeze bottle. They enable more precise color details and versatile color blending in paintings and DIY crafts. Whether you’re new to acrylic painting or a seasoned artist, our acrylic painting kits will set fire to your imagination.
PREMIUM QUALITY AND HIGHLY PIGMENTED: These acrylic paints have creamy consistency and high pigments, delivering high color performance during shading, blending and layering. Caliart paints cover surfaces evenly without streaking, also great covering power for large-area painting and details. These paints dry quickly, resist fading, no cracking and waterproof after drying.
MULTI-PURPOSE AND SMOOTH APPLICATION: Caliart acrylic paints are versatile in canvas art, rock painting, DIY crafts, ceramic painting, Halloween decorations, Easter decoration and more. Suitable for most surfaces, including canvas, wood, rocks, painting pumpkins, stretched canvas, fabrics, stone, metal, plastic, ceramics, decorative wall, blackboard, paper, clay, plaster.

NON-TOXIC & CERTIFIED SAFE: All of these acrylic craft paints in this set conform to ASTM D-4236 and EN71 standards, non-toxic and acid-free. They are water-based paints, simply cleaning up with soap and water while wetting.Suitable for creative adults, professional artists, beginners, young aspiring artists, canvas painting lovers, craft painting lovers, colorist artist.

Paint Brush Set

Soucolor Acrylic Paint Brushes Set, 20Pcs Round Pointed Tip Artist Paintbrushes for Acrylic Oil Watercolor Canvases Rock Body Face Nail Miniature Detailing Drawing Art Supplies

Great Value Pack Artist Paint Brushes: Soucolor 20 brushes in 10 sizes professional paintbrushes set — no shedding, holds paint well, cleans easily, Acrylic, watercolor, oil, gouache, face painting, rock painting, ceramics. Fantastic High quality gifts for creative, artistic siblings to share!
Awesome Set of Paint brushes: Professional paint brushes can cover all of your needs. The multi-purposed brushes are ideal for Watercolor, Oil, Gouache, enamel, Acrylic Painting, Body, Nail, Face Painting, Miniature, Model, Wood, Glass, Cup, Ceramic, Fine work, Art class, Craft Art Painting, DIY Art Crafts etc.

Soft and long-lasting: The bristles are soft and strong, with nickel metal ferrules and blue wooden handles. After cleaning, the bristles will become soft and fluffy again and will not fall off.
Easy to clean: it’s very convenient to Wash well in soap and water. Retain shape after drying. the brushes hold up very well. Nice selection to beginners and professionals. Keep them clean and they last a long time.

Mod Podge

Mod Podge Gloss Sealer, Glue & Finish: All-in-One Craft Solution- Quick Dry, Easy Clean, for Wood, Paper, Fabric & More. Non-Toxic – Craft with Confidence, Made in USA, 16 oz., Pack of 1

CONVENIENT & VERSATILE SIZE – Add this multi-purpose, all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish in a 16 oz bottle to your art supplies

STUNNING, DURABLE FINISH – This handy decoupage glue comes in a beautiful clear, glossy finish to preserve the beauty of your decoupage paper and decoupage tissue paper projects
DRIES QUICKLY ON MULTIPLE SURFACES – This quick-drying formula works on a variety of surfaces such as wood, paper, canvas, tin, terra cotta, and more – making this a must-have product for all your arts and crafts!
EASY TO CLEAN UP – Clean up is easy with Mod Podge! When you’re finished with your decoupage project, simply clean up any extra with soap and water

MANUFACTURING – We proudly create Mod Podge in the USA!

2. Make Painted Garden Stones

If you have some rocks around your yard (or can grab a bag from the store), painted garden stones are an easy and creative project kids love.

Set out some paint and let them design their own stones with flowers, bugs, rainbows, or their names. When you’re done, you can place them in your garden, along a walkway, or even in flower pots to add a fun, personal touch to your outdoor space.

Amazon also sells really cute Garden Stone painting kits that make this summer activity simple and ready-to-go!

Creative Roots Paint Your Own Butterfly, Ladybug & Sun Stepping Stone by Horizon Group USA, 1 box of 3 count

3 READY-TO-PAINT 4.25×4.25 STEPPING STONES: No plaster, no messy molding! Hop right into a world of creative fun as you paint a ladybug, butterfly, and sun garden stone to life!

10 VIBRANT ACRYLIC PAINTS: Design unique color patterns and discover the art of color-mixing to create vivid hues, vibrant color schemes, and decorative accents on the beautiful mosaic ladybug, butterfly, and sun!
FOR DISPLAY ONLY: Display your ladybug stone on a shelf, in an indoor plant, or in an outdoor garden — just be sure to apply an exterior varnish to protect it from the elements!
PERFECT GIFT: This kit makes an excellent gift for craft lovers, gardening aficionados, or fans of ladybugs and butterflies!

SET INCLUDES: 3 Ceramic Garden Stones (4.25in. x .5 in. x 4.25 in. each), 1 Acrylic Paint Strip (White, Black, Blue, Pink, Purple, 3mL each), 1 Acrylic Paint Strip (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, 3mL each), 1 Paintbrush, Easy-To-Follow Instructions

3. Build a Bird Feeder or Birdhouse

Making a simple bird feeder or birdhouse is a great hands-on activity that keeps giving all summer long. It’s always really exciting when you see a bird on it for the first time!

You can keep it super simple with things you already have at home like popsicle sticks or milk jugs, or grab an easy kit to make it really simple, and often times more aesthetic. Once it’s set up outside, kids will love checking in to see what birds stop by each day. It turns into a fun daily habit without any extra effort.

This bird feeder kit on Amazon is super cute and comes in a 2-pack. I love the adorable wind chimes that go with it.

Kids Arts and Crafts for Outdoor,2 Pack Bird Feeder Wind Chime Kits for Children to Build and Paint, DIY Unfinished Wood STEM Painting Activities Crafts Toys for Boys Girls Ages 3-5 4-8 8-12 6-8

HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS: Our kids craft kits are made of good quality wood that is 0.2 inches thick, which means that kids can create sturdy bird feeders.
ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY AND LEARNING:Our 2 pack bird feeder wind chime kits are a fantastic STEM learning activity for children 3+ years old. Kids can use their imagination to build and paint their own bird feeders, improving their coordination and fine motor skills, as well as visual processing abilities.

All-IN-ONE KIT: Our arts and crafts kits come with everything needed to create two bird feeders and wind chimes, including 12 paints, 2 brushes, a sheet of diamond stickers, strings, and instructions. The pre-cut and slotted design makes them easy to build and paint, ensuring that even young children can participate.

4. Tie-Dye Towels for Pool and Beach Days

This one is always a hit on the list of summer activities for kids. Pick up a few plain white beach towels and an easy tie-dye kit and let your kids create their own tie-dye designs.

Not only is it a fun activity, but they’ll be so excited to actually use their towels all summer whether it’s for pool days, beach trips, or even running through the sprinkler in the backyard. You could even make it a tradition to make a new summer towel each summer. (Label the year on the tag with a permanent marker!) (The Turkish Towel linked below includes a tie dye kit!)

Dielianyi Turkish Beach Towels for Tie-dye Oversized White Beach Towel for tie dye Party 71x39 Lightweight Beach Blanke for Bath Towel Travel Towels with tie dye Thread (1) (1 PCS)

Dielianyi Turkish Beach Towels for Tie-dye Oversized White Beach Towel for tie dye Party 71×39 Lightweight Beach Blanke for Bath Towel Travel Towels with tie dye Thread (1) (1 PCS)

Exquisite White Aesthetic: Revel in elegance with the pure charm of the White Beach Towel.Complimentary Tie Dye Kit: Included is a roll of white thread, enhancing your tie dyeing adventures with this premium towel.
Craftsmanship Excellence: Meticulously crafted using Turkey’s finest textile methods for supreme softness and absorption.
Versatile Tie Dye Canvas: Designed for tie dye enthusiasts, the White Beach Towel invites creative exploration.

Functional & Spacious: Sized at a generous 71×39 inches, perfect for leisurely beach escapes.
Distinctive Tassel Embellishments: Unique tassel details add an extra touch of sophistication to this beach essential.

Tulip One Step Tie Dye Kit: Tie Dye Party Supplies, 18 bottles

Kit includes enough tie-dye supplies for a party of 6 people

Features 18 easy-squeeze bottles of highly-concentrated nontoxic One-Step dyes in popular colors – just add water to activate
No need to presoak fabrics in soda ash before dying; just add water to activate
Includes step-by-step technique guide featuring over 8 tie-dye looks to choose from

Dyes are safe to machine wash – colors stay bright and bold through repeated washings

5. Create a Summer Movie Night List

Before summer gets busy, sit down together and make a list of movies your family wants to watch.

Let your kids help choose their favorites, and write everything down or print out a fun list they can decorate. Having this ready to go makes summer evenings so much easier and gives you a go-to plan for those nights when you just need something simple. Don’t want any of those movies until summer break begins!

6. Make a Summer Bucket List

A summer bucket list is one of the easiest ways to make the season feel extra fun and intentional.

Sit down together and brainstorm everything your kids want to do from big outings, simple at-home ideas, and everything in between. Think: park days, popsicles, water play, movie nights, and trips to get ice cream.

Write it all down and keep it somewhere visible so you can check things off as you go. Kids love having something to look forward to!

Grab our Summer Bucket List Printable here!

7. Choose One Thing to Learn Over the Summer

Summer doesn’t have to mean learning stops, it just looks a little different.

Have each child pick a topic or subject matter that they want to learn more about, or pick one group topic as a family. Then really dive into it over summer break! It could be dog breeds, a certain country, a sport, a career, farm animal, anything. Read books about the topic, research it online, go on outings that help learn more about that topic. Whether it be shows, museums, hikes, anything that is related to the topic and helps you learn more about it. It’s a really fun and interactive way for your child to learn.

And unlike in school, they’re getting to CHOOSE what they’re learning about. It could even be something like wanting to learn more about the different Pokémon. The point is to give them something to focus on, and exercise their brains. It doesn’t matter what the topic is.

8. Put Together a Summer Activity Kit

This is a simple prep idea that makes a big difference once summer starts.

Grab a bin or basket and fill it with easy, go-to activities like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, water balloons, and a few outdoor toys. You can even rotate items in and out to keep things fresh.

When kids start saying “I’m bored,” you’ll have an instant solution ready to go. You could even consider having an indoor version and an outdoor version so you’re prepared for both rainy days, and nice weather days.

9. Create a Summer Reading List + Book Basket

Encourage a love of reading by putting together a special summer reading list just for your kids.

Let them choose books they’re excited about, either from home or a trip to the library and keep them all in a designated basket. Having everything in one spot makes it easy for kids to grab a book anytime.

You can even set small goals or create a simple routine, like reading before bed or during quiet time. A Summer Reading Challenge is a great way to get kids excited about reading in the summer. Check out our Summer Reading Challenge Printable bundle!

Having fun new bookmarks to use can also get kids excited about summer reading. Grab these Summer Coloring Bookmarks printable! For extended life of the the bookmarks, laminate them or print on cardstock.

10. Make Homemade Popsicle Recipes to Try

Before summer officially starts, spend some time brainstorming fun popsicle ideas your kids want to try.

Think fruit blends, yogurt pops, juice combinations, or even layering different flavors. Write down a few ideas and keep the list handy so you can make them together on hot days.

It’s a small thing, but it gives kids something fun to look forward to and turns an ordinary afternoon into something special.

Summer Activities For Kids: Make This Summer Simple

Summer with kids doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.

Taking a little time before summer break to do a few of these simple activities can help you feel more prepared and get your kids genuinely excited for what’s ahead. Even if you only do a handful of these ideas, it can make those first few weeks of summer feel more fun, more organized, and a lot less overwhelming.

Focus on what works for your family, keep it simple, and enjoy the extra time together. Afterall, that’s what they’ll remember most.