I can hear it in my head: “Schools! Out! For summer!” And oh my, it has only been 2 weeks in the Gerber house, and I’m already scrambling for things to do. This is a departure from my the usual fashion/DIY posts but after searching (rather frantically) for fun activities, I thought I would share! I’m calling it Summer Survival Series. And since the sprinkler is already our toy of choice, the first of the series is focusing on WATER. Is there anything kids love more than playing and splashing in sprinklers, fountains and pools? I am so exited to try out some of the ideas (especially #18 and #25). Which ones are your favorites?
1. Here fishy, fishy – Minieco. Make fishing poles out of sticks and magnetic plastic fish for a fun game of fishing. Great for indoors or outdoors.
2. Bicycle party – Lullaby Lubbock. Improvise a small car wash, only make it for the kids’ bikes. They will surely get in there themselves!
3. Sponge bob tutorial – One Charming Party. Cut some colorful sponges to make these fun balls – they’re perfect for playing in the pool and even in the tub!
4. How to make a water wheel – Making Boys Men. Use paper plates, skewers and plastic cups to make an exciting water wheel. The water pushes the wheel round, and each cup fills in turn.
5. Splash and score – Spoonful. This is just like baseball, but with water! Use water balloons and plastic bats, and may the best thrower win!
6. DIY Slip & Slide – Inner Child Fun. You just need a hill and some drop cloth to make this slide. Leave the rest to the kids!
7. Swimming pool scrabble – Toddler Approved. Just write the letters of the alphabet on sponges, and throw them in the pool. The kids have to collect them and then spell out words.
8. Chalk and water painting – Filth Wizardry. Instead of simple chalk drawing on the sidewalk, make it more exciting with water. The colors get more vibrant and it’s very easy to clean out.
9. Bathing dolls – Mama Pea Pod. Little girls will love bathing their dolls in a baby bath, and they can use real supplies from the bathroom.
10. Water balloon pinata – Scrap Happy Heather. Fill some balloons with water and hang them up high, then let the kids enjoy some soaking as they pop them with a bat.
11. Knock ’em down – Prudent Baby. With recycled plastic bottles, water and some food coloring, you have all the supplies to make a fun knock’em down game for the kids.
12. Clothesline activity – Happy Hooligans. Let the little ones play with water by soaking some cloth, squeezing and hanging them out to dry with pretty clothespins.
13. Backyard mini Olympics – Gogo Squeez. From wheelbarrow races to water balloon fights, everything can be an Olympic game in the backyard.
14. Fantastic fun with a water pump – Growing A Jeweled Rose. A water pump by itself can become a super fun toy for summer play.
15. Toddler bubbles sensory activity – Hands On As We Grow. When have water and soap together not been fun? Never.
16. Water wall – Wid Kids. Use a bunch of plastic jugs and buckets to make a fountain of water fun.
17. Colored water activity – Happy Hooligans. Let the kids experiment with colors and mixing them, using plastic bottles and food coloring.
18. Painting with water – Juggling with Kids. Who needs paint, when they can use water to express their creativity?
19. Color tubs – Two Daloo. Bath color tabs and plastic balls are irresistible to toddlers!
20. Added measuring tools – Hands On As We Grow. Set out bowls of water, measuring cups, teaspoons and baby bottles and let the kids transfer the water back and forth.
21. Make your own tornado – I Can Teach My Child. Learn about nature while having fun with colored water.
22. Traveling magnets – Tinker Lab. Throw paper clips into a jar full of water, and then see how the kids take them out with a magnet.
23. Desert island – Be a Fun Mom. Sand, water and some plastic recipients make the setting, while pebbles and seashells are the decorations for this imaginative activity.
24. Water balloon yo-yos – What To Do With Kids. Water balloons and rubber bands are the only things you need to make this happen.
25. Feet-y, freeze out – GoGo Squeez. The players have to remove the ice cubes from the kiddies pool using only their feet.
I love having more ideas than I know what to do with! Next up: activities for the car ride. Because you can only take “are we there yet?” so many times….
Summer fun pack giveaway with Artterro
Need more summer play ideas? You’re in luck! We’re giving away a Bubble Wand Kit, a Wool Felt Bug Kit and an Art Journal Kit from Artterro. This amazing company offers eco-friendly, open-ended art projects with beautiful materials. I love that they make creativity to easy!
The Wool Felt Bug Kit will get your little ones making unique, fuzzy bugs, and the box can be turned into a frame for the artwork. With the Bubble Wand Kit, the kids will make their own wands and have fun with huge bubbles, decorate or use for magic. The Art Journal Kit is for doodling, collages and drawing with inspiring materials. That’s a $53 value!
How to enter
Leave a comment letting me know your favorite summer activity with your kids. That’s it!
Additional entries
Visit Artterro and let me know your favorite Artterro art kit
Like Artterro on Facebook
Contest open to US residents only. Giveaway ends Friday, June 14 at midnight.
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I like Artterro on facebook as Laura Proctor Unger
My favorite activity is to take them for a wagon ride around the neighborhood.
I love to go to the park with my grandchildren as well as swimming.
I love to swim with my family during the summer. It is our favorite activity.
Going to the waterpark is our favorite.
[email protected]
I Like Artterro on Facebook
Making forts and reading in them together.
we love trips to the beach!
My kids and I love to sit around the campfire and make smores!
We love swimming and camping!
My 4 kids love to play in the sprinklers.We also like making mud to play in.Thanks!
lstanziani(at)yahoo(dot)com
I like Artterro on Facebook
My favorite kit is the Garden Kit.
We love to go to the park and play Frisbee together.
I like to go swimming and doing crafts with my daughter.
Playing badminton!
swimming
We like to go to the beach
[email protected]
we do a lot of craft projects
I love having camp fires with the family at night!
I have liked Artterro on FB.
I love the bubble wand kit.
My favorite summer activity with our grandchildren is going to the swimming pool………….and camping!
My favorite summer activity with my kids is playing in the water or swimming.
So cute! My girls would love so many of these (especially the baby washing and the mermaid desert island set up–we’re mermaid obsessed right now!).
We just had an outdoor paint “party” where the girls made a huge mess and loved every second of it. I have a feeling that’s going to be requested a lot this summer! One more week of school here in NY…
Go swimming
We love to go to the sprinkler park.
I just love being outside with them!
my favorite kit is the Garden Art!
Artterro FB fan Michele Pineda
my daughter and her friends like to go on nature walks to see what they can find along the way.
I love to break out the kiddie pool in the yard and watch my little guy splash!
We love going to the amusement park. My kids love rides!
I like Artterro on Facebook too.
I think my favorite kit for summer is the Bubble Wands Kit. For indoor fun I like the Creativity Kit.
My boys like to go to the pool and play at the park.
We love going to the beach.
My sons love going to the state park and riding their bikes
My favorite kit is the wool felt wearables.
Awe, what a great list of summer ideas! I think my very favorite is the swimming pool Scrabble.
swimming!
canvas storybook !
Going to the pool !!! =)
swimming!
My favorite Artterro craft kit is the Canvas Storybook kit.
I liked Artterro on Facebook as Nicole Lancaster.
My favorite summer activity is going swimming at the lake with my kids.
I like Artterro on facebook!
The bookmaking kit looks awesome!
I love taking the kids to the BEACH!!!
Definitely the sprinkler and slip n slide!
Liked on facebook!! great find!!
Love the Canvas Storybook Kit
Love going to the park with my 3 littles
We have a nice local splash park and we like to go there.
We love playing in the sprinkler!
I love going to the beach with my kids
The pool wins out with us too.
I love to play in the pool with my little girl.
I liked Artterro. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win your awesome giveaway!
I love the Garden Art kit.
I love to garden with my children. My youngest (Age 3) loves to talk to the plants.
we love swimming
We like to swim a lot in the summer.
I love taking my daughter to the beach and building sand castles.
I like the Collage jewelry kit.
I like to go on Nature walks with my kids.
Liked on FB
we go to the beach
Play outside
Favorite activity is going to the lake!
My favorite summer activity is an easy sprinkler run with my son. He keeps cool, lawn gets watered. Win win!
We love beach combing.
Thanks for the chance.
[email protected]
Building sand castles at the beach.
Thanks for the chance.
[email protected]
we love swimming in the creek and catching crayfish!
hide and seek
water pistols and/or water balloons
So many awesome ideas!! We love to swim, go in the sprinkler and blow bubbles but I will be adding a ton of these in to out list of “things to do”. Thanks!!
Liked Artterro on Facebook: Nicole Sender.
I like the Art Dolls Kits!
We love playing at the local pool and park!
We love grilling and going to the park. Thanks. Beautiful photos :)
Liked their Facebook page!
I love the bookmaking kit!
We love visiting zoos in the summer!
My daughter and I both like the art journal kit
We love going to the lake and going swimming and cooking smores over the campfire after while drying off.
We love to swim!thank you
I like the Bubble Wands kit!
swimming in the lake.
swimming is our favorite thing to do