90 Fun Summer Activities for Preschoolers

School is out, so let the summer fun begin! At ChasingBebe we believe kids are able to thrive when they are given the opportunity to play, create and engage with others. No matter if the weather is nice out or if you’re sheltering inside due to excessive heat, we’ve compiled a list of fun summer activities for preschoolers to help you keep your child’s boredom at bay while giving them the opportunity to learn, use their imagination, and interact with others. We’ve divided our list into outdoor activities, indoor activities and adventures away from home in order to help you plan the best summer ever!

Fun Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Outdoor Edition

Summer may be here, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to keep your preschooler entertained. Below you will find 24 outdoor activities that can be done at home and in your own backyard.

1. Make Paper or Milk Carton Boats  – Create, decorate and set the paper or milk carton boats to sail in a kiddie pool, pond or lake!
2. Water Balloon Fight – Stay cool and burn energy with a fun water balloon fight! For an added bonus, once the fight is over and all of the balloons have been used, teach your kids about taking care of the planet and have them help pick-up the balloon remnants.
3. Create a Sidewalk or Driveway Chalk Mural – Encourage your preschooler to decorate the sidewalk or driveway with one of a kind designs!
4. Build a Sand Castle – All you need is a sandbox, a couple of buckets, and a great imagination!
5. Go Camping in the Backyard  – This is a great way to introduce camping. Set-up a tent, make smores, and take in the stars!
6. Play in the Sprinklers – Keep cool with this preschooler approved activity! Just don’t forget your sunscreen!
7. Learn to Climb a Tree – All you need is tennis shoes, a good tree, and a little guidance!
8. Help Wash a Car – Grab a bucket, some water, soap, and a sponge and let your preschooler help wash your car until their heart’s content. As a bonus, let them use the hose to rinse the car off and maybe even through in a water fight!
9. Go on a Family Bike Ride – Grab your bikes and helmets and go on a family ride. As a bonus, this time can be used to enforce safe riding habits like stopping at stop signs and watching for traffic.
10. Pick Flowers  – Let your preschooler create a beautiful bouquet of flowers and then help them arrange them in a vase for all to admire!
11. Plant Seeds/Flowers/Vegetables – Teach them the process of growing things, (planting, watering, etc.) and then watch them grow!
12. Go Stargazing in Your Backyard  – Take in the beautiful night view and teach your preschooler about the different constellations!
13. Paint Rocks – Let your preschooler find the perfect rocks and then decorate them. They can be used as paperweights, door stops, or as decorations both indoors or outdoors!
14. Blow Bubbles – Whether you create your own bubbles or use a store-bought solution, nothing says summer like hours of fun with bubbles!
15. Bug Hunt – If your preschooler loves bugs, go on a bug hunt! Keep track of the different bugs you find and how many!
16. Create an Obstacle Course in the Backyard – If your preschooler is a fan of Ninja Warrior than this might be the summer activity for them! Let their imagination flow and the building begin!
17. Make S’mores  – S’mores can be made over a fire, stove, or grill. All you need is graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. Yum!
18. Finger Painting – Give your preschooler a canvas or big sheet of paper, ditch the nice clothes, let them make a mess and express their creativity all at the same time.
19. Play Hopscotch – Help your preschooler create their own hopscotch with chalk or items from the house and then join them in a game or two!
20. Host a Lemonade Stand – Encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in your child and help them learn the basics of money by hosting a lemonade stand!
21. Create and Enjoy a Water Slide – Whether you create your own or buy one, a water slide is a great way to burn energy and to get some relief from the summer heat!
22. Make Slime – Slime is fun, but it can definitely be messy! Keep the slime outside and you won’t find yourself spending time cleaning it out of your carpet or furniture.
23. Watch/Catch Fireflies – If you are lucky enough to live in an area with fireflies (aka lightning bugs), you can make a game out of catching the bugs and then placing them in a jar for observation. If your preschooler is not into catching them, then sit outside and enjoy watching them light up the night sky!
24. Play I Spy: Outdoor/Nature Version – I spy different animals, trees, etc. The options are endless!

Fun Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Indoor Edition

Sometimes it’s just too hot to be outside, but that doesn’t mean that you have to give in to countless hours of TV or electronic games in order to entertain your preschooler. In order to help you fight the boredom monster, we’ve created a list of 30 indoor activities that promote learning, healthy living, and imaginative play!

1. Make a Kite – With a little parental help, your preschooler can make and decorate their own kite!
2. Make Paper Airplanes – Try out the different folding methods/types of planes and then see whose flies furthest!
3. Play a Board Game – There are so many fun board games appropriate for preschoolers. Monopoly Jr., Sequence Jr., Candyland, Frida’s Fruit Fiesta Game, and Guess Who are just a few that will help keep you and your preschooler entertained for hours
4. Play a Card Game – Old Maid, Go Fish, Slap Jack, Uno, Spot It Jr. and Crazy 8’s are all great card games for preschoolers!
5. Build a Cardboard Town or Castle – Put all of your Amazon boxes to good use! Let your preschooler’s imaginations run wild as they design their own town or castle!
6. Paint with Watercolors – Watercolors can be so much fun and they are another great way to let your preschooler express their creativity, but without the mess of regular painting!
7. Play with Kinetic Sand – Kinetic Sand is super cool and less messy than regular sand. Grab some kinetic sand and molds and let the entertainment begin!
8. Host a Tea Party – Host a make-believe tea party or take it up a notch with real tea and cookies! Either way, your child will love hosting the party, as well as, the one on one time with you!
9. Bake Cookies/Brownies – Pick a fun treat or dessert and teach your child how to make it! As an added bonus, you can teach them kitchen safety (i.e. staying safe around a hot oven).
10. Make Puppets and Put on a Puppet Show – Make puppets or use puppets you already have to put on puppet shows. Let your kid’s imagination run wild! You never know what storyline they’ll come up with!
11. Have a Dance Contest – Pick your favorite music and shake your booty! Have a dance off and see who’s the best dancer in the family!
12. Puzzles – Preschoolers typically do best with 24-48 piece puzzles, although with practice some kids can excel at more complicated puzzles. Teach them the process of completing a puzzle (i.e. dividing piece between frame pieces and interior pieces, completing the frame first, etc.)
13. Pillow Fight – Pillow fights are the best! Just remember to place breakable items out of harm’s way!
14. Write and Illustrate a Story/Book – Help your child create a book by letting them narrate the story to you. Let them illustrate the story and once the book is done, host a story time for the family to showcase their hard work!
15. Create an Art Project – Pinterest is full of preschool-appropriate art project ideas or check out these summer craft activities from Unicef.
16. Make Ice Cream – Teach your kids the old fashion way of making ice cream (in coffee cans) or if you have an ice cream maker, that works as well too! Either way, now you have a handmade cold treat to enjoy on a hot day.
17. Science Experiment – Keep your child’s mind engaged with fun yet easy science experiments all summer long.
18. Make a Kaleidoscope – Help your preschooler create their own kaleidoscope using items you most likely have around the house! 
19. Make Homemade Playdough – Learn to make homemade playdough and then spends hours playing and creating with it!
20. Build a Fort or Tent with Couch Cushions and Sheets – Let your preschoolers imagination run wild as they create their own fort or tent. As a bonus, let them spend the night in their new creation!
21. Create a Glow in the Dark Mason Jar – Using glow in the dark paint your preschooler can create a multitude of fun projects including a glow in the dark mason jar that can be used as a night lite!
22. Create Color Changing Flowers  – Place white flowers in various vases (carnations work best). Fill each vase half full of water and then put a couple of drops of food coloring in the various vases. Slowly, they will begin to change!
23. Yoga – Bring a little calmness to your child’s day through Yoga! YouTube has several videos that will guide you through preschool appropriate poses.
24. Make a Marshmallow and Toothpick Houses – Learn a little bit about engineering while creating a structure made of marshmallows and toothpicks! See how big you can make it before it comes crashing down!
25. Play Cuddle Toy Hide and Seek – Grab your little one’s favorite lovey/plush toy and hide it in various places around the house. Give your preschooler hints (i.e. he’s hiding somewhere in the playroom) in order to help them find their lovey. Take turns hiding and searching for the lovey.
26. Build a New Lego Set – Although Lego is discontinuing their monthly mini builds, that doesn’t mean you and your preschooler can’t enjoy endless hours of building and playing with the new Lego sets!
27. Put on a Fashion Show – Everyone can participate in this, even the family dog! Let your preschooler pick out the outfits, set-up a runway, and voila you have a fashion show!
28. Make Fruity Popsicles – Beat the heat with another cool treat! Yum!
29. Get Involved in a Summer Reading Program – The local library isn’t the only place to host a summer reading program! Check out all of the reading programs available to help motivate your child to read.
30. Build Math Skills Through Games – School may be out but learning should never end. Help your preschooler build their math skills through these fun games!

Additional Fun Summer Activities: Away from Home 

Sometimes you just need to get out of the house in order to maintain your sanity! Below you will find a list of 36 fun summer activities for preschoolers that allow you to get out and about and enjoy the community you live in!

1. Go Fly a Kite
2. Go to the Parks
3. Feed the Ducks at a Local Lake
4. Go See a Movie
5. Go Bowling
6. Visit the Library
7. Go Play Putt-Putt Golf
8. Go to a Splash Pad
9. Have a Picnic at a Lake or Park
10. Go to an Indoor Trampoline Park
11. Go to a Summer Music Concert/Festival
12. Check Out Local Museums
13. Go to the Local Zoo
14. Go to the Local Aquarium
15. Check out a Local County Fair
16. Go to a Farmer’s Market
17. Go Berry Picking
18. Check Out a Pottery Painting Studio
19. Go Hiking
20. Go Camping
21. Visit a Fire Station
22. Go to the Beach or the Mountains
23. Go on a Nature Walk
24. Visit a Local Farm
25. Go on a Train Ride
26. Volunteer in Your Community 
27. Go to a Sports Event
28. Go Swimming
29. Attend a Home Depot Kids Workshop
30. Go Fishing
31. Attend Michael’s Camp Creativity
32. Visit a National Park
33. Go to an Amusement or Water Park
34. Visit a Botanical Garden
35. Go Rollerskating
36. Go on a Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt 

We hope you enjoy our list of 90 Fun Summer Activities for Preschoolers! If you have any additional suggestions, please leave them in the comments! For more fun activities for kids, check out our Kid Life section!