Hi friends! Is school out where you are? My kids are on summer break now, and while I love having them home, boredom can creep in. We keep a relaxed routine, but I like to plan a few easy, inexpensive activities to break up the days.
Here are eight simple and fun summer boredom busters my kids enjoy—perfect for keeping little hands and curious minds busy.
I’m lucky my oldest enjoys helping with many of these activities—she’s into science and always scouts out simple experiments for her younger siblings. She often joins in just as enthusiastically as they do!
I’ve also included a few repeat favorites we plan to do again this summer. Some boredom busters never get old.
Easy Oobleck
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Food coloring (optional)
Mix cornstarch and water, adding a few drops of food coloring if you like, until the texture is easy to play with. Oobleck is a non-Newtonian mixture that behaves like a liquid when poured but feels solid when squeezed. It’s delightfully messy, so we do it outside, but cleanup is simple.
Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloon Experiment
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Balloon
Pour about 1/4 cup of vinegar into a small bottle. Put two teaspoons of baking soda into a balloon, then carefully stretch the balloon over the bottle mouth. Lift the balloon so the baking soda drops into the vinegar and enjoy the reaction—the carbon dioxide gas inflates the balloon. My little scientist loved dressing up with a lab coat and goggles for this one.
Gummy Bears and Water Experiment
- Distilled water
- Salt
- Gummy bears
Fill two clear cups halfway with distilled water. Add two teaspoons of salt to one cup and leave the other plain. Place a gummy bear in each cup and observe. The bear in plain water will swell as it absorbs water, while the one in salty water will shrink. We measured the bears after one and two hours—easy, quick, and fascinating for curious kids. The unused gummy bears make a tasty reward.
Other Fun Activities to Try
Pool Noodle Lightsabers
Summer Polymer Clay Earrings
Lego Earrings
DIY Temporary Hair Dye
Easy Salt Dough Maps
Apologies for the flash photos of the salt dough maps—I took them before I started blogging. Despite that, the kids had a blast shaping and labeling maps, so it’s worth trying.
Thanks for stopping by. If you try any of these summer boredom busters, I hope your family enjoys them as much as we do. If you have other ideas for entertaining kids, please share—they’re always welcome.
Happy summer!
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