11 Fun Activities To Do At Home Throughout Summer

Today, June 20, 2024, is the first day of summer. Sometimes summer can be boring because there is nothing to do. If you’re in that boat, here are eleven fun activities to do at home throughout the summer.

#1 Paint

One thing you can do is to paint. You can do it on paper or on a canvas. Paint landscapes, animals, people, or abstract pictures!

#2 Photo Shoot

If you have a phone or a camera (you can use a throw-away camera!), plan a photo shoot with your siblings or your whole family! Make the photo shoot themed, have props, or take pictures.

#3 Obstacle Course

Another activity you can do is to create an obstacle course. Be creative: incorporate acrobatics, calisthenics, balance, and accuracy. You can also make it water-themed: have sprinklers going, run through puddles or pools, and end with a slip-n-slide!

#4 Read

Reading is a great way to make summer go by fast. Set a goal to read a certain amount of books (like 25) by the end of summer or by the time school starts again. You can even set a goal to read at least one book in four different genres (mystery, historical, biographies, fiction).

#5 Nature Walk

Whether you live in the country or the city, you have some nature around you. Take 15 minutes or an hour and walk around your yard or city looking at nature: trees, grass, birds, bugs, clouds, ponds. ^[1]

#6 Journal

Buy yourself a journal and try to write in it once a day. ^[2] You can make short entries or long entries. Write what happened that day, what activities you did, who you saw, what the weather was like, or anything else you can think of.

#7 Cook

Another activity you can do is to cook. Try to make one new recipe a week, or set a goal of how many new recipes you want to try out before the end of summer. ^[3] Another thing you can do is to make yourself a cookbook. Gather some of your favorite recipes (around 30) in different categories (meat, veggies, desserts, appetizers, etc.). Once you have your recipes, put them in a binder.

#8 No Technology

We live in a very technological world, with phones, computers, and iPads being part of our everyday lives. Make an effort to not use your phone or any technology for at least one day this summer; you can make it harder by not using it at least one day a week. ^[4] Try the other activities mentioned in this article, or do something else you want to do!

#9 Film

Another activity that will take some more time and creativity is to create a short “movie.” It can be an original or it can be based off a book. You can use props, different accents, and different locations if you want to! After you make your “movie,” show it to your family!

#10 New Sport

This summer, try a new sport! You can learn one all summer, one every week, or one every month! Try tennis, basketball, football, soccer, swimming, frisbee, volleyball, or any other sport. For some of these, you don’t have to have a partner: practice your dribbling, practice throwing the football into a ring, practice hitting a soccer ball into a net, practice hitting a volleyball on a wall.

#11 Garden

Try planting a garden. It can be a whole garden outside, a raised bed, or pots inside. You can grow a flower garden, herb garden, veggie garden, or a mixed garden. ^[5] Take care of the plants you’re growing throughout the summer and feel accomplished with the harvest you get.