6 fun things to do in summer with your kids

If you’re looking for easy and low-cost indoor activities for kids to enjoy indoors during this summertime, we have gathered ideas for you from simple activities to fun crafts that can keep kids busy during weekends.

Rainbow Rice

Making your own rainbow rice is really easy. You only need plain rice and food coloring. There are a few different ways to make colored rice and we have tried them all. This method is our favorite.

Supplies you need:

To make your own sensory dyed rice you only need plain rice, food colorings of your choice, 6 large Ziploc bags (one for each color), Wax or parchment paper for drying, a baking sheet, A large storage container for placing the rice, measuring cups, spoons and other materials to play with the rice once done.

Liquid watercolors, acrylic paint (non-toxic), are another option too. If you have a younger toddler that still puts things in their mouth, then using food coloring is a better option. 

For printable Rainbow Rice ingredients click here.

DIY Popsicles

Homemade popsicles are easy to make and so fun to eat. They are perfect for a summer treat or a themed Birthday Party. Everyone will want to try these cool fruit popsicles. Popsicles are yummy and refreshing. Your kids will love these homemade popsicles.

Ingredients you’ll need to make these fresh fruit popsicles

Popsicle molds, 2 Kiwis, 2 Peaches, 5 Strawberries, 1/2 Cup Blueberries, a bottle of flavored water, Optional: a teaspoon or two of sugar to taste.

 How to make popsicles?

- Cut the kiwi and strawberries into small slices.

- Add the fruit into the popsicle molds until each one is filled. Leave about ½ inch from the top. 

- Pour the flavored water into each mold filling until it reaches about 1/2 inch from the top.

- Place the top of your popsicle stick mold on.

- Now place in the freezer until frozen. Approximately 4-5 hours or overnight.

- Now all that is left is to enjoy these!

Homemade Playdough

This easy playdough recipe takes five minutes to prepare and five minutes to make. And the playdough will last for months. It’s super soft, stretchy, and non-toxic for kids. With just a few ingredients your kids will love playing with this playdough.

It’s easy to make a batch of all different colors for the kids to play with. Just store the finished playdough in an air-tight container or wrap it in some saran wrap to keep the air from touching the playdough which can make it go hard.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

Flour, cream of tartar, water, food coloring, salt. (If you want soft playdough and want it to last longer, you need to add a little bit of cream of tartar.)

To make easy playdough click here for instructions and free printable

For more fun get out some cookie cutters and have fun making shapes!

For more playdough recipes click here.

Grow Seeds

Watching plants grow is a fun and educational experience for children. Their enormous curiosity and excitement over anything new makes them natural for gardening. Growing plant seeds with kids teach them how nature works, responsibility in caring for something, an interest in environmental sustainability, and pride in themselves for the results.

Things you will need:

Glass jar or bottle, some cotton wool balls, and a handful of beans

How to plant seeds?

- Put some stuffed cotton wool balls into a glass jar.

- Stick one bean on either side of the jar so that you could watch two growing at once. 

- Water it until the cotton wool is damp but not too wet and placed the jar in the window.

- Within 2-3 days the bean will start to sprout a small root, and after 2-3  more days later it will grow into little tendrils. 

Tissue Box Monsters

If you’re looking for a fun monster craft, or just an easy recycling craft for kids,  you have to try to make these tissue box monsters. Kids can paint them and easily glue on the googly eyes, teeth, and pom-poms.

These cute tissue box monsters are a great way to recycle an old tissue paper box. Kids will love designing their own monster. 

Supplies You’ll need to make these tissue box monsters:

Tissue Box, colored acrylic paint, white acrylic paint, googly eyes, white cardstock, large pom poms, black sharpie or marker,  craft knife,  glue.

 Directions to make tissue box monsters

- Pull out any plastic inner lining inside the tissue box before you start.

- Paint the outside of the tissue box with white to prime the box. Adding white will make sure the design of the tissue box doesn’t show through the paint.

- Once dry, paint the outside of the tissue box with the color of your choice, and paint the inside with a different color.

- Outline around the “mouth” of the monster (the opening of the tissue box) with a black marker. This will make the mouth pop more.

- For the purple box, cut one popsicle stick in half. Paint the pieces purple and let them dry. Glue 2 small googly eyes to the sticks. Make a small slit mark at the top of the box with the craft knife (adults should help with this part) to push the sticks in.

- Glue large googly eyes to the top of the tissue box. You can add one, two, three, or more eyes!

- Cut out large teeth from paper or white cardstock. Glue the teeth to the inside of the tissue box mouth.

- Give your monsters a little more character by gluing some large pom-poms to the top of the tissue boxes.

 Make Celery Flower

Kids love painting with different materials and this celery craft is no exception. Using the bottom of a celery stalk makes the most beautiful rose flower impression. Kids will love dipping these into the paint to create their own celery stamped flowers.

The best part about this craft is that you usually throw away the bottom of the celery. Instead, now you can save them for this easy activity that kids will love.

Supplies Needed to Make Celery Stamped Flowers:

– One or two celery head bottoms (save the bottoms of the whole head of celery),  Pink and purple paint, Green pipe cleaners, Pink and purple ribbon, Extra strong white glue

Steps to Make Celery Rose Flowers

- Cut the bottoms off of the celery.

- Dip into your paint and cover the celery completely

- Stamp three roses beside each other. You may need to press firmly.

- Then take your green pipe cleaners and measure them for the size on your paper.

- Glue your pipe cleaners down. 

- Make a bow and glue it on top of your flower stems. And you’re done! 

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