As summer continues on and boredom starts to set in it’s easy to just let kids veg out in front of the TV. Those dog days of summer can be especially hard to get outside when the sweat just seems to pour off of us. While I still love a good pool day or sweaty hike despite the heat sometimes it just feels good to be inside in the air conditioning. I’ve tried to think of a few indoor activities families can do during the summer without turning their brain off. I hope you’ll enjoy the list and please feel free to add any suggestions you have in the comments below. Also, this post contains affiliate links.
-Play Store
Do your kids love to play make believe? Or did they used to but are just a little bit older now? Simply Charlotte Mason sells a Book Store Kit where it allows your kid to play make believe and think through the steps involved in having their own bookstore. They get to decide the titles of books they’ll sell and how much each one will cost. My kids have done this and it’s so fun! It’s recommended for grades 3rd-6th but there’s a sample you can download to see if you think it would be right for your kids. It comes with a free teacher guide too in case they need a little more hand holding. You can check it out by clicking here. They also have a Pet Store Kit and Sports Store Kit.
-Play Games
We love family board games (Check out our Really Fun Family Games post for some great game ideas!) but sometimes you need a kiddo to occupy themselves without assistance from anyone else. The educational games from CulinarySchools.org are some of our favorites, specifically the ones in the Brain Games section. The logic puzzles are my favorite but there are also word games, memory/matching, math, and card games. Waffle is a fun spelling word game and you can even play it in different languages for an extra challenge!
-Scavenger Hunt
I don’t know about you but I am a sucker for an elaborate scavenger hunt. I love both setting them up for others and following the clues that someone has set for me. We like to create our own clues but sometimes it’s easier to Google clues. You can even buy this premade Treasure Hunt Game. We have this and have reused it time and time again. It comes with a gold box that you can stash the prize in. Sometimes we put in a sweet treat or other times it’s a small Lego or craft project they can enjoy doing together.
-Forts/Nerf Battles
My kids, especially my son, love a good fort and they love a good Nerf battle. Sometimes they can have one without the other but they really do make a great pair. This photo is from the inside of one recent fort. I couldn’t fit in to see the way the sunlight shone through the blanket and my son wanted me to see how pretty it was so he took this photo for me. 🙂 They use chairs, every blanket we own, our Nugget couch, our actual couch, and set to work. I’ve always thought these Tote-a-Fort kits would be nice but we’ve never invested in a set. Because my friend accidentally shot her husband’s eye with a Nerf dart and he’s had several surgeries because of it, I feel like I must recommend everyone to wear safety goggles whether they’re actively participating in the battle or just a bystander. There are so many sets on Amazon for cheap. We just bought several dozen so we always have them on hand and have enough for visitors when they come over.
-Make Christmas Gifts
Lastly, and this has been our go to for the past week as the rain has poured down each evening, you could make Christmas gifts. Christmas will be here before we know it and homemade gifts are the best. We’ve been using our Cricut to make iron on decals for canvas bags. Amazon has the bags for just over $1 a piece, making this an affordable but practical and well-loved gift idea. In the past we’ve made candles, pot holder loom gifts, loom knit scarves, wooden Christmas tree ornaments, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things. Whatever you dream of, you can do. Painted bookmarks, embroidery Christmas tree ornaments, custom stickers, the sky is the limit!
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