Refreshing Summer Activities Your Kids Haven't Tried

Here’s a more detailed look at the best summer activities for kids that leave plenty of room for developing cognitive skills and stimulating their creative minds.

Why Fun And Engaging Summer Activities For Kids Matter?

We are all fascinated by exploring new interests, creative hobbies, and something out of the box. Exciting things are also appealing to our kids. Boredom often hits harder when kids are at home during summer breaks, and they crave new adventures. The same old activities lose their shine, and suddenly, they’re glued to screens, whining, “There’s nothing to do!” 

However, turn their vacations into a fun adventure this summer by balancing everything perfectly with a hands-on learning experience. These aren’t your typical summer camp crafts or overdone science kits. Instead, these ideas are amazingly out-of-the-box fun that may feel like a plot twist in their summer story without breaking the bank or your sanity. 

Without further delay, let’s scroll down to a compiled list of the best summer activities that’ll excite your kids. Be ready to shake up summer 2025 with fun summer activities that your kids haven’t tried yet? 

Refreshing Summer Activities Your Kids Haven’t Tried Yet

1. DIY science experiments

Okay, we’ve all seen the vinegar-and-baking-soda volcano. It’s cool for about five minutes, but let’s take it to the next level. These DIY science experiments are quirky, unexpected, and perfect for kids who love to ask, “Why does that happen?” The best part? You probably have most of the supplies at home.

• Slime that glows in the dark: Forget basic slime recipes. Mix up a batch using clear glue, saline solution, and glow-in-the-dark paint, which can be found at craft stores or online. Add a pinch of baking soda to bring an extra bounce. Then, challenge your kids to experiment with ratios—what makes it stretchier? Glowier? They’ll spend hours tweaking their gooey creation, a neon masterpiece at night. Pro tip: Set up a “lab” in the backyard to keep the mess outside. 

• Homemade hovercraft: Grab an old CD, a balloon, and a bottle cap. Glue the cap over the CD’s hole (hot glue works best). Blow up the balloon and attach it to the cap. Open the cap’s flap, and watch the CD hover across the table like a mini UFO. Kids can test different surfaces—wood, tile, carpet—and figure out what makes it glide best. It’s physics in disguise, and they’ll love racing their hovercrafts against siblings or friends.

• Edible water bubbles: Use sodium alginate and calcium lactate (available online) to create edible water bubbles that pop in your mouth. For beginners, these bubbles may look like molecular gastronomy. Kids mix everything with water to make the liquid solution and watch spheres form like magic. It’s safe, edible, and endlessly fascinating. Bonus: They’ll want to invent new flavours. 

These experiments aren’t just fun—they teach kids to hypothesise, test, and explore. Set up a weekly “science day” and let them pick one to try. You’ll be amazed at how long they stay hooked.

2. DIY music instruments

Do you have empty containers or old pots cluttering your kitchen? Don’t toss them—turn them into instruments! This activity is perfect for kids who love banging on things (aka every kid ever). It’s eco-friendly, affordable, and lets them discover their inner rock star.

• Pan flute from straws: Grab a handful of plastic or paper straws, cut them to different lengths, and tape them side by side, from shortest to longest. Blow across the tops, and voilà—a homemade pan flute. Kids can use straw sizes to change the pitch or decorate them with washi tape for flair. This will keep your kids busy, as they might spend hours composing songs all day. 

• Bottle cap tambourine: Collect clean bottle caps, string them onto a wire hanger bent into a circle, and secure the ends with tape. Shake it, and you’ve got a jingly tambourine. Kids can add beads or bells for extra sound effects. Challenge them to form a “band” with siblings or friends—someone’s on tambourine, someone’s on straw flute, and chaos (the fun kind) ensues. 

• Cereal box guitar: Flatten an empty cereal box, cut a hole in the centre, and stretch rubber bands across it. Tape a paper towel roll to one end for a neck, and you’ve got a guitar that actually strums. Kids can adjust the tightness of the rubber bands to change the sound or paint the box to make it stage-worthy. 

The magic here is watching kids create something from nothing. They’ll spend hours tinkering, performing, and writing their songs. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to teach rhythm and creativity.

3. Coding and robotics

Coding might sound intimidating, but it’s a good way to challenge your kids with a puzzle they can’t resist solving. And robotics? That’s just building toys that move. These activities are perfect for sparking a love of tech, and they’re way more accessible than you’d think.

• Hands-on coding project: Engaging your kids in a DIY coding project can be a great way to keep their attention at home during summer break while teaching problem-solving and computational thinking skills, all with a lot of patience. You can plan an algorithm dance party where every sequence of dance moves (like “jump,” “spin,” “clap”) is represented as a character. Ask your kids to follow the “program” precisely during the play-and-pretend game, acting like human robots. Start small, and soon, they’ll be dreaming up their own inventions. 

• DIY cardboard robots: Combine coding with crafting. Have kids build a simple “robot” from cardboard boxes, straws, and bottle caps. Add a cheap motor (like from an old toy) and connect it to a beginner-friendly platform like Scratch (free online). They can program the motor to spin or wiggle, turning their creation into a wobbly, lovable bot. It’s messy, hands-on, and endlessly tweakable. 

4. Exercise kids’ brains by learning something new

Learning a new language doesn’t have to feel like homework. With the right tools, it’s a treasure hunt for words and culture. Apps like VOLT Learning and Duolingo make it fun, especially for kids who love games.

• Duolingo challenges: Duolingo’s bite-sized lessons feel like a mobile game, with rewards and streaks to motivate kids. Pick a language they’re curious about—Spanish, Japanese, or any other language. Set a family challenge: Everyone learns five new words a day, then uses them at dinner.
• Language scavenger hunt: Turn learning into a game by hiding cards with words in a different language. For example, if your kids know Italian, hide sticky notes around the house with words like “porta” (door), “finestra” (window), “stella” (star), “albero” (tree), or “luce” (light). Now ask your kids to find them and practice their pronunciation. And don’t forget to add a prize, like ice cream, cupcakes, or yummy pancakes, for finding them all. It’s active, silly, and sticks in their brains.

Languages open doors to new cultures, and kids soak them up faster than we do. Plus, it’s a skill they’ll thank you for later.

5. Photography and videography

Kids love stories, and photography or videography lets them tell their own. This isn’t about snapping selfies—it’s about capturing the world in a way that sparks their inner Spielberg.

• Mini movie project: Hand your kid a smartphone or digital camera to challenge them to make a one-minute movie. It could be a silent film about their dog, a superhero skit with friends, or a stop-motion movie made with toys. 
• Nature photo quest: Send them outside with a camera and a mission: Find five textures (rough bark, smooth petals) or colours (bright red, deep blue). They’ll start noticing details they’d usually ignore. Print their best shots for a summer scrapbook—a keepsake they’ll treasure.

This activity taps into their curiosity and plants the seed for creative careers like directing or design.

6. Bonus Idea: Stargazing Storytelling by creating Cosmic Adventures

Amaze your kids with an engaging storytelling experience full of magic and lights. Start by turning your backyard or a bedroom into a stargazing storytelling stage, using various props and crafts to spark their imagination and curiosity about astronomy.

• Sky-inspired storyboard: Grab a notebook, some glow-in-the-dark markers (or regular ones if that’s what you’ve got), and a flashlight. Have your kids pick a few stars or constellations—Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper, or just a random cluster that looks cool. Each star becomes a character or place in their story. Maybe it’s a space pirate hiding on a glowing planet or a lost alien searching for home. They sketch a quick storyboard under the stars, then take turns narrating their tale. 
• DIY star projector: For cloudy nights or indoor fun, help them make a star projector. Take an empty tin can, poke holes in the bottom with a hammer and nail (parent supervision, please!), and stick a flashlight inside. Shine it on a wall or ceiling, and you’ll have an instant starry sky! They can tweak the hole patterns to create their “constellations” and use them as prompts for new stories.

This activity of setting up a weekly “stargazing night” with blankets and their favourite snacks not only brings a touch of science, but also allows your kids to learn about stars while dreaming of getting lost in their universe.

Wrapping up: A Summer to Remember

There you go—five (plus one!) summer activities for kids to make this summer unforgettable. Try all these summer fun ideas and surprise your little ones with something new. Do not forget to mention what your favourite idea from this list is. Or do you have a quirky summer activity your kids love?