101 Free Ways to Have Fun This Summer! 

Summer is here and school is out, which means more amazing time with your kids. Taking part in fun activities with kids can unfortunately be expensive. As a tuition-free virtual school, Optima Academy online appreciates experiences that are unmatched in enjoyment and quality but will not break the bank. In honor of making memories this summer, we have compiled a list of 101 completely free activities for your family to enjoy and specific details on how to participate in some of them below! 

1. Butterfly catch and release 

1. Go swimming 

1. Make a summer bucket list 

1. At-home bake-off 

1. Themed dinner 

1. Read as a family  

1. Bike ride  

1. Volunteer 

1. Go on a picnic 

1. Write “halfway there” letters to Santa 

1. Visit a park 

1. Try a meal you have never made before 

1. Build a cardboard village 

1. Make a fairy garden  

1. Listen to a new song you have never heard every day 

1. Nature journaling  

1. Toad/frog catch and release 

1. Take shelter dogs on walks 

1. Make a midwestern salad (look them up, they are delicious) 

1. Go to a free museum 

1. Make a pizza from scratch 

1. Visit the prettiest building in your town and learn about it 

1. Take part in local free events thrown by libraries and historical societies 

1. Go fishing 

1. Go foraging 

1. Try geocaching 

1. Read the book and then watch the movie 

1. Visit a local historical home 

1. Go fossil hunting 

1. Try a new sport 

1. Go to a local farm and ask to pet their animals 

1. Make summer camp bracelets 

1. Have a contest to see who can make the best s’more 

1. Turn over rocks to see who can find the coolest creature 

1. Write a thank you letter to someone who would appreciate it 

1. Make a Rube Goldberg machine 

1. Create your own board game 

1. Give presentations on silly topics and use presentation slides 

1. Learn a new language and try using it at a restaurant of that linguistic culture 

1. Find an animal (bird, insect, reptile, etc.) outside and use your resources to identify it 

1. Make an art piece 

1. Go to a public place and write a poem about your experiences 

1. Have a tea party 

1. Play chess outdoors 

1. Go to a local makerspace 

1. Have a lemonade stand and leave out a tip jar (check your local codes and ordinances) 

1. Go to the farmer’s market 

1. Go to the local playground 

1. Grow a plant 

1. Make a dandelion salad 

1. Skip rocks 

1. See what free items you can flip or enjoy on Facebook Marketplace 

1. Pick a wild bouquet 

1. Make a dandelion or daisy chain/crown 

1. Paint rocks  

1. Make chalk drawings 

1. Scavenger hunt 

1. Look up and sing jump rope rhymes 

1. Make an obstacle course 

1. Play “Grounders” 

1. Snail racing 

1. Board game Olympics 

1. Make up a family dance or handshake 

1. Go to the beach and have a contest to find the best shell 

1. Couch fort 

1. Visit a yard/park free library  

1. Go for a drive just to play car games 

1. Ride bikes/scooters 

1. Make the food you have always wanted from a movie 

1. Charades 

1. Have a lip synch-battle 

1. Host a fashion show 

1. Have a drive-in movie night at home 

1. Play sardines  

1. Bake cookies for the neighbors 

1. Visit the local nursing home  

1. Visit the state capitol 

1. Make a compost bin 

1. Visit your local hardware store and pick up paint chips for crafts 

1. Hoola-hooping contest 

1. Make origami 

1. Make a collage or scrapbook 

1. Make a self-portrait 

1. Make homemade ice-cream 

1. Bird watching 

1. Do carpool karaoke 

1. Learn how to do a cartwheel 

1. Tie-dye something 

1. Hold a craft competition  

1. Write a song 

1. Make a vinegar and baking soda volcano 

1. Build a sandcastle or sand sculpture 

1. Plan a surprise for someone you love 

1. Look through old family recordings 

1. Do some family genealogy research 

1. Learn magic tricks and host a magic show 

1. Draw a made-up animal and name it! 

1. Go on a hike 

1. Play Splish, Splish, Splash 

1. Shadow a job that sounds fun 

1. Host an awards show for your friends and family while giving them hand-made custom awards. 

Nature journaling 

Nature Journaling is a wonderful way to get in touch with the outdoors while you keep a dynamic journal detailing your experiences with your environment. Nature journaling can include poetry, taping objects inside your journal (dead leaves, flower petals, etc.), writing about how your senses interact with the natural environment, or simply drawing. 

“Grounders” 

“Grounders” is a fantastic game with elements of tag and playing on the playground. It is fun for the whole family, no matter what age the players are. How to play: Everyone must gather around a playground. One person is the “grounder.” This person walks around the play set with their eyes closed and tries to tag other players both on and off the playground. The other players must carefully and quietly sneak on or around the playground so as not to get the grounder’s attention. If the grounder tags anyone, that person becomes the grounder instead. Players can also become the grounder if the grounder yells “grounders!” while someone is on the ground (and not the play set). 

A Drive-In Movie Night at Home 

A drive-in movie night at home is a fantastic way to make memories! Each person at the “drive-in” takes a large cardboard box (you can get them for free if you ask for boxes from the recycling bins of your local hardware store) and decorates it as though it would be their real car. This craft can be as detailed or as simple as the participants want it to be. When the “cars” are done, everyone can “park” their cars in front of the TV. Fill the cars with blankets, pillows, popcorn, and candy, then turn on a movie for an authentic experience. 

Your Library and Historical Society 

Libraries often host fun events for kids and parents alike as well as your local historical society. You can find events on their websites or usually on community Facebook pages as well. Did you also know that you can visit places such as the zoo or museum for free by checking out passes at your library? See what neat opportunities are available by calling or visiting your local library and asking about events and passes.  

Sardines 

Sardines is a hilarious game and is made even better when more people participate. Think about a funnier version of hide-and-seek. Here is how to play: one person hides and everyone else seeks. When one of the seekers finds “the hider,” they too must hide in the same location. As more people find the hider, the players become more packed into the space like sardines! The last seeker to find the group becomes the hider in the next round.  

Family Genealogy Research 

Family genealogy research is a fun and informative way to see your family’s history. This can be done through familial bookkeeping, ancestry research, seeing when your family may have immigrated to the United States, or simply looking up the root of your family name. There are so many ways to dive into your history, and you get to feel like you are solving mysteries as you venture through your own bloodline and culture! 

Splish, Splish, Splash 

Splish, Splish, Splash is a great alternative to Duck, Duck, Goose that keeps players cool in the summer heat! Have the players sit in a circle. Fill up a bucket of water. The person who is “the splasher” walks around the circle dripping a little bit of water from the bucket while saying “drip,” as they pour drops of water onto each player’s head. When the splasher tips the entire bucket onto another player’s head, the player with the bucket shouts “splash,” and the splashed player chases the splasher around the circle. If the splashed player tags the splasher before the splasher takes their victim’s spot in the circle, the splasher is it again. If the splashed player does not tag them before the splasher reaches the open spot in the circle, the splashed player is next to hold the bucket. 

Let’s Make Memories! 

Summer is an amazing time to form priceless memories with those you love. Parents and kids alike can build meaningful relationships and create snapshots of their lives through the experiences they have. The best experiences can be completely free, and these boredom busters are sure to build character, interests, and create core memories for families of all ages and sizes!  

 

Please participate in the activities above with adult supervision and at your own risk.