5 Awesome Summer Activities & Outdoor Adventures for Toddlers

Check out these five awesome summer activities and outdoor adventures that will keep your toddler delighted—and big kids too! 

Need more ideas? Check out The Ultimate Better Mom Guide to a Fun and Stress-Free Summer With Kids!

Summer is coming and that means a lot of fun for the whole family, but it can also mean long days where kids get especially fussy. Raising four sons that range from four years old to fourteen hasn’t always been easy, especially in the summer when everyone wants to be entertained. When they come to me with that bored look on their faces, I often begin with encouraging them to use their imaginations (like WE all used to do before technology exploded) and to play outside. Still, it’s good to be armed with options when summer days get long.

As a mom who wants to keep all her kids off screens and outside as much as possible, these 5 awesome summer activities and outdoor adventures for toddlers will please not only your little ones but any big siblings as well! 

1. Water Balloon Toss
   There’s nothing like the thrill of lining up across from your toddler and gently tossing them a balloon filled with water. And vice versa! After a few tries, gradually see if you can take one step further away from each other to increase the challenge! 

2. Make Edible Sand
   I know. I can feel the grit in my teeth too. But this sand won’t leave a bad taste in your toddler’s mouth. Mix together 1 part coconut oil with 8 parts graham crackers and let your kiddo fulfill all their tactile needs with this fun--and yummy--activity. They can make shapes and squish them between their satisfied little hands and it won’t hurt if they take a taste! 

3. Stick Hunt Art

   My son loves to go on a walk with me to find sticks and twigs and interesting leaves. Take your toddler out and about on a hunt for items you can bring home and then glue them to some construction paper to make a piece of original art!

4. Create A Space Station
   Use a large empty box (or several) to create a spaceship, space station, fire station, or other types of real-world location that fascinates your child. Cut holes, make doorways, and use crayons to make it come to life for hours of fun playtime indoors or out!

5. Make Bible Verse Memory Cards
   Learning Bible verses doesn’t have to be hard or boring. Letting your child draw a picture of the lesson or images from the verse on a whiteboard or on a piece of paper can bring the Scriptures to life! Verses like Genesis 1:1 are a perfect fit for this activity: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (NIV) Bonus points if you use finger paint or even use sidewalk chalk for an outdoor display!

When boredom strikes, we can all get cranky. Being prepared ahead of time with awesome activities will help all of us have a lot more fun and enjoy not only the summer season but this sweet season of toddlerhood.

Looking for Other Fun and Free Ways to Connect with Your Kids This Summer?

Check out these popular posts from The Better Mom to help you have the best summer with your kids!

1. 50 Summer Bucket List Ideas for Kids: In this post, you will find 50 ideas to have the best summer ever with your kids. Cut out the options and put them in a bucket and pull out one each day. Or pick your top ten favorite things to do before summer ends. Be diligent to use these ideas to connect with God in nature and connect with friends and family. As you do you're creating wonderful summer memories!

2. 5 Screen-Free Summer Activities: If you are struggling to peel the iPad out of little hands or encourage your kids to play outside instead of on the Playstation, this post will give you fun and easy ways to encourage a screen-free summer! 

3. 5 Practical Ways to Serve with Your Kids This Summer: While summer is a wonderful time to slow down and soak up family time, it’s also a great opportunity to look around and see how we might bless and serve others. Here are five practical ways to bring our children alongside us as we seek to love and serve this summer.

4. 100+ Ideas for Free and Frugal Summer Fun: I'm sure you have wonderful plans to make extraordinary family memories in the coming months. The Better Mom wants to make these upcoming months a breeze for you and your family. In this post, you will find a go-to list of free and frugal Summer fun ideas.