Summer is in full swing, and I’m here with 31 ideas to keep boredom at bay and invite connection with your kids.

1. Playing with sand is always a fun summer activity. A sandbox is a great way to keep children entertained. You can get covered sandboxes or buy a child’s tent and fill with play sand. It keeps them cool in the shade and you can zip it up to keep critters out. Brilliant!

2. While you’re in the sandbox, use a bit of food coloring to decorate your castles and shapes! Art mixed with play!

3. Make a fireworks craft for Independence Day, like this glitter and glue fireworks picture from Family Crafts.

4. Try one of these great Fourth of July crafts!

5. Take books to the park and read under a shade tree.

6. Make these homemade gigantic bubbles from Happy Hooligans!

7. Try a new sport, like volleyball or tennis.

8. Have a clothesline art show like this one from Family Education.

9. Go old school and just dig in the dirt or make mud pies. Decorate them with flowers!

10. Take binoculars on a hike to watch the wildlife.

11. Grab some old kids’ clothes and sidewalk chalk. Draw people with the chalk and use them as “paper dolls.” Dress them up with the clothes!

12. Fill squirt guns with colored water and make squirt gun art. Aim at a white poster board!

13. Make colored ice blocks to build with. Try these from Where Imagination Grows.

14. Super hot day? Choose one of these ice or water activities.

15. Make a car wash for toy cars. Just fill a bin with soapy water, add in toy cars (or small animal toys) and a sponge plus a scoop.

More summer activities continued on next page...