5 Cheap Summer Activities for Kids

School is out, and the kids are bored! They are tired of the same old summertime activities and are looking for something fun and interesting to do. With a little innovation and creativity, these activities can help starve off summer boredom for kids of all ages.

Mud Painting
Fetch those old paintbrushes and the grubby clothes and get ready for a good time! Grab a bucket, some dirt from the back yard, and some water, and get ready to discover your inner Piccaso.

What you will need:
Dirt
Bucket
Paintbrushes
Water

To make the mud paint, mix the dirt with the water in the bucket. Turn the kids loose on the driveway and front walk. Watch the driveway turn into a work of art while the kids have fun and discover their artistic talents. To clean up, simply hose down the driveway. Be sure to have laundry detergent on hand - the kids clothes will probably need to be washed too.

Neighborhood Parade
Get ready for a fun show! This works best if other kids from the neighborhood are recruited to participate - the more, the better. This is an activity that can keep kids happily occupied for hours.

What you will need:
Bike, tricycle, bigwheel, or wagon
Balloons
Streamers
Tape
Other decorations
Poster board or paper
Markers or crayons

Kids can use the markers or crayons to make invitations for their parents and neighbors, announcing their parade. Make them nice, interesting, and decorative, and be sure to include the time and place of your event!

Decorate your bike, bigwheel, scooter, or other transportation with the streamers, balloons, stickers, or whatever is available. Be creative! Have fun, but keep safety in mind as well. You can also make signs for your bike or to carry.

Be sure to be ready when the time comes for the parade. When parents and neighbors arrive, show off your beautiful bikes proudly. Be sure to ride past very slowly, so they can see all of your hard work.

Water Tag
Be prepared to get wet! Swimsuits optional.

What you will need:
Squirt gun
Water
Other kids to play - the more, the better

Fill up the squirt guns with water. Divide up the player into two teams. The team who is "it" gets to carry the squirt guns. Define the game boundaries (can be the edge of the yard, the street, or the block, depending on the ages of the kids).

The team who is "it" must count with their eyes closed to allow the other team to escape. When the countdown is finished, they run after the escaped team. Squirt the other team members with the water - if they get wet, they are out. When everyone on the team has been caught, switch roles.

Octopus
Another version of tag, this game can keep younger kids having fun for quite a while.

What you will need:
A place outside to play
Other kids

Choose a person to be the octopus. This person stands in the middle of the yard, while everyone else lines up on one side. The octopus says "Mike, Mike (or whatever name), swim across the ocean!"

Mike will then run across the yard, and the octopus tries to tag him. If Mike is able to reach the other side of the yard without being tagged, he is a winner! If he gets tagged, he becomes frozen at the place where he was caught and must stay there, becoming an obstacle for the other swimmers.

After all friends have tried to swim across the ocean, it is someone else's turn to be the octopus.

Water Statues
This game can help make playing in the sprinkler more lively. Again, swimsuits are optional.

What you will need:
A warm day
Hose or sprinkler
Music

One person is the music keeper and should be away from the wet area. This person will play the music, occasionally stopping it (similar to musical chairs).

When the music is playing, dance and run through the sprinkler. When the music stops, you have to freeze like a statue. If you happen to be under the sprinkler, you have to stay there until the music starts again, and hope that the music keeper has mercy on you! Don't forget to take turns being the music keeper so everyone can join in the sprinkler fun.

These activities can be altered to suit kids of all ages, including toddlers. Other boredom-busters can be found by clicking the link. There are many ideas for keeping kids entertained this summer, so when you hear those dreaded words, "Mom, I'm bored....", you will be ready with a fun solution.