Ten Fun Filled Activities for Children to Do This Summer

Kids need to play. They need to play without their Wii, PlayStation, or DS Lite. Kids need to play unplugged and outside. They have a bundle of energy which needs to be released every day. Outdoor play activities will help them increase their creativity, and learn how to settle conflicts. When children stay physically active they are healthier and less prone to child obesity. Best of all kids will have fun.

Following are ten kid fun tested outdoor activities which I have used with my own children and now with my grandchildren and their friends who always ask to come to grandpa's home.

Learn to Ride a Bike

I am surprised at the number of kids who don't know how to ride a bike today. This activity opens up all kinds of adventures for kids.

When you purchase a bike, bring your child to a good bike store for the purchase, not your neighborhood box store. It is very important to have the bike sized properly for your child and then adjusted to your child's height and leg length. Never buy a bike for your child to grow into. A bike which is too large for a child is hard to ride and the child will loose interest after she falls several times.

Make Your Own Soap Bubbles

You don't need an expensive bubble blower with store-bought bubbles. Use this recipe. One cup water, two tablespoons of liquid detergent, one tablespoon of glycerine, ½ teaspoon of sugar. Use a large mixing bowl and pour in all of the ingredients. Next, you place the tip of your forefinger on the tip of your thumb to make the OK sign. Dip your hand into the bubble mix, pull it out and gently blow into the circle. To make larger bubbles take both hands and make a diamond with your forefingers and thumbs.

Four Square

This is a game for four children to play at a time. Make a large square, about 10' by 10' on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. Divide the square into four squares, each about 5' by5'. One child will stand in each square. Using a large ball, as large as a basketball but bigger is better, have one child "serve" the ball into any other square, it must bounce inside the lines. The child in that square will then hit the ball into another square. When playing with more than four children rotate a child in when another child hits the ball outside the square or misses the ball when it is hit to them. A variation can be played by having the kids catch the ball but stay within the square. This works well when you have a really big ball.

Climb a Tree

You don't need the $10,000 climbing apparatus advertised in this month's parent's magazine to satisfy your kids. The old elm tree in the back yard makes a perfect climbing apparatus. Avoid climbing the giant pine since the kids will get covered with tree sap.

Play Tag

There are many variations of this venerable game, and here's two of them. Ragtag. Tear off strips of ragsabout a foot long and have each child put one end in their back waist band with the tail hanging out. The person who is "it" chases those with the rags trying to get the rag. The last person to loose their rag is the person who is "it" next.

Freeze tag. One person is it and when they tag another that child freezes in the position they were tagged in. When all people are frozen, the game starts again with the last person caught being the person who is now "it."

Jump Rope

A child can jump rope by themselves or with a group. When rope jumping with a group the rope turners should hold the rope as if they were drawing a circle on a chalk board. They need to be sure not to pull the "chalk" or rope away which will cause the rope to pop and trip the jumper.

Bug Hunting

The backyard is filled with bugs and kids love to find bugs. Great places to look are under rocks, behind landscape logs, and under shady trees. A plastic mayonnaise jar with a lid made of paper held on with a rubber band makes a good bug carrier.

Play Hopscotch

This is an old favorite which remains a favorite with kids who play the game today. To make a hopscotch court use sidewalk chalk on your driveway. Draw one square about 2'by2' and number it #one. Next draw two squares on top of the first square making a "T," number these squares two and three. Continue to draw squares in this fashion with one square and two above it until you reach # 10. The next and last square will be directly above #10.

To start the game the first player tosses a stone on the first square and then hops over that square and into the next square and each square after that. The player puts only one foot in each square, turning around at the top and returning in the same fashion stopping at the square the stone is in and reaching down to get the stone, again on one foot. The next player throws the stone to the second square and hops along the squares as the first player did picking up the stone and giving it to the third. The game goes on until one player completes the entire cycle. A player is out if they miss a square, use two feet on a square or fail to throw the stone into the correct square.

Water Balloon Catch

Water balloon catch is a perfect activity for hot summer days. The game is easy but produces many laughs and much fun. First you fill up several water balloons, next make two lines using white cord or rope on the grass. The lines should start about five feet apart. The kids on one side will have the balloons and throw them to, not at the kids on the other side. Then those kids throw the balloons back to the kids behind the other line. After they complete a cycle move each line back two feet and start over. A player is out when they miss the balloon and they probably will be wet as well. Keep playing until there is just one player left moving the lines back after each cycle.

Backyard Camp Out

There is no need to drive to a campground or purchase expensive camping equipment. Turn your backyard into a campground and use lawn chairs and old bed sheets for the tents. There are many variations of this activity and it is only limited by the children's imagination. Tents are easily made from putting bed sheets over two lawn chairs, and larger tents can be made by combining sheets and using more lawn chairs. After the tents are pitched have the kids plan a nature hike around the backyard. This activity is good to combine with other backyard activities, using the tents for rest and snack times.