ParentCalc · Welcome
The Long Summer
Survival Kit.
100 free things to do with kids this summer.
No screens. No spending. Print it; stick it on the fridge.
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Hi, and welcome.
You found this list because summer is long and your kids are home and you needed a hand. Same. We made this for you.
Print this kit. Cross things off as you do them. Circle the ones the kids loved. Lose it under the fridge.
Mix by age
Toddler, kid, tween, pick the band that fits and steal from the others.
Mix by time
Five-minute saves for meltdowns; all-day ideas for the long Tuesdays.
Bookmark the freebies
The last list (Free & Bookmark-Worthy) is the cheat code, every parent should have it.
Toddler · Ages 1–3
Outdoors
№ 01–10- 01Bubble blowing in the front yard.
- 02Bare-feet grass walks (call it "the silly path").
- 03Kiddie pool with measuring cups and a wooden spoon.
- 04Sidewalk chalk, drawing the sidewalk green.
- 05Watering the plants with their own little can.
- 06Nature collection walk: rocks, leaves, sticks, one acorn.
- 07Wagon rides around the block, narrated.
- 08Sprinkler runs in swimsuits.
- 09Backyard hide-and-seek with one chair as the hiding spot.
- 10Painting pebbles for a "garden gallery."
Indoors
№ 11–20- 11Pillow-fort, lights off, flashlights on.
- 12Sock-match game: dump the laundry basket and pair them.
- 13Tape "highway" on the floor with painter's tape and toy cars.
- 14Sensory bin: rice or dried beans + kitchen tools.
- 15Dance party to one whole song, full effort.
- 16Mirror-faces: silliest face wins.
- 17Sticker book or sticker-on-paper free play.
- 18Bathtub "soup" with cups, pots, and warm water.
- 19Paper-bag puppets with markers.
- 20Empty cardboard box becomes a car, a boat, a cave.
Kid · Ages 4–9
Outdoors
№ 21–35- 21Backyard scavenger hunt, give them a list of 8 things.
- 22Kite-flying at the park (a $4 kite from anywhere works).
- 23Bug observation jar, watch one bug, then release.
- 24Garden plot of their own, even one tomato plant counts.
- 25Cloud-shape spotting on a blanket. Bring snacks.
- 26Driveway chalk obstacle course on bikes/scooters.
- 27Run a lemonade stand. Let them keep the cash.
- 28Jump-rope contest. Time each round.
- 29Hopscotch in chalk.
- 30Sponge-tag (water tag with kitchen sponges) on a hot day.
- 31Frisbee at the park.
- 32Plant a sunflower seed. Track its height each week.
- 33Sunset-watching picnic, bedtime gets soft.
- 34Find a free splash pad day in your city's parks calendar.
- 35Outdoor sketching: one tree, one hour, one pencil.
Indoors
№ 36–50- 36Bake one batch of cookies from a kid cookbook.
- 37Stuffed-animal puppet show with a curtain made of a bedsheet.
- 38Shadow drawing, trace toy shadows in afternoon light.
- 39Vinegar-and-baking-soda volcano in the kitchen sink.
- 40Paper-airplane competition (distance + style + crash).
- 41Reading-fort: pile of pillows + 3 picture books, no other plan.
- 42Family talent show after dinner.
- 43Drawing the family pet (or a pretend one).
- 44LEGO challenge: "build a house in 10 minutes."
- 45Color scavenger hunt: find one thing of each rainbow color.
- 46Make a "newspaper" of family events. Print it. Mail to grandparents.
- 47Listen to one new song together. Vote thumbs up or down.
- 48Rainbow snack: pick a fruit per color, eat the rainbow.
- 49Make a homemade time capsule. Bury or stash for one year.
- 50Pull out a board game from the back of the closet.
Car & errands
№ 51–55- 51License-plate state count.
- 5220 questions.
- 53I-spy.
- 54Audio kids' podcast: Wow in the World, Brains On!, Smash Boom Best.
- 55Story prompt: "We saw a dog in a hat and then…"
Tween · Ages 10–13
Outdoors
№ 56–65- 56Map their own neighborhood on paper, walking tour.
- 57Solo bike route with one checkpoint and one phone check-in.
- 58Fishing at a stocked pond, kids under 16 fish free in most states.
- 59Disc golf, most public courses are free.
- 60Sunrise hike on an easy local trail. 7am, then breakfast.
- 61Skate-park practice. No lessons needed; bring a friend.
- 62Outdoor sketching: one tree, one hour, one pencil.
- 63Wash the family car together. Pay them in popsicles.
- 64Plant a vegetable garden patch they own.
- 65Stargazing with a free app like Sky View. Lay on the driveway.
Indoors
№ 66–75- 66Build a personal website on a free platform (Carrd, Glitch).
- 67Learn basic chess from a library book + free app.
- 68Cook a full dinner, kid-led, parent-supervised. Photo the plate.
- 69Photo essay: 12 photos, one theme. Parent picks the winner.
- 70Library card scavenger hunt, find one book of each Dewey decimal.
- 71Volunteer to organize one closet. Pay by item count.
- 72Write a short story with dialogue.
- 73Coding tutorial on Scratch. One project, 90 minutes.
- 74Documentary night: Planet Earth, Chef's Table, Our Universe.
- 75Sibling-and-parent book club: same book, weekly chat.
Any age · For when it gets hard
Five-minute saves
№ 76–85- 76"Find me 3 things that are blue."
- 77Sing one song together at full volume.
- 78Tickle freeze-tag. 90 seconds.
- 79Smell game: close eyes, identify pantry smells.
- 80Animal walk to the bathroom, crab walk, bear crawl, bunny hop.
- 81Story round-robin: each person adds one sentence.
- 82Two-minute stretching break. Yoga poses by name.
- 83Drawing race: silliest cat in 60 seconds.
- 84Mirror game: copy each other's faces for 30 seconds.
- 85Whisper a secret joke.
All-day ideas
№ 86–95- 86Backyard camping. One tent, one night, marshmallows.
- 87Library day. Three hours, no agenda.
- 88Free zoo / aquarium days, most cities have at least one a year.
- 89State park day. Often free entry, $5 parking.
- 90Family museum day. Most have free Wednesdays or Sundays.
- 91Beach day with no agenda.
- 92Pick-your-own farm.
- 93Local festival or street fair. Bring water and small bills.
- 94Free outdoor concert, most cities have a summer series.
- 95Public-pool morning + library afternoon.
Free & bookmark-worthy
№ 96–100- 96Local library kids' calendar, google "[your city] library summer events."
- 97NPS "Every Kid Outdoors" pass, free for 4th graders nationwide.
- 98NPS free entrance days, 5–6 fee-free dates per year.
- 99ASTC reciprocal program, your zoo or science museum membership often unlocks 300+ others nationally.
- 100Public-pool open-swim hours, most cities have $1 or free family swim days.
Send to a friend
Know another parent staring down a long summer? Send them this kit.
Made with care by Cozy River Studios. Set in love and small useful things.
