7 Fun (And Easy) DIY Activities To Keep Your Kids Entertained This Summer

School's out and summer is officially in session! And while we're thrilled that our little ones are getting some much-deserved down time after miraculously surviving a year of hybrid-learning, the summer break can be somewhat daunting as a parent. How on Earth will we fill up all this free time? It's a constant battle (with ourselves and our little ones) not to give way to glowing screens big and small and let Cocomelon or Boss Baby take over. And while naps are highly encouraged, we still want to make sure our kids continue to stay stimulated - while having fun of course.

That's why we're leaning on our friends from The Sitter Club for support. Founded by former nannies Nic Gordon and Sydney Spellacy, The Sitter Club is a babysitter referral service designed to take the stress out of finding sitters in NYC. Needless to say, they're a wealth of information when it comes to creative ways for keeping kids entertained! 

Rainbow Scavenger Hunt

Create a Scavenger Hunt Guide for the kiddos (or let them make it themselves!). The Guide should have a color swatch for each color of the rainbow. Once your Guides are complete, head out to the backyard, neighborhood park, or if it's a rainy day keep it indoors. Have your kiddo collect at least one object to match each color swatch.

Bubble Art

Fill your cups with a bit of bubble solution and add a couple of drops of food coloring. Now, kiddos simply blow the colorful bubbles towards the canvas or paper and let them pop. The results are museum-worthy!

Batting Practice with Water Balloons

Three strikes and you're soaked! Fill up some balloons with water, and have the kids practice their batting skills using the balloons as baseballs. This is a quick and easy way to get the kids outside, having fun, and staying cool!

The Floor is Lava

The original rainy day activity. Create the ultimate obstacle course in your home and don't touch the floors because (duh) the floor is lava! Use furniture, cushions or any fake boulders you have lying around. It's extra fun if the kiddos work together as a team to get from one side of the room to the next.

Sponge Run

Take two buckets and put them on either side of the yard. One bucket is full of water and the other bucket is empty. Kiddos must soak their sponge in the bucket of water, run to the other bucket holding the sponge over their head, and then squeeze out the water in the empty bucket. Continue doing this until the first bucket is empty and the second bucket is full. You could do this as a race or time the kiddos while they work as a team!

Jump Rope Water Challenge

Two people swing the jump rope while the jumper in the middle holds a cup of water and attempts to make it through 3 jumps. Whoever has the most water leftover in their cup after 3 jumps wins!

Ice Excavation

Place a few fun toys or treasures in your bowl or pan and freeze it overnight. (Pro-Tip: freeze your items in layers so they're well dispersed during the excavation process. Start with an inch or two of water with a couple of objects and let it freeze. Then, repeat until it's full.) Once you're ready for the activity, flip your frozen bowl or pan over in your sink and run warm water over it. This will loosen the chunk of ice. Take your ice to your work station and let the excavation begin.

More About The Sitter Club

Looking for more inspiration? Be sure to check out The Sitter Club on Instagram at @thesitterclub. For any Families living in NYC (or planning to visit in the future), they've got you covered with their Top-Notch Fully Vetted Sitters!