42 inspired ideas for family fun this summer

There are 42 days of summer to fill with family fun. Does that statement fill you with fear or excitement? We’ve gathered 42 of the top tips for fun family summer activities you may not have thought of — suggested by BritMums bloggers — to make your summer more fun than ever.

The tips have come out of our #Sweeet Twitter party, sponsored by McVitie’s BN Biscuits. The deliciously cheeky wink of the McVitie’s BN biscuit is sure to make you and your kids smile; and are a great snacking treat for all the family!

So get started with the activities and a jump on summer fun!

Different ways to get active

1. Make a fun assault course in the garden with household items – teaches planning & gets them active pic.twitter.com/0E2zKAS2GE@MSEDollyp @happyhooe

2. Teach your children cartwheels and handstands @domesticgoddesq

3. Superheroes day – learning new skills and doing good deeds @zoecampbellyork

4. Hoping my kids are inspired by #Commonwealth Games & we can have a mini Commonwealth Garden Games @mia_low

Liven up your daily walk

5. We have ‘venture walks -we take a picnic map.compass and walk in the sand dunes or woods near us spotting wildlife etc @anona_mai77

6. Take a container on any walks with your toddler and fill it with interesting items they find – pine cones, leaves, twigs etc. @Lauraevelynbee

A twist on the usual arts & crafts

7. Visit the local recycling/junk centre to collect resources to use for a week’s worth of crafting activities @playfullearners

8. Message in a bottle or on a balloon. Also a memory capsule and dig up next year to see how they have changed @bev_metallica

9. Use washing-up liquid bottles filled with water to write names on the patio. When it dries, they write something else @LisaGCreates

10. Make boats from recycled materials: float in bathtub, paddling pool, pond, lake or sea! @domesticgoddesq

11. Making trains and fire engines out of cardboard boxes and sticky tape @OriginalRuffy

12. Mini marshmallows and a pack of toothpicks. Build 3D structures. Eat marshmallows. @domesticgoddesq

Food and drink

13. My daughter loves to make mocktails in the garden. Just need juice, toothpick umbrellas and straws @jhowze

14. Make fridge cake – great for kids, no ovens @needaphone

15. When the weather’s not great, baking provides plenty of fun. Making our “ice cream” cupcakes. http://t.co/He3infdF9A @lynette83x

16. Picking strawberries and other soft fruit is perfect! @Bakingqueen7

Traditional and fun

17. Build a good old-fashioned Go-Kart. Tonnes of fun @grinnerlynn

18. We always make a scrapbook for the first and last days of holidays — great to read years later @SammieJay0906

19. I remember pressing flowers during the summer as a child @TiredMummyofTwo

20. We enjoy making kites and flying them on a windy day @not_the-Gumdrop

21. If mine say ‘I’m bored’ they pick from our Bored Jar — could be a trip to the park, could be tidy their room! @pipersky1

Activities to help them learn

22. Pick a country and learn about it, eat their food, learn simple words and dress up @zoecampbellyork

23. Paddling pool day 2 > less water and make it into dino world..depending on child age add twigs sand etc @goriami

24. I love rock pooling with the kids at the seafront, finding new and cool creatures to introduce them to @Baillie_MyLife

25. We are growing cress initials. Educational too. @Ollieandleila

26. Exploring museums. Many are free and the kids learn so much and come out with crazy facts months later @zoecampbellyork

27. Get 4-12 year olds to join the local library’s Mythical Maze Summer Reading Challenge. Free  educational and freebies @alohavic70

Rainy days

28. Charity shops are great for rainy days. I get bags full of jigsaws and game for very little money for my 5 year old @emmasfabulous

29. Mum and daughter spa day at home @AModernMother

30. Face painting as a rainy day activity is always popular. Don’t forget to look at online tutorials to help you achieve @not_the_gumdrop

31. Pyjama day at the end of the holidays to relax and regroup. Eat cereal, fruit, biscuits, watch films, do nothing @bev_metallica

Animal magic

32. Make bird food cakes – bacon fat, lard, seed, breadcrumbs, corflakes etc. Hang them up and see if you get any takers. @bev_metallica

33. We hunt for snails, spiders and ladybirds in the garden @vaichin

Fun for older children

34. Older children are harder to keep happy – pay them for jobs like car cleaning so they have money and keep busy and useful @emmasfabulous

35. If you can’t unglue kids from a smartphone then get them outside with free wildlife apps for counting butterflies  bees…  @BabyRoutes

36.  Ghost hunting is always fun (for older kids and if you’re sure your kids can handle it!) @bev_metallica

Fun to organise in advance

37. I really want to make an outdoor “drive in” cinema with a DIY movie screen & projector! @cafebebe

38. We will be theming our weeks to play at home such as spy week or camping week. Great budget fun. @playfullearners

39. Camping is a summer must. If not out in the wild then camping in the back garden is just as fun @BabyRoutes

40. Kids get bored with their toys/DVDs halfway through the holidays. Have a toy swap party and get something new for nothing @Abipotimous

41. Out of place treasure hunt and who can find the most things out of place and put them away. Socks, toys etc. Prize for the winner @bev_metallica

42. On the 1st day of the holidays, we decorate, plant pots with shells, beads and paint and plant a sunflower. Last day – wow! @zoecampbellyork

 

Got other great tips for summer fun? Comment below or tweet them to us on @BritMums!