49 Vacation Activities For Students In Summer

Summer vacation is around the corner (since may have started!), and kids are itching to be let out from their metaphorical cage to let loose and have fun. But as you very well know, those whole days of doing nothing will quickly land a bored kid in your hands. Now whether a work-from-home parent or a stay-at-home or even work outside, you need practical ideas to keep your kid occupied. Otherwise, there may be too much screen time which is not healthy for them. Therefore we have made a list of summer vacation activities for kids that will keep them busy during the break.

Students of all ages can try many of the summer vacation activities listed below. The whole family can join in to have fun. Some of the activities require going out. Some vacation activities are for students at home. You can make a bucket list with your child of the things they want to try. You must help plan it accordingly for each week.

At Tickle Right, make sure that your child gets to have the fun of summers while also getting the right environment for their nourishing growth. Check out our right brain development program for your little one.

Fun Summer Vacation Activities For Kids

Summer is the season of fun. There are a lot of outdoor and indoor activities that kids can take up during the summer to elevate their boredom.

 

1. Have Fun With Nature – Nature-Based Activities For Kids

Nature activities for students are a great way to spend their vacation learning about and spending time with nature.

Plant A Veggie Garden

Gardening is beneficial for kids to know as it helps children come closer to nature. You can plant different types of vegetables or herbs in your garden if you have one or plant something in plastic jars, old boots, or anything available. Gardening will help students improve their locomotive skills. Watering plants will help them learn about plant growth.

 

Find Shapes In Clouds

An activity that requires nothing except staring at the sky. Nowadays, a lot of time of students is spent staring at various screens for studying or entertainment. So this is a good activity for students to participate in. They can relax, exercise their imagination, and just talk about what they see in the clouds.

 

Make A Bird Feeder

This is a good activity for kids to indulge in as they can learn about different birds while also helping them. There are several websites that show you how to make a cheap, do-it-yourself bird feeder. You can remind the kids to put out a bowl of water too for the birds and keep refilling it. 

 

Go Bird Watching

This is a good way to learn about various local birds for kids. You can take a pair of binoculars and go bird spotting. Visit your local library or bookshop to pick up a book on the local birds. Students can learn to identify different birds, the differences between them, their calls, their habits, and their habitats.

 

Go On A Leaf Hunt

This activity is the same as going bird spotting except with leaves. Students can go and pick different leaves from trees. They could draw them in their notebooks, note down the lengths of leaves, draw their shape, spot the differences in color, and other such information. In this way, they could learn about the local plants and foliage.   

 

Gaze At The Stars

Stargazing is one of the oldest ways to spend time. There are many telescopes available in the market that are specially designed for kids and might be in your budget range. You can pick up an astronomy book from the local library and look up the constellations in the sky. There are many stories also attached to each constellation, and kids could learn about them too.

 

Plant A Butterfly Garden

A butterfly garden is different from a regular garden. Butterflies need a specific type of habitat that would encourage their growth and lifecycle. There are specific steps that you would need to look up to create a wildlife habitat in your backyard. But this would be a good opportunity for kids to learn about beautiful butterflies.

 

2. Take A Day Trip! – Outdoor Activities For Kids

Summer is a season of going out, exploring, and having fun. There are several activities with which you and your family can have a day of fun. 

Go On A Picnic

There is nothing like packing a picnic and going outside to eat. You could look for picnic spots with good scenery to enjoy. Otherwise, you could even make a trip to a nearby park where the kids can play some games like frisbee or ball and eat too.

 

Road Trip To A Nearby City

Nothing is exciting like a road trip. Generally, we take long road trips of at least 2-3 days, but it doesn’t have to be so. You could go and explore a nearby city with your kids. There are usually lots of local attractions that can be explored in a day’s trip.

 

Explore The Unknown Parts Of Your City

Instead of going to another city, you could just explore your own city with your kids. Take a map and explore roads and areas that you have never visited before. Sometimes there are many hidden gems that we never see because we don’t explore the town we live in.

 

Go To A Nearby Fair or Market

There is always a fair or mela happening in the city that you can take your kids to explore. If nothing else, go to the market to explore different shops or try food that your kids haven’t tried before. It could be an activity that the family can do together.

 

Plan A Biking Trip

The whole family could go on a biking trip together. Plan out a route that you think that your kids can manage and take out your bikes for a ride. Remember to plan for plenty of stops and take a water bottle with you. 

 

Tour A Factory

There are usually many factories in the town that the kids would enjoy visiting. Generally, schools take students on a factory trip, but there is no reason that you can’t do that. The kids will also learn how things get manufactured.

 

Go On A Drive To Nowhere

If all the above activities sound like too much work, then just take a drive to nowhere! There doesn’t always have to be a destination in mind. Just take your kids and go on a long drive. It would be relaxing for the kids and you both.

 

3. Tease The Brain – Brain Games For Kids

Are your kids feeling bored in the summer? Well, below, there are several activities to do in summer vacation that will give your kids a good mental run around.

Do Puzzles And Brain Teasers

You can find a book on puzzles for kids to puzzle their brains over. There are many brain teaser games available for kids to play online or just available in the market. Kids can compete with each other to see who solves the most puzzles.

 

Read A Chapter Out Loud

Reading is one of the best age-old activities for students of all ages. Pick up an interesting, age-appropriate for kids. They can either read it on their own or read it out loud as they feel best. This way, they can improve their vocab and speaking skills too.

 

Master A New Skill

Summer is one of the best times to learn a new skill. It could be sewing, hula hooping, juggling, or anything. A two-month vacation is generally a good enough time to get moderately good at something.

 

Write And Illustrate A Comic Book

Students can pick up a project of making a comic book during their vacation. They can come up with a story idea (or pick a well-known story), write the dialogue, and draw the panels that would go in the story. It would make them feel accomplished to know they have illustrated a comic book of their own.

 

Do A Science Project

There are several easy science projects that you can look up on the internet and do at home. Many science projects do not even require special equipment to do. Additionally, it would foster a scientific spirit in students to experiment. They can make observations and record the results. And in the process, maybe learn that science is fun!

 

Document Your Family History

Children can learn about the family history by asking various family members questions about their life and writing the answers down. There are several skills involved in this. Kids would learn to ask questions, listen well, and write down coherently what they have heard. This way, they will learn more about the family too!

 

Ten Questions With States

This activity would be a good way to strengthen the geography of students. You have to guess the name of the state in ten questions. For example, Is this state in the north of India? Does its border touch Nepal? Is tea grown there? You could play this game while traveling with school students of all ages.

 

4. Foster An Artistic Spirit – Art/Craft Activities For Kids

There are many arts and crafts activities that kids can participate in. This would build their creative skills too. Some of these activities have been listed below:

Paint With Marbles

Children can take marbles and coat them in different colored posters or tempera paints. Then they can roll those marbles around on the canvas. If the kid is a preschooler or below eight years of age, put the canvas in a box. Then the child can put the paint-coated marble in the box and just shake it around. 

 

Wall Chalk Murals

Honestly, every kid would rather draw on a wall than on a mundane surface like canvas. Instead of them scribbling on walls with pens or paints, you can compromise and let them do it with chalk. Chalk washes off easily from walls so they can draw chalk murals on the walls. Let them do it on the outside walls than the living room so it will be easy to wash off.

 

Paint A Rock

Rock or pebble collecting is a hobby of many children. They can take it further by washing and painting them. Now you can display those rocks proudly in your living room as an ornament made by your kid. It could also be given as gifts to your relatives.

 

Make Music

Did you know you can make your own instruments? Let the children look up how to make one on the internet and try their hand at making a musical instrument. They can learn to play it, and you could record their musical recreations.

 

Press Leaves And Flowers

One way to mix nature and art is to collect leaves and flowers of all shapes and sizes. You can dry and preserve them in scrapbooks. There is a specific method to preserve leaves and flowers that you can look up online. 

 

Put A Performance

The children can potentially write and perform their own play. It would help them in developing skills like writing and speaking in front of an audience. It doesn’t have to be a drama. It can be a dance performance too.

 

Newspaper Crafts

Rather than buying expensive craft materials for the kids, you could recycle old newspapers to make things. There are a ton of craft activities available online that can be done with just newspaper, glue, and scissors.

 

5. Take It Outside – Physical Activities For Kids

Sometimes you just need the kids outside and out of your hair. Here are a couple of activities that will get the kids out of your way for a couple of hours.

Compete With Spinning Tops

One of the most typical Indian games that would leave you nostalgic too. There might be an issue with finding the equipment, but you can try finding it in old city shops or online. Then you can also compete with your kids to see whose top spins the longest.

 

Blow Bubbles

Bubble blowing is a fun activity that kids of all ages can do. All the materials needed can be made at home. After that, the kids can be let loose outside to blow the biggest bubbles they can to their heart’s content.

 

Build An Obstacle Race

Children can build their own obstacle course with various objects. Then they can compete with each other to see who clears the course the fastest or who has the clearest run. It will be their own mini-triathlon.

 

Go Kite Flying

Why wait for Uttarayan to fly kites. Any windy day would be a good day for the kids to go kite flying. The end days of summer have many such days because of the approaching monsoon. It would be a good way to spend a few hours outside. 

 

Have A Hula Hooping Contest

Hula hooping is a fun game to play that a kid of any age can play. It is a good way to exercise too. Even you can join in and see whether you can hula longer than your kids or not.

 

Play Bull’s Eye

Draw concentric circles on the ground of different radii in the shape of a target. Take a couple of sponges or bottle caps (so the kids don’t hurt themselves) and aim them for the innermost circle. Keep score and have fun!

 

Have A Car Wash

This activity is good for keeping the kids busy for a morning or afternoon while your car gets washed too. They will have fun playing in the water and soap. If you don’t mind getting wet, you can also join in and have some fun.

 

6. Make It Friendly – Social Activities For Kids

Summer is the time to spend with friends and playing around. While there are many games they can play outside, we have listed a few they can play inside too.

Organize A Treasure Hunt

If you don’t mind the house turning a bit upside down, you can organize a treasure hunt. Hide some objects around the house and then draw a treasure map with clues for the kids to hunt down. It is a good activity to do with friends.

 

Playing Board Games

There are innumerable board games that are available in the market to play with friends. If you don’t want to buy one, then you can make one. There will be several websites that will tell you how to do it. 

 

Indoor Bowling Track

Lay down a cardboard box on a flat surface. Use erasers or fat crayon stubs as bowling pins. Take a ping pong ball or marbles as the bowling bowl. Voila! You have your own indoor bowling track. 

 

Car Racing Track

This one is a fun activity to do with friends. Use scotch tape to lay down a zig-zag car track on the floor. Now kids can zoom their car on this track and compete for the best score or the cleanest run. 

 

Watch Movies Together

Sometimes it is good to do the usual. Gather the whole family together for a night of movies, snacks, and fun. The summer vacation is for kids, but that doesn’t mean you can’t join for a night of fun or two.

 

Sleepover With Friends

You can let the kids invite their friends for a sleepover. They can stay up for a night, watch movies, play games, eat snacks, and have fun. After all, summer vacation is the time to sleep in late and wake up late.

 

Room Cleaning Race

Take a timer and time the kids for specific cleaning or organizing tasks. Can they put the toys back in 5 minutes? Can all the shoes lying around be arranged on the shoe rack in 2 minutes? Remember to have a reward ready for when the timer bell sounds.

 

7. Fun With Food – Food-Related Activities For Kids

Which kid doesn’t love food? You can always keep your child busy by involving them in or around the kitchen. If you are uncomfortable allowing them to cook just yet, no worries, we have got you covered with other activities.

Make Lemonades 

Making lemonade is a safe and fun activity to do that does not involve any burners or knives. Also, everyone loves a good lemonade to cool down in the summer heat. Just make sure that you keep an eye out for the amount of salt or sugar they add to the water. 

 

Describe Food Like A Chef

We all love to watch food shows. Notice how the judge always describes the food even before tasting it. Challenge your kid to notice the details of the food they are supposed to eat and describe it.

 

Assemble A Dish

Suppose your kid is too young to cook whole dishes just yet (and you don’t want them to make a mess of your neat kitchen). You can task them with the presentation of the dish. Allow the kid to arrange everything neatly (even artistically!) on the plate for everybody to eat.

 

Identify Food By Smell Or Taste

An excellent way to teach kids about food is by engaging their senses. Can they identify something by sight? What if they are blindfolded? Can they identify the food by smell, touch, or taste? You can start with something like salt and sugar and then branch out.

 

Touch A Mystery Food

Blindfold your kid and ask them to identify the fruit or vegetable by touch alone. Can they differentiate the difference between an apple and a peach? Are they able to tell which is a pulse and which is a grain? It would be a good way for kids to learn about food.

 

Name That Food

There are many times even adults do not know the name of particular fruits, vegetables, or food in general. For example, you can ask your kid to identify the five different pulses or masala you probably have lying around in your kitchen.

 

Do A Food Experiment

Allow the kid to let their curiosity loose. Let them mix different things in the kitchen and do taste testing (make sure they don’t make themselves sick!). This way, they can learn the basics of what goes together in cooking food.

 

FAQ

 

1.  What to do in summer vacation for school students?

There are many activities that students can pick up during the summer to increase their skills and learn something new. These include:

1. Learn to cook
2. Take up an internship
3. Read something new
4. Pick up a new language
5. Join a new sport
6. Go hiking
7. Volunteer to teach younger kids

 

2. How do I engage my child in the summer holidays?

Some activities that you can allow your child to do during summers to keep them engaged are as follows:

1. Reading
2. Exploring nearby areas
3. Art & craft activities
4. Daily journaling
5. Rock painting
6. Stargazing
7. Watch movies

Read our blog to find 49 more such activities.

 

3. What can teens do in the summer holiday at home?

Summer vacation is supposed to be fun for the parents and the teen. It is not necessary to do something, but you can ask them if they would like to do something.

1. Plan extracurricular activities together with your teen instead of forcing them into them.
2. Don’t get frustrated if they get bored or if the plan changes. Be flexible.
3. It isn’t necessary to have them always doing something. It’s okay to relax.
4. Sure, learning is necessary, but it’s okay if they don’t do it every minute of the day. It’s a vacation, after all.
5. Enjoy the vacation together as they are anyways busy for the rest of the year.

 

Takeaway

 

The kids don’t need to do something every day of the summer vacation. But it’s good to have a backup plan or schedule that prevents the kid from getting bored in the first few weeks of summer. Hopefully, the kids will end up learning something new while not playing havoc on the rest of the family’s schedules.