75 Fun Summertime Activities to Do With Your Grandkids

Written by Deb del Villar, Director of Communications

Are you looking for some ideas for when the grandkids visit this summer? We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites.

You’ll find the activities organized into age groups to make them easier to choose.

A word of advice – do outside activities in the morning before the heat kicks in. Save the inside activities for those bad weather days as well as an escape from the heat of the afternoons. Leave some time to rest and relax too!

Younger Ages

• Go on a nature walk
• Visit the zoo
• Picnic at the park and play on the playground
• Go on a scavenger hunt (colors, shapes, or objects)
• Build a blanket fort and read a book inside it
• Blow bubbles or play at a water table or sand table
• Make a book about their visit with you
• Color together and have Scripture reading play in the background
• Play Hide and Seek
• Make popsicles
• Draw with sidewalk chalk
• Paint with water
• Dress up and have a teddy bear tea party
• Visit a fire station
• Play in a sprinkler
• Make puppets from paper bags or socks and put on a puppet show
• Catch lightning bugs
• Listen to Christian music
• Read from a children’s Bible, pray, and tuck them into nap or bedtime

Elementary Ages

• Camp out in the backyard
• Watch the clouds and point out shapes
• Make paper airplanes and see whose flies the farthest or straightest
• Teach them games you enjoyed like hopscotch, jump rope, 4 square, marbles, jacks, pick up sticks, Red Rover, Mother May I, yo-yo, solitaire with cards
• Visit a museum, state park, or battlefield
• Make ice cream
• Start a collection of rocks, butterflies, bugs, stamps, coins, shells
• Visit a beach
• Create a do-it-yourself science project
• Go berry picking
• Teach them how to preserve vegetables from the garden
• Go fishing, hiking, or swimming
• Make a bird feeder and observe/record species of birds (point to the Creator)
• Play charades or Pictionary
• Make a no-sew fleece blanket and deliver it to a homeless shelter
• Study a Scripture passage together (Examples: Psalm 23 or 119 and The Lord’s Prayer)
• Memorize a passage of Scripture together (Example Psalm 1)
• Dress up and go out to a fancy restaurant
• Go on a treasure hunt in the yard – create the map ahead of time, and the treasure could be a special treat, prize, or game
• Paint rocks together
• Make a graphic novel of your time together
• Tie-dye some t-shirts and get a photo wearing them
• Play balloon volleyball, corn hole, badminton, or croquet
• Go to a sporting event

Teenagers

• Play miniature golf or frisbee golf
• Have a spa day where you go out or do an in-home version
• Enjoy a build-your-own pizza night
• Hold an outdoor movie night with popcorn
• Make a campfire and enjoy s’mores (share stories of favorite memories)
• Host an outside game night and play capture the flag, sardines, or various lawn games 
• Attend an outdoor concert and talk about concerts you went to as a teen
• Work on a puzzle
• Go on a spontaneous car trip and don’t let them know where you are going
• Research family history together
• Attend area summer festivals
• Play glow-in-the-dark games
• Go star gazing
• Teach them a skill like cooking, woodworking, fishing, crocheting, or changing a tire
• Take a break to journal about your visit
• Host a family legacy night where they can ask you any question about the family
• Study Proverbs together by reading one each day and discussing; choose several verses to memorize such as Proverbs 3:5-6
• Go to a Christian bookstore and choose a devotional book to do together
• Read together and discuss a good book like Pilgrim’s Progress or Screwtape Letters.
• Go line or square dancing
• Design a family crest
• Visit an art museum
• Do yardwork for a neighbor in need
• Have them make a playlist of their favorite songs for you
• Hold a movie marathon
• Sing karaoke together

College Ages

• Go out for food like pizza, sushi, ice cream, or hamburgers
• Have them create a bucket list of activities they would like to do with you
• Design an escape room activity for the next family reunion that incorporates family history into the clues
• Go for brunch and catch up on what is happening in her life
• Do a book study that is scripturally based and relevant to them (Example: We Will Not Be Silenced by Erwin Lutzer)
• Have them teach you how to use the Marco Polo app (It’s a great way to keep in touch!)
• Go garage sale hunting for something for their college dorm room
• Try out a new restaurant, preferably one with food neither of you has had before
• Attend a community event in the area

Conclusion

One grandmother plans out her week in this fun way:

Make it Mondays – an activity is done like a craft, a woodworking project, a dessert, or a meal. The only constant is that it is something made by hand. Tuesdays are Take a trip day followed by Wacky Wednesdays where almost anything goes. Next comes Thinking Thursdays when books, projects, research, or something of an educational nature are done. Finishing up with Friendly Fridays where service projects and acts of kindness are the focus.

What fun activities can you come up with for your grandkids? Look over the lists to find ideas that will interest your grandchildren.

A grandfather when looking over the lists said, you could have the college-age grandchildren watch the littlest grandchildren so you can take a nap. Not a bad idea!

Remember, they have 18 summers before they are adults. Take advantage of any time you have with them. Keep in mind that we are called to redeem the time for the days are evil. As you are having fun, making memories, and building closer relationships, capitalize on this time to share your love for Jesus and His Word.

May God bless your time with your grandkids this summer!