Summer holidays, you either love them or hate them.  I am never sure about which camp I am in.  I love spending time with the children but do worry about the cost of summer activities.  I relish not having to get up each morning and giving up the school routine, but I don’t like hearing the words “I’m Bored”  That is why I came up with the bored jar (about four years ago).

Over the years we have come up with hundreds of different ideas for low cost and no cost summer activities and this year we decided to put a shout out to some of our blogging friends for their ideas for summer activities.

Over 150 Low cost and no cost summer activities

So don’t worry we have it covered, we have things to see and do, places to go, ideas for things to make and also loads of ideas of things to cook.  Whether you have a tot or a teen or something in between there will be something for everyone.  You can always print these lists off and add them to your bored jar, but make sure you also add a list of age appropriate chores so that the kids never know what they might get!

Summer Activities

Go

1. Teddy Bears Picnic – Dear Bear and Beany
2. Go on a Scavenger Hunt with Free Printable – Mum in the Mad House
3. Go for a walk collecting sticks etc for nature crafts – Mummy Alarm
4. Go to the Beach – Mum in the Mad House
5. Go for a walk along your local river or canal and feed the birds – My Mummy’s World
6. Take a dog for a walk – Mum in the Mad House
7. Eat your meals in the garden and call it a picnic – Meet the Wildes
8. Go foraging for blackberries (If in season) – Le Coin de Mel
9. Go to a pick your own farm – Babies and Beauty
10. Go on a Gruffalo Hunt – The Mum Diaries 
11. Go on a rainbow nature hunt – Little Hearts Big Love
12. Go for a scooter ride – Mum in the Mad House
13. Science at the Splash Park– From Engineer to SAHM
14. Nature Walk an d then make brackets – Simple as That
15. Go on a family picnic – Mum in the Mad House

Make

1. DIY LEGO Fidget Spinners – Mum in the Mad House
2. Mondrian Inspired Jar Luminaries – Mum in the Mad House
3. Polymer Clay Monsters – Mum in the Mad House
4. DIY Dreamcatcher Tutorial – Mum in the Mad House
5. Make Button Bracelets – Mum in the Mad House
6. How to make simple paper roses – Mum in the Mad House
7. Try building boats and see if they can float in the stream.  Paper or little rafts with sticks – Susan K Mann
8. Craft Stick Harmonica – Mum in the Mad House
9. Washi Decorated Toilet Roll Bracelets or Cuffs – Mum in the Mad House
10. Make a journey stick – Growing Family
11. Make a Toilet Roll Microphone for the SING Movie – Mum in the Mad House
12. DIY Craft Foam Stamps – Mum in the Mad House
13. Create and tick things off your Family Wild List – LarabeeUK
14. How to make a Pompom sheep – Mum in the Mad House
15. Cake case daffodils – Mum in the Mad House
16. How to make picture tile coasters – Mum in the Mad House
17. DIY Vanilla Peppermint Lip Scrub – Mum in the Mad House
18. Make craft stick fairy doors – Mum in the Mad House
19. Toadstool Fairy House – Mum in the Mad House
20. Make Paper Bird Kites – Scandi Mummy
21. DIY Toy Parachute – Mum in the Mad House
22. Make a lolly stick bird feeder – We made this life
23. DIY Phone Amplifier and Stand – Mum in the Mad House
24. Tin Can Lanterns – Rainy Day Mum
25. DIY Daffodil Clay Pots or Candle Holders – Mum in the Mad House
26. Floating chalk prints  – Mum in the Mad House
27. Plastic Bottle Wind Spiral Mobile – Mum in the Mad House
28. LEGO Sun Prints – Little bins for little hands
29. DIY Garden lantern from a plastic bottle – Mum in the Mad House
30. Maths and Art Collide = Parabolic curves – Mum in the Mad House
31. DIY Superhero Masks – Crafting with Tweens – Mum in the Mad House
32. Faux stained glass art for kids – Mum in the Mad House
33. Make your own Blow Art Paper Plate Lion – Mum in the Mad House
34. Spray Bottle Art –  Adventures in a Box
35. Scrap fabric paper dolls  – Mum in the Mad House
36. Yarn wrapped sticks – Mum in the Mad House
37. How to make DIY Tie Dye Gift Wrap – Mum in the Mad House
38. Printing Flowers with Celery Stalks – Mum in the Mad House
39. How to Make a Craft Stick Wall Hanging – Mum in the Mad House
40. Nail Varnish Marbled Coasters – Mum in the Mad House
41. Rainbow rainmaker or rainstick – Cardboard tube craft
42. Watermelon Ship Summer Craft – Adventures in a Box
43. How to make God’s Eyes/Ojo de Dios – Mum in the Mad House
44. Paper beads from wrapping paper – Mum in the Mad House
45. Marshmallow Catapult – Mum in the Mad House
46. DIY Coloured Sand in a Bottle – Mother Natured
47. Monster Big Nosed Bookmarks – Mum in the Mad House
48. Craft Stick Process Art – Mum in the Mad House
49. Weave a flower  – Mum in the Mad House
50. Make a Smash book (scrapbook) for kids – a step by step guide
51. Flower Keyrings – Thimble and Twig
52. DIY Puffy Paint  – Mum in the Mad House
53. Cup Weaving Tutorial – Mum in the Mad House
54. Minion Stones – Mum in the Mad House
55. Cardboard Tube Village – Mum in the Mad House
56. Bleeding Tissue Paper Canvas Art – Mum in the Mad House
57. Melted Crayon Art – Mum in the Mad House
58. Monster Pencil Toppers – Red Ted Art
59. Love Books Free Colouring Bookmarks – Mum in the Mad House
60. Glue resist Art – Mum in the Mad House
61. The BFG’s Frobscottle Recipe – Mum in the Mad House
62. Make a Rainbow Windsock – Mum in the Mad House

Play and Do

1. Create and tick things off your Family Wild List – LarabeeUK
2. Simple Stop Motion for Kids – Mum in the Mad House
3. Colour and Clean Car Wash – No Time for Flashcards
4. 110 Summer acts of kindness for kids
5. Shoebox table football/foosball table – Mum in the Mad House
6. Have a dolls clothes washing day – Our Daily Craft
7. Read a book – Mum in the Mad House
8. Tye Dye old clothes with fabric dye – Gee Gardener
9. Cook on stick Damper Bread – Mum in the Mad House
10. Have fun making Mud Pies – 92Three30
11. Balloon Hovercraft – Mum in the Mad House
12. Shell Sorting – No Time for Flashcards
13. Pool noodle and shaving foam summer steam activity – Little bins for little hands
14. DIY Marble Maze – Mum in the Mad House
15. Ocean Sensory Bin – Frogs and Fairies
16. Listen to an Audio Book – Mum in the Mad House
17. Toy surfboard or windsurf board  – Mum in the Mad House
18. Erupting Car Wash – Views from a Step Stool
19. Pixar’s Inside Out stress balls – Mum in the Mad House
20. DIY Toy Waterslide – Preschool Steam
21. Supersoaker sponge water play –  Natural Beach Living
22. Make a bubble snake maker – Mum in the Mad House
23. Homemade Water Wall – Little bins for little hands
24. Three Ingredient Wildflower Goop – Crafts on Sea
25. Outdoor Olympics – The Wise Owl Factory
26. Under the Sea Frozen Play – Natural Beach Living
27. How to Make Rainbow Milk – Mum in the Mad House
28. Do some Gardening – Mum in the Mad House
29. Play football with Friends
30. Play garden games – Mum in the Mad House
31. Sunflower Colouring Page – Mum in the Mad House

Cook and Bake

1. Yoghurt and Berry Crunch
2. Kids Dessert Buffet
3. A Minions Milkshake
4. Vegetable & Salsa Verde Scone Pizza
5. Fab home made ice lollies and popsicles for kids
6. Veggie Taco Bowls
7. Peanut butter and chocolate bites
8. Dinosaur footprint shortbread
9. Spiced Butternut Soup
10. Tomato and courgette bruschetta
11. Classic kedgeree with green asparagus
12. Vegetable stuffed omelette
13. Baked Chicken Parmesan or Parmo
14. White Chocolate Chip Cookies
15. Homemade Pizza Recipe
16. Chicken Tikka Masala
17. The perfect Victoria Sponge
18. How to make Fat Rascals
19. Hairy Hot Dogs or Scary Spaghetti
20. Quinoa apple cake
21. Chicken Fajita Wraps
22. Madeira Cake
23. Easy Edible Pokeballs
24. Dinosaur footprint loaded flapjacks
25. Raspberry Muffins
26. Lemonade Scones
27. Tea flavoured Shortbread Recipe
28. A is for Apple muffins
29. B is for Banana and chocolate chip muffins
30. C is for Carrot cake
31. D is for Dough – Pizza recipe
32. E is for Eggy bread or french toast
33. F is for Flour and M&M cookies
34. G is for Grape and yoghurt bites
35. H is for grilled halloumi and honey mustard salad
36. I is for Italian – spaghetti bolognese 
37. J is for Jam tarts
38. K is for Kiwi smoothie
39. L is for Lemon Madeira cake
40. M is for Mushroom Mini Pizza Bites
41. N is for Nuts, Pistachio ice cream
42. O is for Olive damper bread on a stick
43. P is for Peppers – Chicken fajitas
44. Q is for Quinoa – Apple cinnamon cake 
45. R is for Rice – Nasi Goreng 
46. S is for Spaghetti – Hairy Hotdogs
47. T is for Tomato – Tomato and courgette bruschetta
48. U is for Udon Noodles – Lamb Stirfry
49. V is for Vegetarian – Basil and tomato baked eggs
50. X is for Xmas – Gingerbread Trees
51. Y is for Yogurt – Mini yoghurt and fruit bites 
52. Z is for Zest – Fat Rascals

What are your favorite frugal summer activities to do with the kids?  I would love to know, please leave me a comment and let me know.