Geerthana Uthayakumar Last week on Instagram Stories, I asked what you would like to see more of on my feed now that school is out for the summer. The majority of you responded with activities to keep the kids busy and activities on a dime. I have complied a list of things that we have done over the past years as well as things we will be doing this summer with the hope that you will find some ideas to keep your own families busy over the summer.
- Upgrade or repurpose an old toy. This summer we plan on upgrading our IKEA toy kitchen with a fresh coat of paint and a few other additions.
- Go stargazing on a clear night and learn to identify constellations.
- Use the GO Train to visit a near-by town. Kids are free on the GO TRAIN when accompanied by a paying adult.
- Make the biggest or tallest structure possible using marshmallow and toothpicks.
- Make a simple electrical circuit. You’ll need a battery, a 15-25V lightbulb, and insulated wires.
- Take a free Home Depot kids’ workshop.
- Attend a Michael’s Arts and Crafts summer camp art class. Registration must be done in person and costs about $3-$8 per child, per class.
- Have a movie marathon with themed snacks. We plan on watching the first five Harry Potter movies this summer, dressed in costumes, of course.
- Make Smores outdoors.
- Set up a lemonade stand.
- Visit a national or Provincial park. We are planning on visiting Rouge Urban National Park because it is located quite close to us and we haven’t been as of yet.
- Visit an Art Gallery like the AGO.
- Tour your local fire station.
- Upgrade your family’s medical kit together.
- Germinate avocado seeds by suspending them in a glass of water.
- Plant a herb garden.
- Learn about flowers that attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies and plant a planter containing them.
- Invest in a Polaroid camera and take a Polaroid a day. At the end of the summer make a scrapbook using the polaroids.
- Make ice-cream or nice cream using frozen bananas.
- Make eco-friendly bird-feeders by covering pinecones in peanut butter or honey and rolling in bird seeds.
- Make your own bubble solution with 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of glycerin.
- Explore a flea market.
- Visit an ethnic grocery store or eat at an ethnic restaurant.
- Bake cupcakes in ice-cream cones.
- Play a summer sport like badminton. The Real Canadian Superstore carries badminton set for kids for $8 CND.
- Learn to make paper boats and race then them in water. Paper airplanes are fun to make too.
- Visit a farmer’s market and learn about seasonal produce.
- Take a tour of a dairy farm such as Mapleton’s Dairy Farm.
- Pick berries. Willowtree Farm’s PYO strawberry season is open from July 4th to July 7th.
- Feed the ducks. Avoid bread and bread-like products and choose items like frozen corn, peas, chopped lettuce or greens and vegetable scraps which will compliment a duck’s natural diet.
- Participate in your local library’s summer reading program and sign up for a library card if you don’t already have one.
- Make your own play-dough. You’ll need to cook 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup salt, 4 tsp. cream of tartar, 2 cups lukewarm water, and
2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil together until it thickens and forms a ball. Then simply let it slightly cool, add colour and knead until it is ready to use. - Complete a jigsaw puzzle together.
- Plan a beach trip.
- Learn to play a new board game or two.
- Fly a kite.
- Ride through a bike trail.
- Watch a few kid-appropriate documentaries based on your children’s interests. Netflix has many different documentaries on animals that my kids can’t get enough of.
- Make popsicles using fresh fruit. There are recipes on my blog.
- Practice yoga every morning.
- Complete 1-5 minutes of mental math a day (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).
- Write and mail out a letter or two.
- Plan/host a sleepover.
- Visit the Toronto Zoo’s Wildlife Health Centre.
- Learn about Medieval Times and go to a Medieval Times dinner and show.
- Visit a museum you haven’t been to. We are planning to check out the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa.
- Visit a pioneer village.
- Plan a trip to the ROM using public transportation.
- Take part in PC kids cooking class.
- Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing by visiting the space exhibits at the Ontario Science Centre.
- Learn how to start and tend to a fire with parental supervision.
- Sign up for camp Indigo Kids. Each session costs about $10 per child.
- Make slime. You’ll need to mix together half cup of Elmer’s glue, half cup of water, 1/2 tsp of baking soda, and 1 Tbsp. contact lens solution which contains boric acid.
- Grow vegetables. The easiest one to grow is a potato. Simply cut one into quarters and plant it in soil with the eyes facing up.
- Sign up for a membership at Britannica Kids to access an abundance of great articles for kids.
- Explore downtown markets such as the St. Lawrence Market, or Kensington Market.
- Make 3-ingredient bagels for breakfast.
- Make up your own cookie or muffin recipe with your favourite ingredients.
- Write a story and turn it into a book complete with illustrations.
- Complete unfinished Lego projects.
- Organize a food drive and ask family and friends to contribute.
- Build a fort with blankets and chairs.
- Have a backyard picnic.
- Visit a zoo that you haven’t been to such as Jungle Cat World in Orono or Reptilia Zoo in Vaughn. Groupon often has discounted tickets for both.
- Visit the Allan Gardens Conservatory. Admission is free.
- Visit the beautiful Toronto Public Library, downtown on College Street.
- Create a sidewalk or driveway mural with chalk.
- Create a terrarium together.
- Make popcorn on the stove.
- Visit the harbourfront centre and watch the boats.
- Check out Fantasy Fair in Woodbine Mall for some family fun.
- Go to a drive-in movie.
- Visit Petticoat Creek Conservation Area in Pickering.
- Go to a community event like the Indigenous Art Festival.
- Spend a morning or afternoon at an indoor playground.
Have a wonderful summer and remember to share this list with another parent, if you’ve found it helpful 🙂
