Looking for the best summer activities for toddlers? You’ll find them on this list. Enjoy this post of 50+ outdoor activities that are tailor made to toddlers. In this post, you’ll find activities broken into four categories: arts and crafts, sensory, water play, and easy summer fun.
- What are the best summer activities for toddlers? They’re right here.
- What can toddlers do in the summer?
- What’s on this list of summer activities for toddlers?
- 10+ Summertime Sensory Activities for Toddlers
- 10+ Outdoor Art Activities for Toddlers
- 10+ Water Play Activities for Toddlers
- 10+ Quick and Easy Summer Activities for Toddlers
What are the best summer activities for toddlers? They’re right here.
Hello, summer. It’s good to see you again. It’s time for warmer weather, slowed down days, and outdoor fun. But what are the best ways to play this summer?
Truth be told: summer activities are some of my most favorite activities.
(All the messes in an outdoor setting near my hose? Yes, please.)
The thing about toddler activities is they need to fit a specific bill for this unique group of kids:
- They often need to be taste-safe activities
- They need to have a fast set-up (toddlers don’t play for long)
- They need to be successful for toddlers (and for their older siblings)
RELATED: Looking for amazing outdoor toys to add to your backyard fun? Check out this list of the best outdoor toys for kids.
What can toddlers do in the summer?
Toddlers can do so much!
There are all sorts of summer fun and learning for toddlers to be doing over the summer – the world is their oyster.
When you’re thinking of summer activities for toddlers remember: kids don’t need fancy to have fun. Toddlers need simple, easy, and open-ended activities – they don’t need lots of frills. Playing is learning, and they’re going to play all summer long.
RELATED: Have you thought of making a summer bucket list for kids? I have a really simple (free) one for you to download.
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What’s on this list of summer activities for toddlers?
I’ve rounded up 50+ incredibly awesome summer activities tailor made and perfect for our toddler crowd.
I divided this list into 4 categories: messy sensory fun, outside art activities, water play, and quick & easy fun. I’m so excited to share this list with you!
In no particular order (except put into nice, neat, “I’m type A” categories), here are some of my favorite summer activities from around the Internet.
10+ Summertime Sensory Activities for Toddlers
Edible Sludge
If you’re not afraid of a little mess, this is for you! This sludge is amazing and a full body sensory experience. Bonus, it’s edible!
Clean the Cars
If I only could do one outdoor activity, this might be the one. It’s simple, fun, and something kids can be successful at.
Outdoor Window Painting
This is a great gross motor activity that your little ones will love. Anytime you can change up a painting technique or surface, it’s a win for the toddler crowd.
Engineering with Mud Bricks
What a unique STEM activity with one of the best kid activity supplies: mud! It’s an ooey, gooey, messy, dirty, and all the things’ kids love activity.
Pudding Painting
A must do this summer with your toddler! Watching them “paint”, and mostly eat the pudding, is the best. Throw in some kitchen tools and you’re good to go.
Bubble Foam
You only need 2 ingredients, 5 minutes to prep, and you are set for hours of fun with this bubble foam activity!
Taste Safe Foam
This foam uses the liquid from a can of chickpeas to create a bubble type substance that your tabies and toddlers will love. While it may not taste actually good, it is safe.
DIY Mud Kitchen
Don’t have the space for a full blown mud kitchen? Try this smaller, temporary version instead.
Chocolate Oobleck
Regular oobleck is a 12/10 activity at our house. Chocolate oobleck is a 20/10 activity. It’s amazing, taste safe, uses only 3 ingredients.
Outdoor Science Bin
Science bins are a staple activity for my kids year-round. Baking soda and vinegar come together to create one of the easiest activities that will be constantly revisited throughout play time.
Lemon Sensory Bin
The smell of this is heavenly! By throwing in some lemons to a regular water sensory bin, you have created a whole new type of water play for your toddlers.
Animal World
Such a great use of a sand table, if I do say so myself. Toss out the sand and throw in some dirt to create a magical little world for your child’s little animals.
10+ Outdoor Art Activities for Toddlers
Paint Popsicles
A sensory delight for kids! This does take a little prep beforehand but totally worth it. Freezing in little cups is genius and makes it so easy to take out when ready.
Outdoor Name Art
Kids love seeing their name – and seeing it giant for an art activity is even more fantastic. This is such a fun activity, and a great way to expose kids to letters and their names.
Graffiti Art
Grab some squirt bottles from the dollar store then mix up some paint and water to create this gigantic outdoor mural. This creates the coolest effect, and gives kids a chance to grow their grip strength,
Giant Window Art
I love this activity! Painting on a window is such a fun technique for kids. It’s an awesome change of pace from the usual “draw on white paper” art.
Make Your Own Paintbrushes
Take your kids on a hunt for nature supplies to make their own paint brushes. After making them together, have fun exploring what it’s like to paint with non-standard materials.
Splatter Paint
This is a must do this summer with your toddlers! It’s messy, memorable, and will leave you smiling (and ready for kids to have a mid-day bath). I highly recommend this activity when you have a friend over for a playdate.
Fly Swatter Painting
Toddlers love this method of painting which is basically just aggressive slapping of fly swatters to paper. Trust me: it’s a winner.
Painted Box Cake
Have tons of boxes laying around? Make a box cake! This is a life size 3D canvas for kids to paint on and the options are endless for decorating.
Chalk Ice
Freeze chalk and water to create this unique material. This is a fun twist on painting and on chalk art.
Outdoor Toy Paint
This will always be a fan favorite here. I started this activity with my kids as toddlers and now, years later, they are still just as obsessed with this concept.
Fizzy Sidewalk Paint
A new spin on the classic baking soda and vinegar mash up that all kids love. This one is sure to be a hit in the neighborhood.
Ice Painting
Don’t toss out old ice from a cooler! Throw it into a bin and hand over some washable paint. This is an art, science and sensory experience in one.
Painting With Flowers
I highly recommend this activity as a way to explore different flowers and create one-of-a-kind art pieces while playing in nature.
Squirt Paint
This was a memorable day for my toddler and his friends: we diluted paint with water and put it in condiment bottles. It was a hysterical mess of memories.
10+ Water Play Activities for Toddlers
Pom Pom Water Play
Pom Poms can get wet – and it won’t ruin them! Fill a bin with water and pom pom balls for a fun summer activity for your toddler (just make sure to use excellent supervision and judgment).
Outdoor Dish Washing Station
This toddler sized dishwashing station has everything your child could love in an activity! They’ve got bubbles and water. They’ve got the ability to splash as well as a loosely defined job/goal. They’ll probably end up soaking wet in the end but, on a hot day what could be better
Pouring Station
This was one of the first activities I ever created for my then “Busy Toddler.” A simple pouring station is a staple of summer play at my house.
Nature Soup
We love making sensory soup here! Toss in things from the yard for kids to explore with water. At the end, freeze their creations.
Ice Table
Need a quick activity to beat the summer heat? This is it! Add in a little water and you’ve got the sensory table of your toddler’s dreams.
Colorful Ice Cube STEM Melting
I am obsessed with colored ice cubes – I always have a tray on hand. Nothing lights kids up on a summer day like exploring colored ice.
Ice Sensory Bin
Every time we go camping or to a cookout, I bring back the ice for this activity. It is such a fun way for kids to explore ice – and melts into a water station for afternoon play.
Ice Boat Racing
Ice boats are fun for kids of all ages and are a great outdoor activity during the warm months. This is such a simple way to introduce the concept of liquids and solids while also having a fun sensory experience.
Bubble Foam Water Table
This clean messy activity is one of our favorites! Usually, we play with bubble foam indoors but in the summer, we take it outside and jumbo size the activity.
Metallic Water Table
Not only is this fun and engaging for kids to play, it is also visually stunning and so inviting to them. The swirling paint in the water could not be cooler (and don’t worry, it won’t stain little hands).
Ice Smash
Ice cubes are the real MVP of summer in my opinion. This simple activity uses leftover ice, some toy hammers, and eye protection.
LEGO Pool
I love a LEGO bath on a ho-hum day, so why did it take me so long to make a LEGO pool? This is such a great idea, especially for late in the summer days when the kiddie pool has lost its luster.
10+ Quick and Easy Summer Activities for Toddlers
Making Ice Cream
A summer classic, and yes, it works! Promise me you and your toddler will make ice cream together this summer. It’s a memory I cherish with my kids.
Giant Bubbles
I love a bubble moment in the summer and this is the best recipe I’ve found. You’ll have as much fun as the toddlers with this amazing activity.
Muddy Trucks and Car Wash
Another activity with the kiddie pool that is not swimming related. Have your kiddo help you make some mud, throw some trucks in, and let the mud party begin. Then, break out the soapy water to clean up the trucks in a little DIY car wash and you’re good to go.
Hammering Watermelons
Grab a watermelon and some clean golf teas to make an amazing toddler activity. You can still eat the watermelon after.
Sponge Targets
I cannot begin to describe how much fun this simple idea is. My kids loved it as toddlers and still love it today as big kids.
Water Bottle Fun
This link has five different ways to use water bottles to create some fun and easy outdoor activities this summer. We love to take the I-Spy one with us when we go to restaurants or any place where I know we’ll be waiting and need some help.
Nature Cutting Tray
I just love a nature cutting tray. It’s inviting, it’s perfect, it’s science, it’s sensory, it’s a fine motor wonderland.
Racing Cars
Go to your local hardware store and buy a gutter today! There are so many uses for a gutter, and racing cars is a favorite.
Outside Sticky Wall
If you have a curious toddler, try this outdoor sticky wall to give them a chance to have an up-close moment with nature. The bonus? It turns out really pretty in the end.
Bubble Snake Blower
These bubble snake blowers are so easy to make, literally takes less than a minute, and are super fun for all ages.
Outdoor Road
Grab your painter’s tape and some toy cars immediately to create this outdoor road. Kids love a road to drive on, and this is an easy way to make one outside this summer.
Pipe Cleaner Bubble Wands
This is such a fun activity – toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids. It’s an absolute winner. Kids love pipe cleaners and kids love bubbles. This is a natural fit.
Susie Allison, M. Ed
Owner, Creator
Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie has written two home learning curricula, Playing Preschool and Branches. Her parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.
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Hope Saecker says
Hello,
I am a grandmother to a toddler. 2 years old boy
We are having a great time but can always use some
fun ideas for inside and outside.
I never thought of putting ice in the water play area!!
Your help is very appreciated.
Hope
Alicia Ortego says
“Thank God summer isn’t over yet! I can’t wait to try out these activities with my kids! Thanks so this amazing and huge selection of things to do with kids in summer!
Actually, I have a list of my own. It has been approved by my own kids! Would take a look here https://aliciaortego.com/fun-summer-activities-for-kids/ and give me some feedback? “
Clare's Little tots says
Great list! We love anything outside and messy 🙂
Planet Toddler says
This is a very creative list! Thanks.
Christina says
What an awesome list of activities that are perfect for summer! Thanks so much for including our Frozen sensory play and sand and shaving cream activity in the list.
Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says
This is an awesome post, and it seriously has come just in time! I can’t wait to play in our backyard all summer long!