4 Great Outdoor Activities To Do With Kids This Summer

Summer goes by fast, and we all want to pack in the fun with the kids. Here are some great ideas, which are simple, affordable, and will create summer memories for the future.

1. Get moving and get a reward—homemade ice cream!

Experience science in action: Kids kick, roll, and shake a can around for 15 minutes to an hour, and suddenly ice, cream, salt, and sugar turn into their own homemade ice cream.

You’ll actually need two cans to do this, says Charlene Hess, who offers tips for homeschoolers at Hess Un-Academy—a smaller coffee can, and a bigger one. In the smaller can, mix 1 pint of heavy whipping cream, 1 cup granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla—or another flavoring of your choice. Tape that can shut with duct tape, and place it in the larger can filled with ice and 5 to 6 tablespoons of rock salt – you can get “ice cream salt” online, and have enough to last the whole summer.

After taping the outside can shut, get kicking and shaking, and tell your kids the science part: “The salt will lower the freezing temperature of the ice, which will cause it to melt,” explains Jaymi Torrez, a teacher who blogs about parenting at The Salty Mamas (thesaltymamas.com). “The ice will absorb the heat from the [inner can] of ice cream ingredients, causing it to freeze instead.”

2. Plant seeds now for late summer-garden goodness

With summer in full swing, it might seem like it’s too late to start a garden. While the ground may be too hot in many parts of the U.S. for seedlings, gardening in pots can still yield great results – and great returns, says Shannon Brescher Shea, author of Growing Sustainable Together: Practical Resources for Raising Kind, Engaged, Resilient Children. Get the kids more excited about playing in the dirt by letting them help you plan what you’ll grow: Do a little research on gardening and seed-growing sites for what will work with your home’s sun-and-shade mixture, and then let younger children choose from a list so they pick what you grow.

Teens might be even more excited about this project: A recent survey found that two-thirds of teens are interested in learning more about producing food in earth-friendly ways. Ask them to do that sun-and-shade research, and help them pick the right plants for late summer harvests you can eat together.

3. Get in touch with nature with a scavenger hunt

A backyard or forest scavenger hunt can get kids in touch with nature, Shea says. If your kids are in a safe space, you can give them a list to bring back – a Y-shaped stick, a rock that’s smooth, or other items. But if you want to go on a tandem hike with other children at a social distance, they can just spy things instead: Give them a camera to snap pics of the items on a scavenging list, or just have them call things out as they spot them. And you don’t need to rack your brain to come up with the items: Nature hunt lists abound on Pinterest, and there’s even an app, Let’s Roam, with local hunts.

4. Extension experiences

There are also great opportunities at the Extension Office throughout the summer; experience nature, cooking and attending the Johnson County Fair. If you are interested in growing a larger garden contact our Master Gardner’s about getting your garden growing! Click to learn more: https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/classes-events/index.html

-Lexi Ray, 4-H Youth Development Agent, 2024