Free or Nearly Free Outdoor Family Activities for Summer

School’s out, the weather is perfect, the sun is shining, so let’s go screen free {or mostly} this summer. Moms and dads included. Set aside the tablets and game controllers. Take family time outdoors with these free or nearly free outdoor family activities and ideas. If you are looking for simpler ways to pass those long summer days and want a slower pace for the day, these outdoor family ideas will be perfect!

FREE OR NEARLY FREE OUTDOOR FAMILY ACTIVITIES

If the budget is tight or you simply don’t want to break the bank entertaining your kids then check out our ideas for free or nearly free outdoor family activities. Now these ideas are not specific to any one location. You might have to do a little digging to see what’s available in your area, but this guide will point you in the right direction. Plus it’s all great family time!

FREE OR NEARLY FREE OUTDOOR FAMILY IDEAS

You’ve had breakfast, the kids are dressed, now what? Get outside! There are so many, easy, fun and free or nearly free outdoor family activities to do all around you. Some of these ideas might seem pretty basic, but they are often overlooked. You would be surprised at how much fun these basic ideas can be!

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GET THE KIDS HIKING

Hiking is a great way to get the whole family outdoors and explore, but it is also important that you pick hikes that are equal to your kids abilities! We have an All Trails app on the phone that allows us to find suitable hikes wherever we are and find new hikes if we want to take a drive. Here are some tips for hiking with kids.

Have good footwear!
Pack lots and lots of snacks! Kids need snacks and a fun trail mix you make together is perfect.
Plan a hike that has interesting things to look at it whether it ends at a pond, waterfall, or cool peak.
Keep the hike simple and build up miles as the summer passes.
Let kids explore. Remember the journey is the destination. If your kids want to stop and poke around, let them. This is supposed to be about slowing things down anyway!
Bring a gps unit {even your phone} to check out your route. It’s a neat way to add technology to an outdoor experience. You could also check out a compass app.
Bring along scavenger hunts.

TRY GEOCACHING

Have you ever gone geocaching? We have dabbled with it a bit and find that using the geocaching app is a good way to find geocaches in our area or locate an area that would be fun to drive to as well. You could even make and hide your own family geocache. This type of activity gives kids something specific to look for, and it can be a quite rewarding!

WRITE A PLAYGROUND BUCKET LIST

Do your kids love playgrounds? Do you feel like you can’t hang out at your usual playground any more this summer? Why not spend some time investigating new playground places and plan a list to check off. Do a search in surrounding areas and even states if you are close enough. If you go away for a week or two, find one there. We have found hidden gems this way. Plus, it’s exciting for everyone to check out a new playground and make a day trip out of it. Just make to sure to pack lots of water and snacks!

BACK YARD SCIENCE

You know you can also have tons of fun in your own backyard. If you have smaller kids then our simple and stress free backyard play ideas might be a good place to start. If you have older kids that are looking for something more, how about cool STEM and science projects outdoors. Science is a great way for families to come together. We built a nearly free outdoor science table. Also make sure to check out an awesome series featuring 31 Days of Outdoor STEM activities or our DIY Science Summer Camp for new ideas.

WATER ACTIVITIES

When the weather gets hot, break out buckets of water! Whether you choose to do water balloon wars, squirt gun, or water shooters, kids love it when you get into it with them. We make these fun sponge bombs for everyone. There is also a fun list of cool looking water activities that can be frugal too.

BACK YARD CAMPING OR CAMPGROUND

We have a blast with backyard camping. Now of course, if you do not have a tent or sleeping bags, it is a small investment. However, it’s also a great investment for every year to come! We love to camp even if it’s in our own backyard. We hope to venture out a little farther and set up shop at a campground. Campsites are usually inexpensive. Make sure to make s’mores! That’s the best part! If you have a fire pit, you can show your kids how to build a fire and teach fire safety as well.

PUT TOGETHER A SPORTS TEAM

Do the kids have a bunch of friends {and parents}? Throw together impromptu games of any sort including but not limited to frisbee, soccer, baseball, or football. Sometimes, just taking your balls and frisbees to a wide open space is more fun than being in your own backyard. Pack lots of snacks and let them just run around. We really love a stomp rocket in a large field!

PLANT A CONTAINER GARDEN

One year we lived in a house where we could not do anything to the lawn or place anything on it, so we had to get creative with our outdoor activities. We planted a frugal container garden that was pretty fun to watch all summer long.

COMMUNITY/LIBRARY EVENTS

This will of course be specific to where you live and what is available, but it might be worth it to check a neighboring town as well. We often have free outdoor concerts, outdoor movies, and other events that are fun to plan for as special activity. Many libraries offer free passes that can be borrowed to local attractions. Now going to a kid’s museum isn’t an outdoor activity, but it’s great for a rainy day and many of them have awesome outdoor play spaces that we often miss if we go in the winter!

PLAN A PICNIC

My son loves a good picnic. Make it special. Pack a favorite food for everyone. Bake a batch of cookies together to add to the picnic. Try our frozen watermelon pops or watermelon ice cubes too. Find a nice blanket, pick a pretty place where the kids can explore too. Make a bubble solution to bring along. Even a game of checkers outside is a bit more fun.

HAVE ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, OR DINNER

Now this is my absolute favorite part of summer! Pick a day or three and plan to have ice cream for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You will surely surprise your kids with this one and be a real hero. You can even make your own homemade ice cream in a bag! Whether you choose to buy supplies for home or find a fun place to go, ice cream is a hit anytime of the day.

MAKE A CAR KIT

Be prepared this summer for fun free or nearly free outdoor family activities anywhere. How many times have you been somewhere and wished you had a soccer ball or a thing of bubbles. Fill a bin with any sporting good activities, bubbles, or games that you wish to keep in the car. Add a case of water and an extra pack of granola bars too! Just in case you run out of water and snacks {never good in the summer}. You will be prepared to play outdoors anywhere you go!

FREE OR NEARLY FREE OUTDOOR FAMILY ACTIVITIES

This month we are joining the A-Z of outdoor activities with our free or nearly free outdoor family activities for the summer. You will have more than enough amazing ideas to keep your kids busy and mostly screen free all summer long!