Are you stuck inside on a crazy hot day? Looking for something to keep the kids occupied in the last stretch of summer? Wanting to do something but not quite sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Whether you’re looking for activities across the state or right in your backyard, our Summer Activities Guide has all the goods. From indoor to outdoor and everything in between, Patten Title’s got what you need to #MAKEMEMORIES this summer. Remember, you only get 18 summers. Make this one count!
TAKE A TRIP AND EXPLORE THE STATE
This great state of Texas has so much to over and summer activities are plenty. Below are two dedicated guides to the Central Texas and the Gulf Coast regions – overflowing with places to take the kiddos this summer. From Museums to Parks of all kinds, there is a little something for everyone to #MAKEMEMORIES this summer.
Kids ages six months to high school teens can enjoy a spot of fun wherever they are. These 50 ideas are some of Patten Title’s favorite ways to start #MAKINGMEMORIES with your family right at home.
BABIES
OUTDOORS
Start with bright food coloring and fill an ice tray with vivid colors. Watch the colors combine and turn into bright puddles as each cube melts away.
You don’t have to go far to introduce your baby to some wildlife. Everywhere from your backyard to city parks and recreation areas will have bugs, worms, squirrels, and birds that introduce your child to new words and experiences.
If your baby is a little more artistic, use Kool-Aid to color your ice. Then, add a paintbrush or popsicle stick to “paint” with the ice on the sidewalk or driveway.
Inflate the kiddie pool and let them splash around in the mid-day heat. Bath toys in the pool add to the fun!
Explore their artistic talents. Buy or make some taste-safe finger paints, then add a big blank poster board to let even your youngest child experience the thrill of finger painting.
INDOORS
If your baby is just starting to crawl or walk, take a few pillows, cardboard boxes, and blankets to make a simple maze to scoot around in.
Gel plus any safe object can make a great sensory bag (and hours of play) for your little one. If they have mastered sitting up, a sensory bag will develop brain function and independent playtime.
It can’t be overstated: reading is fundamental. Take lots of time each day to read to your baby to help develop their cognitive, literacy and communication skills and more.
You don’t need to buy bubble solution to have fun indoors; you can make your own in three easy steps. Bubble parties in the bathtub or kitchen are best for easy cleanup.
When you start baby-proofing your house, make sure you’re not only keeping sharps away from the baby but also keeping the fun stuff in low places. Then, let your baby “organize” (and reorganize) their spaces in the kitchen.
TODDLERS TO PRESCHOOL
OUTDOORS
Illustrate with Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Up your sidewalk painting game with homemade chalk, then hand your toddlers a paintbrush.
Print off a scavenger hunt list and have your kids look for colors outdoors. For littles who don’t read yet, use a poster board to show the colors and have your kids check them off as they find each one.
Create a Garden Flower Ten Frame
Have your preschooler find 10 different types of fauna in your garden to help them learn counting and nature identification.
Seek and Find Using Shaving Cream
This is a game that can be done inside or out but be prepared for a mess. Hide some toys (Lego bricks, smaller action figures, etc.) in shaving cream and let your child find them. You’re creating sensory play plus deduction games!
Set up an easel with a poster board, fill a few squirt guns with liquid watercolors and let your child fire away. (Use a spray bottle if you don’t want to clean the insides of your squirt guns.)
INDOORS
With a few household items and patience, you can make some candy. (Everything tastes better when it’s homemade!)
Even young kids can learn simple card tricks to amaze family and friends!
Play some tunes, let the kids get dressed up and let them boogie away. Freeze dance is also a big hit!
Fill up the tub with some objects and watch to see what sinks or floats. The kids can record the results with check marks!
This rain-from-clouds experiment is ready for the kids with a jar, some food coloring and shaving cream.
ELEMENTARY AGE
OUTDOORS
Younger kids will probably need help, but there are many kits to choose from. They’ll love the feeling of seeing the finished product.
Good habits in the kitchen can be formed early and often start with a garden. Tomatoes and peppers are great in pots, or clear out a space in your backyard for kids to learn to grow their own veggies!
Send out “family invitations” and hang art projects on a clothesline gallery. Sell the crafty stuff for a nickel, dime or quarter.
Summer is for skipping bedtime! Let the fun keep rolling after the sun goes down when you put a wooden stake in the ground and for a glow-light ring toss.
Set up a starting line and let kids race with the egg in the spoon to the finish line.
INDOORS
This isn’t just ice cream; it’s science! Learn about the properties of salt and ice while enjoying a quick and tasty treat.
This can be a day-long or week-long activity that will help stop the summer slide! Let your kids write all of the sections and tell the “family news” to extended members that are out of town or out of the house.
Pair your kite-making with a family viewing of “Mary Poppins”!
MapQuest, Google Maps and Waze have made learning how to get somewhere a lost art. Pull out a paper map and let your kids virtually walk to the library, the store or even a relative’s house. Map reading teaches intuitive concepts about geography.
Hasbro actually sold board game “mashups,” but you can do it at home by mixing up your board games and making up new rules.
TWEENS
OUTDOORS
Spend an entire season outside at night tracking the stars. Let your kids see how the Earth’s movement over a summer or winter can change where the stars appear in the sky.
Whether you pick nature as your subject or objects and colors, let your tweens put their “selfie” skills to the test!
Give your tween the freedom to try backyard camping (with the proximity to head inside in case of rain).
With a few YouTube videos, your kids can learn to repair and maintain their bikes.
Saving pressed flowers is a great way to preserve the fun of summer.
INDOORS
Catch kids baking shows on TV (“Kids Baking Championship” on Food Network or “Masterchef Junior” on FOX) to give your tween some inspiration. Then, help them pick out recipes to tackle on their own.
Complete a Crossword Challenge
Have kids complete a Summer Fun Crossword Puzzle. As part of the puzzle, they can have categories like places to go and things to eat in the summer.
If your tween isn’t already a yogi, take some time while you’re inside to practice poses. When they get really good, they can teach younger siblings!
Complete a Summer Reading Program
Does your local library or school have a reward-based reading program? If not, find one nationally for your kid to win books, pizza, movies and more just for reading!
Whether it’s to a local fair or across the world, let your tween decide on a destination, figure out who’ll go and arrange travel plans. It’s a great way to learn organizational skills.
TEENS
OUTDOORS
Organize a Neighborhood Charity
Whether your kids are cleaning the neighborhood, collecting for a food pantry or making sure everyone’s lawn is mowed and raked, giving back to the community is good for more than just service hours.
If your tween is camping outdoors, let your teen try a night without the tent. Also known as “cowboy camping,” this is a fun backyard experience with friends.
Your elementary-aged kids have already learned to cook using their home-grown veggies, so let older kids plot and plant the garden themselves.
Pick a few knick-knacks and make sure you have a daily newspaper to bury this moment in time. Plan to dig it up in five or 10 years.
Does your teen typically sleep until noon? Plan a morning to share a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa to watch the sun come up.
INDOORS
If your teen isn’t already coding, now is the time to take a few classes to learn the skill (and give them an excuse for more screen time).
Your kids are probably already making videos for TikTok or YouTube. Channel that energy into a well-choreographed gem!
Just when you think your kids are too old for crafts, they can try one that could become an adult hobby (like woodcarving, crochet or building birdhouses).
Journals are great for emotional well-being and an excellent place to record thoughts about friends, school, future plans and life.
Whether the movie marathon is with friends or just your family, let your teen plan the movies, the menu and any theme-appropriate activities.
