With the sun shining and the weather just right, summer’s always a great time to be a kid. Art, science, and summer camp ideas for kids gives opportunity to create memories that could last a lifetime. Although a lazy summer day is just what is needed now and again, there’s a lot of low-maintenance summer ideas and activities for kids that might be worth exploring.

Here are eleven of the best summer ideas for kids:

Idea #1: Camping in the backyard

Setting up a small tent in the backyard for a parent and some kids can be a nice way to enjoy some time separate of the usual. It’s not an expensive activity and you also don’t need to travel far for it. Being in the backyard, if there’s an emergency, the house is right there. This summer idea for kids can also help instill a sense of adventure in them and can be a nice tune-up for eventually camping out on a proper campground.

Idea #2: Visual art on canvases

Art is one of the greatest summer ideas for kids. If your child is more artistically inclined, consider buying them a few proper paint colors and provide them with a canvas. Although you can shell out for the cheap stuff for paint colors and some coloring book, giving them professional-grade art supplies is giving them an opportunity to create something of similar quality to what they’ve seen other artists do. This can also be an amazing way to spend a day between parent and child.

Idea #3: Recording a song

Always a fun activity for a summer day, this isn’t a memory you will forget anytime soon. A child doesn’t even necessarily need to know how to play an instrument although if they have an interest, teaching them an instrument might work as a good walk-up to recording a song. Just recording something silly for a song on your laptop can be a fun memory you can always listen and remember.

Idea #4: Having a picnic

A picnic at a local park is also an inexpensive way to spend a nice summer afternoon. When it comes to kids, depending on their age, maybe you want to involve them in the picnic food making. A child of elementary age can easily participate in making a recipe such as a pie or something to enjoy post-picnic when you arrive home.

Idea #5: Field trips to tourist attractions

Field trips are exciting summer ideas for kids. If there’s anything around your local city or town that the kids haven’t yet seen, this is another opportunity to create those kinds of moments they’ll hang onto forever and ever thinking back to their childhood. For less expensive field trip ideas than the tourist destinations, searching out local new restaurants, cafes, or family-friendly businesses can provide some interaction outside of home.

Idea #6: Obstacle courses

If your child is fortunate enough to be close to a park with an obstacle course or if there’s a local summer camp with an obstacle course, that’s one idea. Another is to build your own in the backyard. There’s several instructional DIY guides available online highlighting how to build different elements of an obstacle course. Just remember, it’s got to be safe!

Idea #7: Scavenger hunt

A scavenger hunt can be a nice way to spend some time around your local neighborhood. Consider including a neighbor or two and getting more people involved for something really special. Setting up different items around different homes or backyards can be a nice way to encourage adventure and get kids to meet one another in the local community.

Idea #8: Wilderness hike

Selecting the wrong hike can prove to be tough not only for the adult but the child as well. Choosing something simple to hike nearby and getting out amongst the trees can be excellent in fostering the sort of connection you may want them to have with the natural environment. The sense of adventure you can get from a wilderness hike can also be quite the rush.

Idea #9: Make a robot

Although this can take some time, kids interested in computers and robots might find much pleasure in coming up with their own robots. Thankfully, there’s several kits available as well as instructions online on how to create simple robots. If you have the money to put forth, it’s surprisingly inexpensive some of these kits and robot ideas. If you don’t want to go down the pathway of robots, you can also choose a model car or miniatures.

Idea #10: A play

If you have the time to put towards it and if there are other available interested kids in the neighborhood, encourage your children to put on a theatrical production. Putting a play together can be one of the most memorable summer ideas for kids. They can write their own story, buy costumes from local thrift stores, and put on something for the parents to see. This sort of thing can take time to put together and a lot of effort though so it’s not ideal for parents searching for something easy.

Idea #11: Baking

If your child has an interest in cooking, if any of the Great British Bake Off appeals to them, or if they themselves want to create some Instagram-worthy cakes or desserts, enjoying some time in the kitchen with them can be a fun way to enjoy each other’s company. If it works in the summertime, maybe you can carry it over at Christmastime as well!