Outdoor Summer Activities

Kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, camping, wind surfing, trekking, letterboxing, fishing, white water rafting, etc., are all great outdoor summer activities for children. However, it's not always possible to set aside time for such activities. Sometimes you just have a morning or just a night with the kids before you head for a business trip and wonder how to make it memorable and worthwhile. Kids always seem to be looking for different things to do in the summer. Here are some outdoor activities that you can carry out in your own backyard and have a great time with your kids.

Water Gun War
If you really want to trigger excitement and laughter on a hot summer morning, go to a toy store and bring home some super soaker water guns. Even a regular water pistol will be fine, if you cannot find super soaker water guns. Playing the freeze game with water guns is a lot of fun. The person with the water gun squirts the water jet on one person, who then freezes in place with his or her arms stretched out wide. This frozen person can be freed only if another person goes under his or her outstretched arm. The idea is to have all the people frozen. You could also get a super soaking gun for each person and then team up to tackle the opponents with water guns.

Pitch a Tent in the Backyard
A perfect way to cheer up your kids before leaving for a business trip the next day is by having a campout in the backyard. It's exciting for the children to rush and get all the supplies they need to transform the backyard into a campsite. Pitch a tent and get your sleeping bags outside. Gather some wood for the campfire and carry along some marshmallows for the evening under the stars. Get your guitar and drums and play a few camp songs for the kids. Then after a wonderful time of sing along and chatting, everybody can hit the sleeping bags. It's wonderful to see how one's simple backyard can turn into an arena of fun and excitement.

Outdoor Canvas
Children love colors and of course mess! Combining these two will give you a fun, entertaining summer evening. Hang an old plain sheet on a clothesline in the backyard. Now get out some lovely bottles of acrylic paints, an old tray and a bucket of water. Tell the kids that they need to paint the large canvas using only their hands and fingers. No brushes allowed! It's such a lot of fun to paint the sheet by just dipping one's hands in paint. Since the kids won't be able to reach the upper portion of the canvas, you need to carry them and let them get their paint imprints there as well. You could also give your kids some leaves, twigs and stones to paint with as well. Then let the sheet dry and save it. When you look at this sheet years later, several fond memories will flood your mind.

Sponge Water Game
This simple game is a lot of fun on a hot summers day. Just take some sponges and a tub of water and go out into the backyard. Place the tub filled with water in the center of the yard. Now give four to five pieces of sponge to each member of the family. Tell them the idea is to soak the sponge in the water from the tub in the center and aim it at any family member. Soon you have pieces of sponge imbibed with water being flung all across the backyard. If you have sprinklers in the yard, turn them on, as they add to all the excitement and fun. If you want you could also get some water balloons, which are also great in the summer.

The type and complexity of the activities will vary according to the age group of the kids. For example, the summer activities for kids will be different from those organized for teenagers. Summer activities spice up summer vacations for kids and keep them busy.