13 Entertaining & FREE Preschool Summer Activities to Get Kids Outdoors
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas- SUMMER!! I’ve got an amazing list of preschool summer activities to entertain your kids outside.
There is no shortage of summer activities, but let’s face it, some are better than others. I’ve curated a pretty concise list of some of the best ways to keep your preschoolers outdoors! With ideas like building a rock tower and making bird watching binoculars, you’ll find something for every child!
Bonus! Everything in this post is super easy and simple enough for those little preschoolers. If you’re looking for a quick and easy craft for preschoolers, check out this idea!
What you’ll learn about preschool summer activities:
- Components of an entertaining summer activity for preschoolers
- Fun summer attractions that typically cost money
- 13 cheap or free ways to keep preschoolers busy outside this summer
- Links to other summer lists to check out
Pin this post now so you don’t forget a thing on the list!
What makes a good preschool summer activity?
To be honest, you can make almost anything an entertaining activity for preschoolers! But what makes them actually worth your while? There are 4 things to consider when planning (or pulling out spur of the moment) summer activities for preschool-age children.
Quick and easy
Okay, so 3, 4, and 5 year olds have attention spans close to that of a gnat, so any activity or craft you do must be QUICK! You don’t want to lose them mid-project and have to finish it yourself.
Simple and easy is the key when working with preschoolers! This is the age of building and exerting independence. Encourage your little one’s “I do it!” attitude by giving them tasks they can do (mostly) on their own.
It’s a plus for moms too if the activity is easy! I don’t know about you, but I’m not a professional artist or critically acclaimed botanist so these things cannot be too hard otherwise I would check out too. Our mom brains are so overwhelmed at all times, that we do not need a complicated preschool task to add to the anxiety.
Opportunity to learn
We all want our kids to grow and learn so much! Summer activities let kids get to know the world around them, test out their ideas, and fine tune those fine motor skills.
Tiny scientists will learn about plants, animals, and geology. Budding artists will create masterpieces with nature.
You may surprise yourself and learn something too!
Getting those preschoolers outside!
I am a HUGE proponent of outside play! First of all, it gets children off of screens, but they also get a much needed dose of vitamin D! Apparently, around 50% of small children have a vitamin D deficiency. That’s alarming!
Getting kids outdoors also encourages large muscle development and strengthening coordination. Preschoolers are also more likely to engage in pulse raising activities that are needed for their physical health.
Plus, you can’t get a much better feeling than having the sun warm your skin and a gentle breeze tousle your hair!
Super fun
Why would you do an activity in the summer that wasn’t fun? You wouldn’t! Summer is all about packing in as much fun and games as you can when the weather is nice and school is out.
Kids want to have fun, and I know parents want their kids to get as much enjoyment as they can out of summer. Of course preschoolers are creative and are experts at creating their own fun, it is exciting to sometimes switch it up and try something new.
So the perfect formula for an awesome summer activity for preschoolers is for it to be quick and easy, be an opportunity for learning, get kids outdoors, and be FUN!
Preschool summer activities that are AWESOME, but cost money
You can fill your summer with your preschooler by visiting popular attractions in your area, especially if you have memberships to your favorite places. Below are some ideas of places to visit that most people have near them. Be sure to check out your local attractions to see if there are places you didn’t know about before!
Swimming pool
What is summer without swimming? This summer staple is a must do for every family! If you think your family will utilize the public pool regularly, check to see if purchasing a season pass will be worth your investment.
My tip for parents of small children: go during tot swim!!
Many pools have toddler or preschooler times that are less busy and geared toward families with small children. If your pool has these hours, be sure to go! It’s so nice to not have to worry about bigger kids being too rough or rowdy near the little ones.
Amusement park
Kids love a good amusement park where they can go on rides, eat yummy food, and be entertained by shows. I know many families make sure they include at least one amusement park trip in their summer plans.
If you think your family will want to visit more than once during the summer, look into getting a season pass! Oftentimes, you only need to go 2 or 3 times to more than get your money’s worth.
Zoo or aquarium
Zoos and aquariums are some of the most family friendly attractions around! Preschoolers love to see the animals while exploring their surroundings.
We go to the zoo several times a summer and my kids learn something new every time! This summer we will also have an aquarium near us to check out. We are excited to visit!
Here I go again suggesting a membership! With a membership you typically get unlimited visits, discounts on food and merchandise, camps and classes discounts, and even special member days. Totally worth it!
Science center or children’s museum
There are so many amazing places for children to learn through hands-on experiences! There are awesome exhibits that teach about electricity, where food comes from, animal sciences, astronomy, community helpers and jobs, etc.
Families with preschoolers can literally spend all day in these types of attractions! They are so fun and even adults enjoy going!
You guessed it! Getting a membership will save you a ton of money if you plan on visiting one of these places more than once or twice a year.
Mini golf
This is an outing that is perfect for the whole family! Mini golf is fun, doesn’t take too long, and lets kids get outside.
One of my favorite parts about mini golf is that you kids can work on their hand-eye coordination, which is a crucial large motor skill.
For more ideas about cool family-friendly places to visit in the summer, visit this post!
List of SUPER FUN preschool summer activities that you can do at your house
The ideas above are AWESOME and will easily be favorites of your preschoolers, but a HUGE downside is that they can be expensive!
You can have an amazing summer without spending a ton of money! This list has so many creative summer activities for preschoolers, and most of them are completely FREE!
Included on the list of preschool summer activities are things that people don’t typically think of when they brainstorm summer ideas for their children. Check it out to see if anything is new to you!
Here are the 13 preschool summer activities that will keep your kids entertained outside:
- Make binoculars for bird watching
- Go on a treasure hunt
- Write numbers and letters with sidewalk chalk
- Make a name collage with pieces of nature
- Make a fairy house with sticks and other things from nature
- Hoolahoop sidewalk chalk design
- Count flower petals and make a collage design with them
- Save recycling materials and have them design a town for their little figurines
- Try to make the tallest rock tower
- Spray water squirters- challenge: write your name with the water
- Use scissors to practice cutting things outside (leaves, grass, etc.)
- Have a picnic- your child prepares the food!
- Help with gardening
While doing these activities, your child will undoubtedly find some bugs! Encourage them to document their findings with our FREE Bug Journal. Just sign up below to get it delivered to your inbox!
Check out these crafts your preschooler can make after finding ladybugs and grasshoppers!
Please comment or send me an email with the activity that your preschooler liked best!
Preschool summer activities summed up!
Everyone’s #1 goal for summer= HAVE FUN!! You can achieve that goal by doing any of the suggestions in this post.
If it’s in your budget, you can spend some money and visit local attractions that are sure to be core memories for your preschooler. Let’s face it, it’s so much easier to just go to a place that is already set up for entertaining kids! You don’t have to get materials, set it up, or do the clean-up.
You will also create just as many memories doing the listed summer activities at home! With those, you are more in control, and they don’t cost an arm and a leg to keep your family entertained.
Step out of the norm and pick some of these ideas that are uncommon and could be new to your family.
Share the list of 13 Entertaining Preschool Summer Activities to Get Kids Outdoors with your friends on social media and pin it on one of your Pinterest boards!
Checkout these other posts about SUMMER!
We have so many other ideas for keeping kids busy in the summer. Be sure to scan these posts for other ideas to add to your summer activities list.
