Summer Boredom Busters
Summer is coming and it’s a fantastic time to get outside and get active while learning. We spend most of our winter trapped indoors, and we can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Getting outdoors also means we can get a little crazy with some messy, outdoor STEAM fun. Check out our list of Summer STEAM Boredom Busters!
Boredom Busters For Kids
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“I’m bored!” It’s bound to happen. It does every summer. But this year I’m planning ahead with a list of Summer STEAM challenges and all the supplies to keep my kids busy!
Oobleck
Oobleck can be an indoor activity, but honestly it is so much better outdoors where kids can really explore this non-Newtonian fluid! They can pick it up, punch it, throw it, maybe even fill a balloon and pop it! The more messy you let kids get with Oobleck, the more fun they will have. The best part is that all you need is cornstarch and water.
Craft Stick Launchers
This is a fun project that kids can build then start launching Q-Tips! Alter your designs to see who can launch their Q-Tip the farthest.
Bottle Rockets
Every year we do a Bottle Rocket challenge. Even as the kids get older, this activity has lost none of it’s appeal. In fact, the kids are now able to do this activity themselves now, and doing everything possible to increase the power and height of their rocket launches! All I need to do is provide buckets of vinegar and baking soda, and they are blasting off!
Sweet Slurpee Science
Summer means slurpee time and with a little science your kids can create their own sweet and delicious slurpee treats. This activity took some patience but was a HUGE hit with my kids. Perfect for cooling down on a hot day.
Star Gazing and Watching Meteor Showers
Warm summer nights spent studying the skies. Is there anything better? I love sharing the skies with my kids. It’s even more exciting when there are meteor showers, which we get a few of during the summer, but I cherish all moments under the stars. That’s when the big thoughts and discussions happen.
Nerf War Battlefield
This was a HUGE hit last summer and the kids can’t wait to rebuild our Nerf War Battlefield even bigger and better than last year. With my son so passionate about video making, he also has plans for all sorts of filming and movie scenes he wants to shoot on the course. Our Nerf War Battlefield has been a fantastic STEAM activity bringing in all the pillars.
Does It Float?
This is a fun activity that will have kids wanting to test and experiment all day as they see what floats and what sinks. We start with soda pop cans, then move on to another fun experiment with water balloons!
Lemon Volcano
If you are lucky enough to live where lemons grow on trees all around you, this is a fantastic activity! But even if you don’t live where lemons grow, during the summer you can often buy lemons very inexpensively. This is an easy and fun activity turning lemons into a rainbow volcano!
Egg Drop Challenge
This is such a fun challenge! Load up on eggs, crafting supplies and start your kids building to see what they can create that will prevent an egg from cracking when it hits the ground after being dropped. Our favourite is to use Oobleck to save our eggs!
Pool Noodle Periscope
Build a periscope out of pool noodles and then send the kids out to explore the world… around corners!
Nature Detective
Put their senses to the test with this activity where kids need to use their sense of smell (or other senses) to identify items from the garden.
Build a Tire Ninja Course
If your kids have lot of energy to burn build a fun obstacle course challenge and perfect those ninja skills using old tires!
Spin Art – Summer Bike Style!
Bikes and summer go hand in hand. They have for generations, around the world. But this summer you can get a little wild and crazy creating some gorgeous spin art using this cherished symbol of summer.
Homemade Paintball Bombs – Science, Art, Summer Fun!
This is such a cool activity! Using chemistry create these amazing paint bombs. They are like blobs of paint, solid on the outside, but liquid inside. So cool! Then take the fun outside to play a game of paintball, or set up some large sheets of paper and fire away to create some amazing art.
Exploding Minecraft Creepers
Get the kids away from the screen with this video game inspired activity that kids will love! Just like Bottle Rockets, kids love building these projects and exploring the science that makes them take flight.
Solar Oven Snack Time
We tried building a solar oven last summer and it didn’t work. I’m guessing we are just too far north and don’t get he intensity of the sun and heat that happens south of us. Perhaps with different materials it will work. So this summer, we might give this classic challenge another try. Fingers crossed we can get it to work. The kids are ALWAYS hungry!
STEAM Kids
Looking for even more STEAM ideas to keep your kids busy having fun, learning, growing and exploring this summer and beyond? The entire suite of STEAM Kids books are packed full of inspiration, projects, ideas and activities. Just check out some of these activities!
Have a fantastic summer exploring, growing, learning and having fun with STEAM!
More Fun Activities For Kids
