Once school’s out, it’s a mixed bag of emotions. First and foremost, it’s the excitement of being out of school for the kids and the prospect of an entire summer full of fun. Then it’s the parents’ realization that you’re going to have to keep those kids entertained for Three. Whole. Months. And what starts out as a summer full of fun can quickly become exhausting, to say the least. So how do you all survive? Well, we’re here to help! Introducing Camp Lars: your go-to guide of summer activities for kids. Consider it the summer camp with which your kids can entertain themselves all summer, right from the comfort of your home.
Crafts
Crafts are at the top of our list of summer activities for kids. We’re all about crafts! So obviously we made some with kids in mind. And don’t limit yourself to this list! See our blog archives for more craft ideas. There are plenty we left off the list that your kids would love to try. Some are advanced enough that older kids will enjoy them more, but don’t fret. There are plenty for all ages to enjoy.
Here are our picks for best crafts for kids:
- Shrinky dinks
- DIY painted blocks
- Quarantine challenge
- Kid friendly craft roundup
- Paper lantern
- Flower Pounding
- Tissue Paper Rainbow
- Color rock dominoes
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Clothespin Ornament people
Courses
Another must-have on our list of summer activities for kids are our courses. Since your kids are out of school, it’s the perfect time to try a fun, easy course to keep their brains in gear! Our Great Artists courses are designed to get kids thinking creatively. They get to learn about different artists, with lots of great kids crafts to compliment what they’re learning.
Another course that’s great for older kids is our Learn to Draw Flowers course. This course will teach your kids all about 31 different types of flowers and how to draw them. Once they’ve nailed this course they can move onto some of our other crafts, like these nesting eggs or our classic nesting dolls .
Art Supplies
These art supplies made for kids are the perfect compliment to the courses we just mentioned! Not only are they a great way to keep your kids busy this summer, they’re also an important developmental resource to boost your children’s creativity and kick their imaginations into action.
Here are some options from our shop we love:
Other Kids Toys/Activities
Our shop is full of other summer activities for kids! From puzzles to bug hunting kits, we have something for every type of child, so take a look and see what suits your child’s fancy.
- Animal building blocks
- Back to school stickers
- Bug hunt
- Tiny coloring book
- Flower coloring pages
- Crayon hat
- Story time cards
- Linen children crowns
- Rick rack matching collars
For the Littlest Ones
We didn’t want to leave the littlest ones out of our list of summer activities for kids! While your older kiddos are off on a bug hunt or playing with puzzles, here are some things that are cozy and fun for even those who can’t walk yet.
- Baby milestone markers
- Mushroom playmat
- DIY rainbow floor pouf
- Ship mobile
- Stuffed whale
- Beaded pacifier clip
- Floral beaded pacifier clip
- Beaded rainbow teether
- Rainbow wooden teether
- Retro round sunglasses
- Daisy flower sunglasses:
- Baby bonnet
Home Decor for Kids
Last but not least is our print shop. Summer activity, you ask? Hear me out: we have some kid-friendly art just waiting to be put to use somewhere in your home. Are your kids old enough to help decorate? Enlist them! What better way to decorate your child’s room than with art they love to look at? Even if your kiddos are too little to pick out their own art, consider it a great opportunity to decorate your baby’s nursery. Shoutout to the Larshaus Oskar Poster Print and Simple Virtues Print by Erin Jang! Those are our top picks but you can browse more in the Lars Print Shop.
We hope we’ve given you some good ideas to keep your kids happy and busy this summer! Now we want to hear from you: what summer activities are your kids doing this summer? And what other kids crafts and activities would you like to see from us? Let us know in the comments below!