30 Summer Activities for Nursery Kids 2024: Fun-Filled Ideas to Spark Joy!

Finding enjoyable Summer Activities for Nursery Kids is a joy, and I’m excited to present a range of fun and educational activities designed to fully embrace the warm and magical summer months with your young children.

Sensory Play and Exploration

Children explore a sensory play area with sand, water, and various textures. They engage in activities like pouring, scooping, and feeling different materials. Bright colors and natural elements create an inviting outdoor space Summer Activities for Nursery Kids

Dive into Sensory Play and Exploration as one of the enriching summer activities for nursery-aged children. Create setups like water tables, sand pits, or slime stations that allow kids to touch, feel, and manipulate various textures. This activity stimulates their senses and enhances motor skills, making it a perfect summer fun activity for young learners.

1. Water Play: Splash into Learning

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  • Cost-Factor: 💸
  • Difficulty: 💪

Dive into the fun with a water table set up in your play area! This activity isn’t just about splashing around—although that’s certainly a big part of the fun. With various toys like cups, boats, and water wheels, you’ll explore cause and effect relationships and develop your motor skills as you pour, scoop, and stir. It’s a refreshing way to learn while keeping cool under the summer sun.

2. Sand Play: Build and Explore

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Get your hands dirty in the sand area where endless adventures await. Whether you’re digging deep holes, sculpting castles, or just letting the fine grains slip through your fingers, playing with sand is a fantastic way to boost your creativity and enhance your fine motor skills. Feel the different textures and discover the joy of creating something from scratch.

3. Nature Walks: Discover the Wonders of the Outdoors

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Join in on short guided nature walks around a safe and lush green environment. It’s a chance to get up close with nature as you learn about different plants, insects, and birds. These walks are not just educational, but they’re also a great way to develop an appreciation for the natural world. Listen to the sounds, smell the scents, and see all the vibrant colors of nature in bloom.

4. Texture Scavenger Hunt: Feel Your Way Around

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Embark on a texture scavenger hunt designed just for you! This adventure will have you exploring around the play area or classroom to find objects with different textures like smooth, rough, and sticky. It’s a tactile way to engage with your surroundings and learn new vocabulary related to textures while developing sensory awareness and critical thinking skills.

5. Mud Kitchen: Creative Play with Natural Elements

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Roll up your sleeves and get ready for some messy fun in the mud kitchen. Use old kitchen tools and natural materials to ‘cook’ up your own mud pies and concoctions. This imaginative play helps you understand measurements and transformations, and it encourages you to use your imagination in a playful, hands-on environment. Plus, it’s just plain fun to play in the mud!

6. Bubble Blowing: Pop into Motion

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Let the bubbles fly on a special bubble day! Chasing and popping bubbles is not only a delightful activity but also an excellent way to learn about movement and develop visual tracking skills. Watch how bubbles float and move through the air, and try to catch them without popping them. It’s a playful way to engage with physical activity and learn about the properties of air and liquid.

These activities are designed to make your summer both fun and educational, providing enriching experiences that blend play with learning in the most delightful ways.

Arts and Crafts

Children happily creating colorful crafts under the sun at a nursery. Tables filled with art supplies and smiling faces Summer Activities for Nursery Kids

Encourage creativity and expression with Arts and Crafts, ideal summer activities for nursery kids. Provide materials for finger painting, collage making, or simple sculpting projects. These activities not only foster artistic skills but also help in developing fine motor abilities and can keep little ones engaged and entertained during the summer.

7. Finger Painting: Unleash Your Inner Artist

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Set up finger painting stations filled with non-toxic, washable paints and let your imagination run wild! This activity isn’t just about making a colorful mess—it’s a fantastic way for you to express your creativity. As you dip your fingers into soft, vibrant paints and spread them across paper, you’ll not only explore your artistic potential but also enhance your sensory skills and emotional expression.

8. Collage Making: Craft Your Vision

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Gather up materials like fabric scraps, foam pieces, and large buttons, and dive into the world of collage making. This engaging activity encourages you to use your fine motor skills as you pick up small items and place them carefully to create your masterpiece. It’s not just about sticking things together; it’s about expressing yourself and seeing how different textures and colors come together to form something unique.

9. Nature Art: Create with the Beauty of Nature

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Take creativity outside with nature art. Use items you’ve collected from the outdoors, such as leaves, twigs, and flowers, to create beautiful art pieces or temporary nature sculptures. This activity not only connects you with the natural world but also helps you appreciate the beauty of the environment. It’s a wonderful way to learn about different natural elements while nurturing your creative instincts.

10. Playdough Creations: Shape, Mold, and Explore

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Let your hands dive into the colorful world of playdough! With various molds and your own two hands, you can create anything you imagine. This tactile activity is perfect for strengthening your hand muscles and enhancing your fine motor skills. Plus, it’s a playful way to develop your spatial and cognitive abilities as you transform a soft dough into intricate figures and shapes.

11. Large Scale Drawing: Collaborate on a Giant Canvas

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Imagine a giant canvas laid out just for you and your friends, with crayons and washable markers at your disposal. Engage in a group drawing activity where everyone contributes to a massive artwork. This not only fosters teamwork but also allows you to experiment with colors and shapes on a much larger scale than usual, encouraging cooperation and shared artistic expression.

12. Music and Movement: Paint to the Beat

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Combine art with music in this rhythmic activity where you paint or draw while listening to various types of music. Each song evokes different emotions and movements, which you can translate into your visual art. This unique blend of sensory experiences helps you explore how music influences art, allowing you to express what you hear in creative and visually dynamic ways.

These summer activities are designed to make your time in the nursery fun, educational, and highly creative, ensuring that each day is filled with new discoveries and expressions.

Physical Activities

Children playing soccer, jumping rope, and having a water balloon fight at a sunny park Summer Activities for Nursery Kids

Keep children active and healthy with fun Physical Activities, a must-have in summer activities for nursery. Organize simple games like duck-duck-goose, obstacle courses, or water balloon tosses. These activities promote physical health, coordination, and teamwork among young children, all while they enjoy the sunny weather.

13. Obstacle Courses: Navigate and Conquer

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Set up simple obstacle courses using soft play equipment that challenges you to climb, crawl, and balance. This activity is perfect for encouraging physical activity while also developing your coordination and problem-solving skills. Each obstacle you overcome boosts your confidence and physical agility, making it a fun and rewarding way to stay active.

14. Parachute Games: Teamwork in Motion

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Gather around a colorful play parachute for games that enhance teamwork and physical fitness. Whether you’re making waves by lifting the parachute up and down or running underneath it before it falls, these activities encourage cooperation and help develop gross motor skills. It’s a lively way to learn how to work together and stay fit.

15. Animal Walks: Roam the Wild

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Embrace your wild side by mimicking various animal walks. Hop like a frog, crawl like a bear, or prance like a deer. This imaginative play helps develop your motor skills and sparks your creativity. Each animal movement challenges different muscles and coordination skills, making it a playful and effective way to get moving.

16. Dance Parties: Groove and Move

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What could be more fun than regular dance parties? Set to child-friendly music, these parties are a fantastic way to promote movement and rhythm. Dancing helps you develop a sense of rhythm and coordination while also being a joyful way to express yourself through movement. It’s a party that keeps you active and happy!

17. Balloon Bop: Keep It Up

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Engage in a playful challenge of keeping balloons in the air using only your hands, feet, or head. Balloon Bop is a simple yet exciting game that improves your hand-eye coordination and reaction times. It’s also a great way to encourage gentle physical activity that can be enjoyed by everyone.

18. Hula Hoop Fun: Spin and Twirl

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Discover the joys of hula hooping or use hula hoops in creative ways for various games and activities. Whether you’re mastering the art of hooping around your waist or using them as props in obstacle courses, hula hoops provide endless fun and a good physical workout. They help improve your core strength and coordination in a playful setting.

These summer activities are designed to ensure that your time in nursery is filled with joy, teamwork, and lots of active play, keeping you engaged and excited throughout the summer days.

Storytelling and Dramatic Play

Children engaging in dramatic play, using props and costumes to act out stories. A teacher facilitates the activity in a bright, colorful nursery setting Summer Activities for Nursery Kids

Stimulate imagination and communication skills with Storytelling and Dramatic Play. Set up themed play areas, use puppets for storytelling, or organize costume play days where children can act out stories or create their own. These summer activities for nursery are great for cognitive development and help children improve their language skills and creativity.

19. Interactive Story Time: Dive into Stories with Props and Puppets

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Imagine settling down to hear a story, not just any story, but one where you see the characters come to life with props and puppets. Interactive story time involves more than just reading; it’s about making each tale a lively, engaging experience. When puppets act out the scenes, it helps you understand and remember the story better, making reading a dynamic and interactive adventure.

20. Dress-Up Days: Unleash Your Imagination with Costumes

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On Dress-Up Days, you can be anyone you want to be! By providing a variety of costumes for dress-up play, you’re encouraged to step into the shoes of different characters and explore various roles. This kind of play not only sparks your imagination but also enhances social skills as you interact with others in new and creative ways.

21. Puppet Shows: Craft and Perform Your Tales

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Take the stage with your very own puppet shows! Start by crafting your puppets from simple materials, then dive into scripting a short performance. Whether you retell a classic tale or come up with an original story, puppeteering allows you to develop narrative skills and boosts your confidence as you perform in front of peers.

22. Make Believe Worlds: Explore New Realms

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Step into make believe worlds set up in the corners of your play area—each corner a different realm like a lush jungle, a vast ocean, or the infinite expanse of outer space. These themed areas, complete with props and costumes, offer you a tactile and immersive way to explore your environment, encouraging imaginative play and learning about different settings.

23. Story Creators: Craft Your Own Adventures

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With a selection of character and setting pictures to choose from, you can create your own stories in an activity designed to stretch your creativity and narrative skills. As you mix and match different elements, you’ll learn how stories are structured and discover the joy of bringing your ideas to life, fostering a love for storytelling.

24. Role-Playing Scenarios: Learn Through Play

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Engage in pretend play with role-playing scenarios set up like everyday places—a grocery store, doctor’s office, or a restaurant. These setups help you understand the world around you through social interaction and play, teaching you about different roles and tasks in a fun, engaging manner.

Each of these activities is designed to make your summer vibrant and enriching, ensuring that learning and fun go hand in hand during your nursery experience.

Nature and Science

Children exploring a garden, observing insects and plants. A magnifying glass and butterfly net are nearby. The sun is shining, and colorful flowers are in bloom

Introduce young minds to the wonders of the natural world with Nature and Science activities, a refreshing component of summer activities for nursery. Plan garden explorations, simple plant-growing projects, or nature scavenger hunts. These activities foster curiosity about the environment and basic scientific concepts, providing a hands-on learning experience.

25. Planting Seeds: Cultivate Your Garden

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Get your hands dirty with small gardening projects where you can plant seeds and watch as they sprout and grow over the summer. This activity isn’t just about growing plants; it’s about nurturing life. You’ll learn how to care for your plants by watering them and checking their progress, which helps you understand the cycle of life and the environment. It’s a perfect blend of science and nature, right in your backyard.

26. Water Experiments: Explore and Discover

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Dive into the world of science with simple water experiments. You can test which objects float and which sink, learning about concepts like buoyancy and density. This activity will not only satisfy your curiosity but will also introduce basic scientific principles in a fun and interactive way. It’s a splashy way to enjoy a hot summer day while learning something new!

27. Weather Station: Become a Junior Meteorologist

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Set up a basic weather station with instruments like thermometers and rain gauges. This gives you a chance to observe the weather and learn how to use tools that meteorologists use to predict it. By tracking daily temperatures or measuring rainfall, you’re not just playing; you’re conducting important weather research like a real scientist!

28. Animal Care: Learn Compassion and Responsibility

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If your nursery has a class pet, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn about caring for animals. Feeding, cleaning, and playing with the pet not only teaches you responsibility but also helps you develop empathy for other living creatures. It’s a heartwarming experience that teaches valuable life lessons about caring and compassion.

29. Color Mixing: Paint Your Palette

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Experiment with colors using watercolors or colored water in clear bottles. This activity allows you to explore how primary colors mix to create secondary ones. It’s like being a little artist, experimenting with your palette to see what new colors you can create. You’ll learn about color theory while expressing your creativity in a vibrant and visual way.

30. Nature Sorting: Organize the Great Outdoors

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Go on a nature hunt and collect items like leaves, rocks, and flowers. Then, sort these items by size, color, or type. This activity not only gets you outside and moving but also sharpens your observational and classification skills. It’s a fun, educational way to engage with the natural world around you.

Each of these summer activities is designed to enhance your learning experience in the nursery by making education both fun and engaging. Enjoy your summer while growing, discovering, and learning new things every day!

FAQ – Summer Activities for Nursery Kids

What indoor activities can keep nursery kids engaged when it’s too hot to play outside?

Craft Projects: Simple crafts using materials like paper, crayons, and safe glue can encourage creativity. For a summer theme, consider crafts like making sun hats from paper plates or creating fish from paper bowls.

Story Time: Organize a daily reading session that features summer-themed books, which can transport children to imaginative beach or camping adventures.

How can I incorporate learning into summer activities for nursery kids?

Educational Games: Games like sorting and counting colored ice cubes or matching shapes can be both fun and educational.

Gardening: Introduce simple gardening activities where children can plant seeds in small pots or a garden bed, water them, and watch them grow, learning about plant life cycles.

What are good sensory activities for nursery kids in the summer?

Sand Play: A sandbox or sand table allows children to build, dig, and explore different textures.DIY Sensory Bins: Fill containers with items like rice, pasta, or beans mixed with summer-themed items like small plastic fish or seashells for them to discover.


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Martin Lange
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