Looking for some fun activities to do with your kids this summer? I’ve enjoyed 22 summers with kids (and counting!), so I certainly have a few ideas to share! Stay tuned during the next few weeks as we provide all kinds of suggestions for making your summer with your kids meaningful. (Subscribe here so you won’t miss out!) Today’s idea: Plan and Host a Party!
No need to wait for a birthday or other special occasion for an excuse to host a party! Why not host a party just for the fun of it?
But I’m NOT a Party Planner!!
Not a party planning kind of person? ME NEITHER!!!! For me, planning “parties” with my kids has been more about planning fun get-togethers with their friends. When you see the list of ideas we came up with below, I think you’ll get excited about wanting to plan a “party” too!
Today we’re talking about ways to host a party while keeping it super simple! Remember, this is about finding fun ways to spend time with your kids and love others this summer. You can work with your kids to plan a party, but if you do it right, it won’t cost much or be very difficult either!
Here’s an example of something our family did a few years ago:
When Malachi was younger, he LOVED everything Lego! So just for fun, one summer we worked together and hosted a Lego Party with his friends. (It is important to note that his birthday is in December and we hosted this party in July. Because it was just for fun! No gifts, no pressure – just good ol’ Lego fun!)
We spent some time on Pinterest together, looking for fun ideas others had already thought of. We spent just a few dollars to put together some small treats and activities…
We “went all out” and made a Lego-shaped pinata and guess what we filled it with? Well, Legos, of course! (In a ziplock, oy!) Once the pinata had busted open, the boys dumped them out on the living room floor and had fun building together. Cost for this fun party game? Um, practically nothing. We already had the Legos. We covered the box with construction paper. It was so simple!
Just for kicks, if you’d like to learn more about How we Hosted a Lego Party on the Cheap, here are the details!
Another time, our boys decided together to host a Nerf Gun Party. They planned the whole thing themselves, which ultimately meant that they called and invited their friends, then everyone came over and shot nerf bullets at each other. And because my boys were into making cakes back in those sweet days, after the gun war, they fed everyone cake. Ah, the love language of boys. :)
What about Teens?
I really wish I had pictures, but none of us can find them on our phones! Last summer though, Elias decided to have a very belated birthday party – even though he’d turned 16 earlier in January. He invited a bunch of friends and helped me plan what to do and what food to serve.
We got a fire going in our Fire Pit (we have this one – such a fantastic investment, by the way!). The kids made their own brats and smores, they played lawn games, they kicked a soccer ball around. It was a blast and WHY CAN’T I FIND PICTURES??? Ah, I guess the memories will live forever in our hearts.
Inexpensive Summer Party Ideas
What do your kids and their friends love to do? Just like Malachi loved Legos and planned and hosted a Lego Party, select what your kids love and go with it! No need to be fancy. No need to spend money. Just pick a theme, invite your friends, and have some fun!
Here are a few ideas to get you and your kids started on brainstorming for fun party plans!
- Water Games and Watermelon Party
- Sack Lunch on the Lawn Party (everyone can bring their own packed lunch!)
- Sidewalk Chalk Contest
- Badminton and Brownies Party
- Princess or Super Hero Dress Up Party
- Lego Party
- Popcorn and a Movie Party
- Smores Making Party
- Crafts and Snacks Party
- Cooking or Baking Party
- Cookie or Cupcake Decorating Party
- Swimming Party
- Book Swap Party
- Trampoline and Treats Party
- Popsicles and Play Party
- Board Game Bonanza
- Bike Trail Party (ride bikes together, ending in a special location for a treat!)
- Card Game Tournament
- Ice Cream Sundae Bar Party
- Lawn Games and Snacks Party
If you and your kids start brainstorming, there’s no end to the ideas you’ll come up with! See how easy? See how fun? See how inexpensive?
Need some fun Lawn Game Ideas?
- Ultimate Disc Game
- Kubb
- Lawn Bowling
- Yard Dice
- Ladder Ball
- Molkky
- Washer Toss
- Ring Toss
- Frisbee Golf (Disc Golf) Set
- Floating Pong
Need some fun Board Game and Card Game Ideas?
- 5-Second Rule
- Spot It!
- The Game of Things
- Rummikub
- Settlers of Catan (With extentions, which you’ll need if you have more than 4 players.)
- Settlers of Catan Cities and Knights (This is an expansion of Settlers of Catan. This is our favorite add on to regular Setters.)
- Seafarers of Catan (Also an expansion of Settlers.)
- Ticket to Ride
- Carcossonne
- Bohnanza (This one is unique. Great for older kids and adults. We love this one!)
- Life
- Risk
- Manhattan
- Guestures
- Taboo
- Blink (Malachi and I play this quick card game a lot while the older brothers are at basketball practice.)
- Headbandz
- Acquire
- Sequence
- Clue
- Apples to Apple Junior (This is probably our favorite group game. We don’t recommend the regular version of this game because the cards are less familiar to the kids.)
- Scattergories
- Pictionary
- Cranium
- Boggle (This game totally counts as school work, but no one knows they’re learning.)
- Monopoly
- Sorry
- Quelf (I’ve actually decided that I very much dislike this one. The kids like it though.)
- Racko
- Balderdash
- Yahtzee
- Farkle
- Pass the Pigs
- Huskerdu (great for younger kids – still fun for adults)
- Mastermind
- Skipbo
Need some fun Party Food Ideas?
- Brownie Sundae Bar
- Butterscotch Bars
- Caramel Apple Dip
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Chocolate Chip Brownies
- Chocolate Whipped Cream on Strawberries or In Your Coffee
- Death By Chocolate
- Homemade Ice Cream
- Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Monster Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – no flour!
- Peanut Butter Brownie Cups
- Pineapple Cream Dessert – Low Sugar!
- Pudding Pops
Ready to Plan and Host a Party with your kids this summer?
What food, game, and theme ideas do you have?
Here’s to a great summer of fun with our kids! Here are other ideas we’ve shared so far:
- Make Donuts!
- Have a Reading Party!
- Make Smoothies, Milkshakes, and Popsicles
- Go Apple, Berry, or Peach Picking
- Create Blessings for Father’s Day
- Find Ways to Serve Together
Stay tuned for more fun Summer Kid Activity ideas!
Thank you for all of the great ideas! I’m trying to cut back on our spending and do more with the kids at the same time. These should do the trick!
My daughter likes to plan parties. (Anyone who knows me will now say something about the apple not falling far from the planning tree. ) One year I asked a hostess if I could have the leftover Hello Kitty decorations from a baby shower that she threw. She was thrilled as I gave these cute little things one more life before they hit the trash.
We invited friends via text and email to their moms, planned pink snacks, and met at a park where we decorated the table with the Hello Kitty items. It was fun to plan it together and for it not to be about a birthday!
She will be 9 3/4 years old this week and, as she’s a Harry Potter fan now more than a Hello Kitty fan, I’m wondering if I can throw a surprise 9 3/4 party for her. Maybe I’ll get her in on the fun instead. That sounds like less work for just me, and more fun for the both of us. Thanks for inspiring me!