Bring the fun and excitement of summer indoors with these 8 creative ideas. Beat the heat and enjoy your favorite summer activities without leaving the comfort of your home.
Make Indoor S’mores
Nothing says summer quite like gooey, chocolatey s’mores. Recreate this classic treat at home by making s’mores in the oven or microwave. Layer graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows on a baking sheet and melt under the broiler for 5 minutes. You can also microwave s’mores between two graham crackers in 30 second intervals until the marshmallow puffs up. Get creative with different flavored ingredients like peanut butter cups, cookies, or fruit.
Have a Backyard Campout
Transform your living room into an indoor campground complete with tents, sleeping bags, and a pretend campfire. Use furniture to build sheet forts or pop-up a kid-sized tent. Cuddle up in sleeping bags and get cozy beside a fake fire created with red and orange tissue paper or an electric fireplace video. Tell stories, sing songs, and roast imaginary marshmallows for the full camping experience.
Set Up a Sprinkler or Slip ‘n Slide
Bring the thrill of running through the sprinkler indoors by laying down a plastic tarp or slide. Attach a hose with holes poked in it or connect a sprinkler to a water source. Make a slip ‘n slide by covering the tarp in dish soap. Wear your bathing suit and get ready to cool off with this wet and wild activity. For added fun, incorporate pool toys like water guns or noodles.
Make Ocean Bottles
Create miniature ocean scenes in reusable bottles. Fill containers halfway with water, vegetable oil, glitter flakes, beads, sea shells, and tiny plastic fish. Glue the lid on tight and shake up your ocean bottle to mimic waves and underwater motion. Display your ocean bottles on shelves or use them as decorative centerpieces. This is an easy way to bring a touch of the beach indoors.
Play Summer Sounds
Close your eyes and imagine summer with a playlist of sunny sound effects. Look up recordings of crashing waves, chirping birds, summer thunderstorms, crackling campfires, or crickets. Cast these summer sounds through a Bluetooth speaker to transport you to warmer weather. Creating a soothing soundtrack removes street noise and helps you feel like you’re relaxing on a tropical island or out in the countryside, no matter where you are.
Make Fruit Popsicles
Homemade popsicles are a refreshing way to recreate your favorite frozen summer treats. Blend together fresh fruit like mangoes, berries, pineapple, peaches, or watermelon with a splash of juice or milk. Pour into popsicle molds or small paper cups and top with craft sticks before freezing overnight. For extra flavor, add in chocolate chips, sprinkles, crushed nuts, coconut, or a swirl of peanut butter. Kids can get creative blending their own fruity flavor combinations.
Indoor Picnic
Spread out a picnic blanket on the floor and enjoy light summer foods from the comfort of your living room. Pack fresh fruits, veggies, sandwiches, chips and dip, lemonade or iced tea for easy portable foods. Bring out Frisbees or bubbles for some bonus indoor fun. Play summer music and soak up the sun shining through the windows. Get the picnic feel without sitting outside in the heat and bugs.
Backyard Obstacle Course
Set up a DIY obstacle course in your home using furniture and household items. Use chairs for hurdles to jump over, blankets to crawl under, hula hoops to step through, and tape lines or hops dots to follow patterns on the floor. Time yourself racing through your course or compete against family for bragging rights. Tailor your obstacles to match your space. This active activity will get your heart pumping on a hot day.
Conclusion
Beat the heat and boredom this summer by bringing all the fun inside. Get creative with campouts, sprinklers, ocean scenes, popsicles, picnics and more. These indoor activities will provide hours of entertainment, keep kids occupied on hot days, and let you enjoy summer from the comfort of home. With a little imagination, you can recreate classic summer fun without ever stepping outdoors. Stay cool and make the most of the season with these 8 ideas for indoor summer fun.
