fun in the sun activities jar! this week's summer spotlight!
- Jun 15
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 9
Monday, June 15, 2026
(This idea was first shared in a post dated 6/3/24.)
We are so happy to say HELLO once again!
As summer settles in and our calendars begin to fill with
sunshine, adventures, and family fun,
we're launching a new series
by taking a look back each week at one of our favorite summer posts.
After all, a good idea is always worth another look!
Get ready for our very first edition of This Week’s Summer Spotlight!
It’s the perfect antidote for the times when your Little(s) just don’t know what to do!
Our Fun in the Sun Activities Jar, filled with GRAND summer activities
will come in so handy
whether you care for your Littles daily,
once in a while or during a weekend visit…
AND it can be used over and over again
or easily adapted for other purposes!
While we are certainly at the stage of life
when we look at things through the lens of a grandparent,
the info we share is also meaningful for anyone
(1) who lives, works or spends time with Littles of any age
and
(2) who loves their family and loves making memories together!
Need a little inspiration on a long summer day?
Fill a "Summer Activities in a Jar" with fun ideas
and pull one out whenever you - and your Little(s) are ready for a new adventure!
1. Label your jar - write “Fun in the Sun” on it! We used a mid-sized mason jar, wrote the words and added some simple decor to a sheet of paper that we taped around the jar to secure it in place.
2. Cut out slips of paper OR use popsicle sticks. Write a different Fun in the Sun idea on each slip of paper/popsicle stick. We’ve provided a list below of some of our favorite ideas. Feel free to use the ideas from our list that work for you and your family or come up with your own ideas! Have a few extra blank slips available so you can add activities to the jar(s) that your Little(s) have really enjoyed or ones they think of throughout the summer months!
3. Keep the jar handy throughout the summer!
4. Next time you and your Littles are looking for an activity to do OR you hear that dreaded question, “What can we do NOW???” simply pick out an activity from the jar!
A FEW ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS…
☀️ The Jar’s Purpose Can Be Flexible!
During the summer, use your Activities Jar to choose ideas geared toward Summer Fun… keep scrolling for our ideas! These can then be used as a time filler, an extra on a rainy day or as a special treat! Your Little will come to look forward to choosing an activity if you use the jar sparingly! NOTE: Feel free to add new slips to the jar, change them out or reuse favorites ones, as well. The key is to be flexible!
Keep the jar and simply change the label and add different slips of paper to be used for other GRAND events like an overnight or during Spring Break. You can also use this jar (or a similar one) as a Quiet Time Jar, filled with solitary, peaceful options as an alternative to nap time for older Littles!
☀️ REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT!
Some of the ideas in your Summer Fun Activities Jar may be a “one and done” type of activity while others can be repeated over and over again. You and your Littles can decide if an activity is worth doing again and, if so, simply put the slip of paper/popsicle stick back in the jar - ready for another day!
☀️ Taking Turns!
If you have more than one
Little, be sure to have a system in place for taking turns when picking an activity out of the jar. If your Littles know ahead of time what to expect and you are consistent all will go well!. We usually let the youngest Little choose the first time and then rotate as we go!
Summertime definitely means fun in the sun! Most of these activities can be adapted for toddlers - elementary age kiddos and your infant Littles will enjoy watching all the action from a sheltered, shady spot, too! DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED and be sure to have sun hats and water bottles available, too!
And, of course, while we love the idea of a jar to house these ideas, you could also simply keep this post as a reference for fun options for activities to explore with our Littles throughout the summer! Our goal is to be flexible because, we’ve found, that’s when ideas are the most successful! You do what works for you! 🥰
And now… on to our ideas!
Get your slips of paper or popsicle sticks and markers ready and write down any of the following ideas that you think your Littles will enjoy!
❊ Play with Sidewalk Chalk!
It’s a summer staple! You can buy it at just about any store for very little money and it holds magic for many Littles! You can wet down store-bought chalk to create more vibrant colors. You can create murals, write your names in bubble letter art or write messages for other family members! Older Littles can build obstacle courses or roads or play games like hopscotch!
❊ Play Spray Bottle Freeze Tag!
The person who is “It” carries a spray bottle around. If other players get sprayed with water they are frozen until someone else tags them to unfreeze them!
❊ Wash Those Toys!
Your Littles will love giving their baby dolls a bath or sending their toy cars through the car wash! Set up a basin of water and let your Littles take it from there! Older Littles will enjoy washing their bikes!
❊ Bubbles! Bubbles! Bubbles!
Need we say more? Bubbles are entertaining for babies, dogs and Littles of all ages… including us Grands!. Need to get a little energy out? Get the bubbles out and see your Littles start to jump, dance and run!
❊ Create an Obstacle Course!
An obstacle course for Littles does not need to be complicated! All you need are some household items and a bit of yard space! Things like crawling, hopping, running, balancing and jumping will provide fun challenges for your Littles!
Need some Rainy Day fun? This is it! It’s a perfect indoor activity as your Littles plan the course, set it up and then have fun moving through it!
❊ Play Kickball, Croquet or Badminton!
Perhaps you have the equipment needed to play one of these classic lawn games! Imagine how fun it would be to introduce your Littles to a game from your own childhood!
❊ Fly a Kite!
On a windy day there’s nothing better! You can buy an inexpensive one to fly OR your Littles can make their own! These paper bag kites would be an easy option!
❊ Go for a Shadow Walk!
This is an oldie but a goodie! Did you play with your shadow when you were younger? Shadows intrigue our Littles and taking a walk while capturing the shadows around you with your phone/camera is a fun way to spend some time!
❊ Jump Rope!
This fairly inexpensive play and exercise tool is a classic! You can jump on your own or take turns jumping while others turn a longer jump rope! Check out these jump rope rhymes and chants or these jump rope games for more ideas!
❊ Run Through the Sprinkler! and/or Splash in the Kiddie Pool!
Do Littles these days run through the sprinkler? How fun would it be to introduce them to one of our own favorite pastimes as Littles! We think either of these options would be the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day!
❊ Make & Fly Paper Airplanes!
More flying fun for your school age Littles is in store when you set out white copy paper and let them design away! This link contains 4 awesome paper airplane designs that look amazing and fly really well!
❊ Have a Board Game Marathon!
This is another great activity for a rainy day or when it’s just too hot to be outside! Pick out a few favorite board games and have a marathon! Older Littles will have fun making a chart (perhaps with brackets) to keep track of who wins what! AND… don’t forget the power in introducing a new card game to Littles!
❊ A Balloon Challenge!
We found pool noodles for $1.25 each at Dollar Tree and it was money well spent for hours of fun! Blow up a few balloons and then let your Littles bat at them as you challenge them to keep a balloon (or multiple ones) in the air! NOTE: Paper plates also work well as paddles for your balloons!
❊ Set Up a Tent and Read Outside!
If you don’t have a tent, create a fort with a few blankets or towels and spend time reading outside! Sharing a chapter book with your Littles over a few days would be another wonderful way to share time together!
❊ A Water Balloon Toss!
Here’s a final classic for you and Littles, preschool and older! Do you remember this fun way to cool down in the summer? Players are divided into pairs with a water balloon for each pair. Line up pairs facing each other, about a foot apart. Players take turns tossing the water balloon to their partner, who tries to catch it without breaking it. After each successful round, players should take a step backward. The team that gets the farthest apart without breaking their balloon wins.
Here’s an easy way to set up a water balloon target practice on your driveway! Your older Littles will have fun aiming and will get some math practice in, too, as they keep track of the score!
❊ Paint with… Water!
Your toddler Littles will especially love this one and there’s no worry of making a mess which is a huge plus! Simply provide a bowl, a bin or a bucket of water and a few paintbrushes and let your Littles have fun! Last year, Little L loved painting paper on the sun porch and later she was busy painting the rocks, the leaves, the deck floor and even herself!! This year she may “paint” the garage door!
❊ Have a Picnic!
Make a picnic lunch to enjoy outside together! Be sure to let your Littles help plan and make your meal and then grab a blanket and head outside!
❊ Act Out a Favorite Fairy Tale!
Older Littles will have such fun with this and you can make it a BIG production or a simple skit depending on interest and how far they want to take it! Check out this post from last year filled with Fairy Tale Fun! You might even want to invite mom and dad to come and watch your LIttles’ theatrical debut!
Well, that’s it! That’s our list!!!
What would be on your list of Fun in the Sun activities to include in a jar?
We’d love to know!
Please share your ideas in the comments section at the end of this post!
so be sure to follow us there!
You can find lots of resources (including past years' summer themes)
on Pinterest, too… we’ve got quite a collection of ideas available!
We hope you’ll stop by often in the months ahead to check out future
Summer Spotlights and more!
And, don’t forget, you can always sign up to subscribe to our blog!
That way, you won’t miss it when we publish a new post!
Please join us for all the summer adventures to come!
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING SITES FOR FEATURING OUR POST!
Senior Salon Pit Stop from Scratch Made Food for Hungry People
Tuesdays with a.Twist from God's Growing Garden
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My granddaughter only likes doing the things she likes doing. We try to introduce new things based on things she lieks to do, but she just walks off if it's not how she wants it done. Thanks for joinignin with #pocolo
Hello this is one of my features for SSPS #416, thanks so much for taking the time to share with us each week!
What a wonderful list! I really like the shadow walk as well as the setting up a tent and reading outside. I used to have my students write on the chalkboard with water when I was a special education teacher. We practiced crossing the midline as well as many other things!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I am obsessed with the summer activity jar idea! I think I will do that for the girls this summer- never too old right? :)
Ahh! I remember making an activity jar with my girls when they were younger. It is a great way to keep the kids from being bored. What fun ideas!