School's almost out! The long-awaited summer break has finally arrived—but now what? Whether your kids are enrolled in camps, embarking on family vacations, or staying home with you, the key to a smooth and enjoyable summer is structure. Without it, even the most relaxing days can quickly become chaotic. As a part-time stay-at-home parent and professional organizer, I’ve created the ultimate system for a fun, screen-balanced, and organized summer and I’m sharing all my tips with you. Even better, I’ve bundled everything into my Summer Activity Pack, so you can enjoy your summer stress-free. Let’s dive into how to make the most of your summer with four key strategies: Planning, Entertainment, Reward Systems, and Adventures.  

1. Planning Summer Activities for Kids

We all dream of lazy summer mornings and fewer responsibilities. But real life isn’t always like that—work doesn’t stop, and neither do household responsibilities. That’s why creating a loose summer plan can make all the difference. Here’s how I recommend getting started: 

 

  • Create Daily Themes: Mimic summer camp at home by assigning fun weekly themes. For example, “Make-It Monday,” “Water Wednesday,” or “Field Trip Friday.” This provides structure while keeping things exciting. 
  • Use Activity Planners: Map out each week with our printable Activity Planning Sheets from the Summer Activity Pack to stay on track. 
  • Build a Family Bucket List: Let everyone contribute their dream summer activities. This collaborative list helps prioritize what you can realistically do while building excitement. 
  • Pack Smarter: Whether it's a beach day or a backyard picnic, our Packing List Templates ensure you’re always prepared. 

Having a flexible plan ensures your days flow better and reduces the dreaded “I’m bored” or “I’m hungry” complaints.  

2. Summer Entertainment Ideas for Kids

Keeping kids entertained all summer doesn’t have to mean hours of screen time. I’ve created engaging and easy-to-use printables that offer dozens of screen-free ideas. Here’s what’s included in the Summer Activity Pack:  

  • “I’m Bored” Jar: 50+ printable cards with creative ideas like “make a comic book” or “have a dance party.” 
  • Drawing Challenge Game: Inspires artistic expression with 50+ fun drawing prompts. 
  • Building Challenge Cards: Encourage LEGO or block building with challenges like “build the tallest tower” or “design a zoo.” 
  • Treasure Hunt Cards: Ready-made indoor and outdoor clue cards make scavenger hunts a breeze. 
  • Reading Logs & Bookmark Trackers: Motivate summer reading with visual trackers that reward kids for reading up to 60 books. 
  • Family Dinner Conversation Starters: Bond at mealtime with engaging questions that spark connection. 
  • Game Ring of Ideas: A handy ring of family-friendly game ideas that require minimal materials. 

These tools make boredom a thing of the past and most importantly, they promote creativity, movement, and family connection.  

3. Creating a Reward System for Summer

Summer shouldn’t be a free-for-all. Maintaining a chore and reward system helps reinforce positive behaviors and reduces screen-time battles. What’s included in the pack:  

  • Printable Chore Charts: Easy to customize and reuse.  Just slip them into a binder sleeve or frame and check off daily tasks with a dry erase marker. 
  • Screen Time Rules & Checklist: Set expectations for screen use with a checklist kids must complete first. 
  • Screen Tickets: Earn screen time by completing chores or good behavior by fill in the minutes and track screen use easily. 
  • Reward Coupons: Fun printable coupons for earned privileges like choosing dinner, a family movie night, or staying up late. 
  • Surprise Tags: Use them to announce surprise trips, treats, or even countdown to vacations! 

These systems create consistency while motivating kids to pitch in and earn their fun.  

4. Summer Adventure Activities for Kids

From quick day trips to cross-country travel, adventure is what makes summer memorable. That’s why the Summer Activity Pack includes helpful tools to organize and preserve travel memories: 

 

  • Packing Lists: Simplify travel prep with ready-to-fill templates for any type of trip. 
  • Travel Journal: Encourage kids to reflect, write, and draw about their trips with structured journaling pages. 
  • Travel Log: Use the U.S. and world maps to track where your family has traveled.  It's a geography lesson and memory keeper all in one! 

These tools help your kids stay engaged and give your travels a more intentional and memorable twist.  

Keep It Simple—And Fun!

At the end of the day, summer doesn’t need to be extravagant to be special. Think about your own childhood summers, popsicles, sprinklers, playing outside with friends. Simplicity and structure are all it takes to make summer magical. All of the printable tools and activities I’ve mentioned are included in the from Life’s Lists. They’re tested by my own family and designed to help yours thrive this summer. 

Happy Organizing! Kristin Vander Wiede Professional Organizer & Creator of Life’s Lists