Summer Playdates that Will Keep Kids Moving

School is out and your munchkins might be wanting to fill up your social calendar.  Or it might be you who wants to fill it up to keep everyone busy and entertained.  We love meeting our friends to play and whether it is a formal or informal playdate.

Summertime lends itself to so many more options.  You can of course do your traditional, fun summertime playdates: meet at the pool, have a picnic at a playground, or go to the splash pad. My rarely tire of playground or pools, but it is fun to mix up our daily activities once in awhile.

Five Active Summer Playdates

We recently joined a playgroup and although we have only gone to a few of the playdates, they have been an absolute blast and the kids have loved it!  After our Mini 500 bike race, it gave me the idea to come up a list of five playdates (beyond the pool or park) that will keep kids active and moving this summer.  Whether it is a big playgroup, getting together with a couple kids or it is just your own, munchkins of all ages will love these outdoor activities!

1. Bike Race

Pack up your bikes and helmets and meet you friends at a park that has a nice loop or trail for a bike race.  I promise, the kids will love this.  Make it even more fun by bringing things for the kid to decorate their bikes.  Since we live in Indianapolis, we did this right before the Indianapolis 500 and the kids loved decorating their bikes with checkered and American flags.

Don’t forget the ride-on toys for the ones who can’t ride a bike (that was my mistake) because they will want to join in on the fun too.  Or they can just enjoy a nice little run around the loop.

 

2. Hike

What a better way to stay active and enjoy nature this summer than to enjoy a hike with a group of friends.  My kids love to go for hikes even if they are just short ones.  C likes to find treasures on the hike and M likes to climb and jump on anything he can. You might even find a nice trail that has a stream of water where you can take a break and get your feet wet or cool off for a bit. If you need tips for hiking with your kids, check out these two posts: Hiking with Kids Part I & Hiking with Kids Part II.

3. Obstacle Course

I am a huge fan of obstacle courses because the options are endless.  You can bring out fun toys you already have or even go to the dollar store and stock up on a few new outdoor items.  Growing up, my mom was the queen of obstacle courses (she still is).  My kids love going to Grammy’s to do a backyard obstacle course that always includes hopping on the big balls (hop balls).  Adding some of these pool noodle obstacles to your course is also an awesome idea.  You can even step up your game and have prizes for finishers or make teams and have a race.

4. Backyard Field Day

Everyone loves field day!  No matter the age of your munchkins, why not turn your backyard into a big field day and invite your friends over for a summer play date.  You can have water balloon relay races, get a game of dodgeball going and have a tennis ball throw.  I bet the parents would even love to join in for a little family vs. family competition.

5. DIY waterpark

During those hot summer days everyone loves a good pool, waterpark or splash pad.  Sometimes though if you have more than a couple of friends you are meeting, it can be difficult.  Why put your water toys together and create your own DIY waterpark in your backyard.  Sprinklers, bubbles, beach balls, hoses, baby pools and slip-n-slides– the options are endless!  Running in and out of the sprinkler provides hour of active entertainment that will make your kids ready for their afternoon nap.  Adding squirt guns and water balloons would just add to the fun.  You could even have multiple baby pools and have a theme for each pool.  The best thing is, the kids are all in one place and you know all the kids there.

I am all about kids being outside, using their imagination and moving their bodies and these playdate ideas do all of that.  We have knocked out the bike race, have hiked many times, and it is often that our backyard is turned into an obstacle course.  We can’t wait to do a backyard field day and a DIY waterpark soon!

Your turn- tell me!
What is your favorite play date?
How do you stay active with your kids in the summer?
What would you add to this list?