How to Do Summer Camp at Home: 50+ Virtual Summer Camp Activities
This summer camp schedule of activities will inspire you to host summer camps for years to come!
If you're finding yourself facing the summer months at home with the kids this year, you're not alone. Summer camps and daytime activities all over the world have either been cancelled or are being hosted virtually. If you're a bit skeptical of virtual summer camps and you want your kids to experience some of the classic summer camp activties, why not throw your own summer camp at home?
To help keep kids occupied this summer (and to help keep you sane), we have rounded up some of our favorite activities for kids of all ages. Our collection was inspired by traditional summer camps and are organized by theme. We have found that by giving each week of the summer a different theme, it helps everyone feel organized, helps ensure variety, and gives us all something to look forward to. This summer camp at home schedule works well for homeschool summer camp, too.
Use these themes, or come up with your own! Some other fun theme ideas could be dinosaur week or princess week. Feel free to customize your DIY summer camp activities based on the specific interests of your kids. You can even let your kids help pick the themes!
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Table of Contents
Rainbow Week
Brighten things up with an entire week of rainbow crafts! Rainbow crafts are beautiful and a great way to bring cheer to even the gloomiest of days. For young kids, you can include a science lesson about how rainbows are formed when the sun comes out during rain because of the way the light reflects off the water. Kiddos love bright colors, and they will have so much fun with these projects.
This is a great rainbow sensory bin for a mixed age group, especially if you want a sensory material that can be used over and over again.
You can make learning more fun by creating this rainbow in a bag writing tray that works for all sorts of early learning activities from math to reading and beyond. This project is a colorful and fun way to practice writing by gently scratching your fingers across it.
It's not JUST the kids will be loving these tasty rainbow snacks and treats! There are some seriously AMAZING looking recipe in this collection of 25 rainbow snacks.
Drip Painted Rainbow Pots use the drip painting technique, which kids will love because it is simple and produces a rainbow effect. Make these painting projects for kids like these painted ceramic pots for unique gifts and garden crafts.
This Cool Popsicle Sticks Hand Fan craft shows you how to make a hand fan from paper and those wooden poles you use to hold your frozen treats. This beautiful and simple art project for kids is full of fun, and your children will love inventing their own designs and scheme of colors to make their fans look one-of-a-kind and stunning in every way.
Watch art and science mix with Exploding Rainbow Volcanoes. Rainbow crafts are even more fun when they're educational, and this one is perfect for kids of all ages. This experiment can be used to teach young kids about color mixing, and it's a great way to introduce older kids to basic chemistry concepts.
Science Week
Have some fun while learning with Science Week! Find all sorts of educational activities to do with the kids. You will be amazed at how easy it is to recreate some crazy cool science experiments at home!
Chances are if schools closed early for your kids this year, they may have missed out on some fantastic science lessons. You can bring the educational aspect into your at-home summer camp when you host space week.
Make this 3D solar system model with your kids. It's a great way to help them understand and remember all of the different planets.
With just a few short steps, you can make super easy homemade geodes without having to stage a treasure hunt or dig up your back yard. This project brings fun and education together at the craft table and makes a great activity for families, classes, and kids of all ages.
These fun and easy slime suncatchers are a great activity because they are two projects in one that kids will have a great time with. Any kid will love making a messy colored slime, but this project takes it up a notch by turning it into a beautiful suncatcher decoration for your windows.
Using this Amazing Color Changing Flowers Experiment you can teach your kids all about flower parts and how water is transferred through a plant! Instead of just telling them, you can show them with this colorful flower project.
Bring the magic of Hogwarts to your backyard with the Magic Potions Science Experiment. These glittery potions are an awesomely easy science experiment for kids.
This M&M Rainbow Candy Science Experiment is a simple science activity for kids to do at home.
Music Week
Music class may have ended early this year, but you can bring beautiful melodies into your home with music week! This is the craft that keeps on giving. Not only will making their own musical instruments keep the kids entertained for some time, but once the project is done, they get to keep playing with it! Find an instrument below (or several) to have the kids make this week.
These easy paper plate tambourines have a touch of glamour with a stained glass heart-cut out. An easy music-inspired kid’s craft that uses up materials you already have on hand!
Matching games for kids, like this one, will inspire an interest in music. This Music Note Matching Game is a very simple music theory activity that all music lovers will adore.
Get a taste of the world of music with The Most Simple Music Maker ever. Crafts with Popsicle sticks are always budget-friendly, and this fun music craft for kids is no exception.
Beat out the blues on a Rat-a-Tat Tin Can Drum. This drum is sure to put a smile on any toddler's face.
Sports Week
Sports camp may be cancelled, but not at your house! Host your own week of at-home sports camp this summer with these fun sports activities for the kids. These games and sports activities are sure to keep your kids occupied this year while their regular sports activites are on pause.
They shoot, they score! Goal! Little athletes will love playing with sports crafts for kids like these homemade PVC Soccer Goals. Soccer crafts like this are so much fun for kids and parents to work on together because they are a quick and easy way to set up a quick scrimmage. Kids are always looking for new outdoor activities to try, but once they have their very own soccer goals, they'll be busy becoming all-stars in the backyard.
Carnies may make these games impossible, but you can play carnival games for kids in your own back yard with this Handmade Ring Toss Game. Create fun rings and plant a stake so that anyone can play these homemade kids games all the time!
Bring back the old Jacks game you used to play for your kids this summer with this DIY Jacks Game craft. This homemade kid's game is colorful and fun for the little ones and is a nostalgic throwback to the times when games weren't on an electronic device.
No need to head to the local bowling alley for some bowling fun! You can recreate your very own bowling alley at home with some soup cans and a little bit of paint. The kids will love it!
"I built this target shooting game for our residents at the aged care home that I work at. I wanted to make a simple game that they would be able to play without too much effort. I decided to make it out of felt because it was a cheap option. If you can knit and want to make this game then you are made. Because we all know how velcro grabs on to woollen cardigans. This game is fun for any ages and big or small groups."
The Yard-zee DIY Backyard Game is going to transform your outdoor time this summer. This outdoor game idea is simple to make and sturdy enough to be used time and time again.
Kids don't need toys and games with lots of bells and whistles. They have good old-fashioned fun with homemade Pick Up Sticks! This beloved game has stimulated kids for generations!
For the football fanatics! This easy tutorial will teach you how to make a football out of paper, and a tabletop stadium using Legos.
Nature Week
Time to get outside and learn about nature! Let your kids explore the backyard or local park. There are endless possibilities to have fun in the sun! Kids can collect flowers, pine cones, and other materials to make incredibly beautiful projects. Nature crafts are awesome and the summer months are the perfect time to learn about life outside.
Maybe you're tuning in from the Southern Hemisphere and you're looking for summer camp ideas while there's a blanket of snow on the ground! Create these gorgeous frozen suncatchers and hang them in trees to add color to the all-white landscape. You can also modify this tutorial for indoor crafting by simply tossing these in the freezer.
Plenty of rare specimens are on display with the Butterflies And Bugs Coloring Page. With over 30 butterflies and bugs, this kids coloring page is certain to keep the young (and even the young at heart) occupied.
If you ever wanted to feel like a princess growing up, now you can! Make yourself a crown of flowers with this Daisy Chain Flower Crown.
Welcome the world of fairies into your life when you learn How to Make a Fairy Garden. Follow along with our fairy garden video and the full instructions below to create the cutest and most magical garden idea you can come up with.
Homemade suncatchers are fabulous activities to do with kids when you want to brighten up your windows with summertime decorations. This Majestic Butterfly Suncatcher will look gorgeous in your window when the flowers that your kids have picked show against the sunlight.
Your kids can learn how to grow grass in a jar with this craft idea for kids. This easy kids' craft also doubles as a cool science project idea. Your kids can use whatever materials they wish to create their funky and fun jar faces.
Arts and Crafts Week
Express your creative side! What summer camp doesn't have craft time? Below you'll find a variety of fun arts and crafts below that can be found at a traditional summer camp. From friendship bracelets to tie dye tutorials and more, you're bound to find a craft you'll love doing with the kids this summer.
This T-shirt bracelets DIY is a new twist on an old classic. Not only are you making a new kind of friendship bracelets, but you'll recycle a T-shirt too!
Once you learn how to tie dye shirts, no white tee will be safe again. This Rainbow Bright Tie Dye Shirt is colorful, fun and so easy to complete. Have the kids help create this delightful tie dye design.
Learn how to make finger paint for kids with just three ingredients. This super fun and surprisingly eco-friendly craft for kids is an excellent way to keep kids busy during a rainy day. Appropriate for all ages, this summer craft idea for kids would make a great afternoon project.
This Kid Friendly Stamp Toilet Paper Roll Craft will keep kids busy and creative after school or once the school year ends. Have them paint on construction paper or repurpose brown paper bags and turn those into a canvas.
Summertime means kids out of school, getting outside and a slower schedule. While I don't like to entertain my kids 24/7, I do like to plan some special crafts and activities to help keep the boredom at bay during rainy summer days. One of our favorites is dyeing our own yarn with Kool Aid.
With toilet paper rolls or paper towel tubes, you and the kids can make an entire village! This is a great craft to make if the weather outside is no good. They can choose their favorite colors to make these houses. When finished, they can set up their village and play with dolls or action figures.
Patriotic Week
Of course, this would be a fantastic series of projects to work on the week of 4th of July! Get your American history lessons in as you help the kids make these beautiful patriotic projects.
Most parents probably have a box of craft sticks lying around, so get the kids together and make these adorable wood flags! They make great garden decorations during the most patriotic week of summer.
Coffee Filter Flowers are a fun patriotic kid’s craft and a great addition to your 4th of July picnic table centerpiece! So easy to make with materials you probably have lying around the house! Kids love making crafts that are simple. It creates a sense of accomplishment in a short period of time.
Add some patriotic decor to your home with the Button Flag Tray. You can use this 4th of July craft to serve as the centerpiece on your table! This craft isn't for young children since buttons are a choking hazard. Have fun doing this one together with older kids.
A calm, sit-down activity that works for older kids and teens along with younger children. Print as many as you need for your patriotic celebration. This word search is great for relaxing a bit between yard games or killing time before dinner.
Get ready for the Fourth of July with this super simple bracelet pattern. The Fourth of July Beaded Bracelet only requires three materials: Perler beads, embroidery floss, and scissors. Perler beads are typically used to make designs that you melt and set with an iron. With this craft, however, they will keep their shape and be used as regular beads.
This is such an easy project for kiddos to help out with. Not all yarn projects have to be knit or crocheted! This Patriotic Yarn Wreath will show off your American pride.
Animals Week
What kiddo doesn't love animals? You'll find precious projects below for making a variety of animal crafts the little ones are sure to adore.
These adorable Pom Pom Birds can be made with items you already have around your home, making them the perfect project if getting to the store right now is a challenge. Scrap yarn makes the perfect bird's nest!
How adorable is this project based off the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle! Chances are your kiddos have read this book. Make a toy based on the book when you follow this super easy project.
Teach the kiddos basic hand sewing skills when they make this Adorable Puppy DIY Keychain! You only need a few basic supplies which are likely already in your stash. Kids can choose the dog breed when they pick different colors of felt. It's a great skill especially for older kids.
If you are looking for a fun and simple Christmas ornament idea this year, check out this Unicorn Ornaments DIY! Unicorns are magical and mystical, and your Christmas ornaments can be too when you make these simple wood slice unicorn ornaments. If your summer camp will involve a dash of Christmas in July, this project is not to be missed.
For this adorable Yarn Wrapped Chicks project, all you need is some paper, yarn, and adhesive! Let the kids pick out the yarn and paper color of their little chicks. There is no right or wrong way to make them or how much yarn to use, let them be creative and have fun with it!
You may hate the idea of turning on your oven in the heat of summer, but working with shrink plastic is the PERFECT rainy day craft! The pom poms and bright colors really make this the perfect cheery project for kids to do. Let them express their artistic side!
If you and your kids haven't gotten on the rock painting trend yet, you're missing out! Make these cute pebble animals using fabric scraps as an alternative to painting. This is a really easy and quick craft project to do. These pebbles look fantastic decorating plant pots in the garden or just for entertaining toddlers with.
