40+ June Activities for Crafting Your Most Memorable Summer Start!

As a parent, June can be a very hectic month with the kids always home. That is why I have come up with several exercises and activities (some educational, others purely recreational) that will help you keep your child 🧒 engaged, entertained, and stimulated. 

June is the start of the summer and it is when I try to plan several outdoor activities because the weather isn’t so bad yet. 

With these activities, you can help your child decorate their rooms, learn to appreciate the diversity in our country and strengthen their fine motor skills, amongst other things. 

Interesting June Activities For Kids

The activities, exercises, games, and snacks mentioned in the following section aims to give busy parents 👪 some idea to plan events for the month of June when the kids are home from school. These activities are a good mix of educational, informative, and purely recreational. 

With many important milestones celebrated in the month of June, I have tried to incorporate activities that will help you observe those days in a meaningful way. Hopefully, with these activities, you can create a fun atmosphere for the kids at home. 

Ice Cream In a Bag 

Who doesn’t enjoy a heaping bowl of ice cream 🍦 in June? Teach your child how to make their own ice cream. My kids had so much fun putting their spin on the ice cream and wanted to make ice cream throughout the summer. 

What you need- 

Heavy cream, vanilla extract, large ziplock bag, plastic container, sugar, and ice. 

Steps- 

• Fill a large plastic container with ice cubes 🧊 and icy water. Cover the ice cubes with 6 tablespoons of kosher salt. 
• Pour a cup of heavy cream into the large ziplock bag along with two tablespoons of white sugar and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract. 
• Ask you to get all of the air out of the ziplock bag and zip it. Once done, put the ziplock bag into the plastic container with the ice and place it in the freezer. 
• Ask your child to shake the bag every 15 minutes for an hour until the ice cream reaches its desired consistency. 
• Let the ice cream🍦 sit in the freezer for another hour. Your ice cream is ready.  

Pro Tip: 

You can change the flavor of the ice cream 🍦by replacing the vanilla extract with any other extract. My kids chose to make butterscotch and rose-flavored ice cream. 

Flower Crown 

With the summer in full bloom and the kids at home for vacations, my kids love to spend their time role-playing as explorers in their fantasy land. So, I helped them make these flower crowns 👑 as their characters love nature. 

What you need- 

Collect different flowers with long stems, thread, and a threading needle. 

Steps- 

• To make a crown, take a string of thread the size of your child’s head and tie it to a needle. 
• Stick the needle through the center of the flower 🌸and its stem. 
• Repeat the process until there is no room left for other flowers. Tie the thread. 

Pro Tip: 

You can replace the thread with a malleable and thin metal wire for a more sturdy crown.  

Plant a Fairy Garden 

International Fairy Day, celebrated on June 24, is a global holiday dedicated to celebrating and uplifting mythical creatures from famous fairytales.

To celebrate the day, children all around the world are encouraged to create a fairy garden. I helped my kids create a container fairy garden. 

What you need- 

A wooden crate, pebbles 🪨, soil, a small bowl, and twigs. 

Steps- 

• Take a large wooden crate and fill it halfway with soil. 
• Place a small bowl in the middle of the crate and add more soil to cover the side of the bowl 🥣, leaving an inch at the sides. 
• Fill the bowl with water and place pebbles, marbles, and rocks around the bowl. 
• Build the fairy’s house using twigs, small branches, flowers 🌸, and other natural materials. Your fairy garden is ready. 

Pro Tip- 

Ask your children to decorate the garden with as many natural objects as they can. They can even paint the fairy’s house. 

Paper Plate Puffer Fish Craft For World Ocean Day 

World Ocean Day takes place annually on June 8th. The day is meant to celebrate the ocean and signify its role in our lives along with educating people about ways to protect it. This activity is perfect for preschoolers and toddlers. 

What you need- 

Paint, paintbrush, markers, glue, scissors ✂️, cotton ear cleaners, and white paper plate.  

Steps- 

• Take a paper plate and ask your child to paint it as they wish. 
• Some puffer fish 🐟tend to be spotted. So we used some white paint and dipped the cotton ear cleaners in it to make the spots. 
• Once the paint has dried, help your child to cut slits on the edge of the paper plate. Remove every other slit and trim the spine of the paper plate a little shorter. 
• Make two fins using construction paper and paste them on the back of the puffer fish. 
• Using the marker, make the puffer fish’s eyes and add other features. 

Build an Obstacle Course in your Backyard 

With the help of your kids, build an obstacle course in your backyard using household materials like jump ropes, stones, water hoses, tire swings 🛞, and hula hoops. 

After providing my children with the objects necessary for making the obstacle course, they designed the entire course themselves and throughout the summer they kept making new obstacles and competing to see who could finish it the fastest. 

Create posters for Juneteenth 

Juneteenth is a national holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

This activity is meant for third and fourth-graders who have an idea about the history of slavery in America. Ask your child to create a poster to celebrate Juneteenth. 

Pro Tip: 

The posters can contain portraits or quotes of famous Civil Rights Activists. My son dedicated his poster to Reverend Al Sharpton. 

Visit an Aquarium 

The entire world celebrates World Ocean Day on June 8th. This World Ocean Day 🌊, I took my kids to the local aquarium where we took a guided tour about marine life.

My kids loved the tour, they learnt a lot about the eating habits of the animals and even got the chance to feed the sea lion. 

Rainbow Hand Painting 

My kids absolutely loved making this painting and now want to paint with their hands 🖐️ exclusively. 

What you need- 

A pair of gloves, kid-safe acrylic paint, construction paper, and brushes. 

Steps- 

• Wear a pair of gloves (This step is optional but I recommend it if you do not want your hands 🖐️or your kid’s hand to stain with paint color). 
• On a paper plate, squeeze little dollops of all of the colors in a rainbow 🌈 
• Take a paintbrush and start painting your child’s hands🖐️ in a pattern. Do not mix the colors with one another. 
• Ask your child to place their hand 🖐️on the paper and create their unique art. 

Draw a Rainbow with Chalk 

Help your child draw a rainbow 🌈 with chalk on your sidewalk or pavement to celebrate Pride Month during June. While helping your child draw the pride rainbow, explain what each color represents. 

Talk about the significance and history of the pride flag, along with the significance of celebrating Pride Month.

Paper Cut Octopus Craft 

My kids love the ocean and like visiting the aquarium. Therefore, with World Ocean Day upon us, we decided to do this simple craft to celebrate the majesty of marine life. 

What you need- 

Paper cups, scissors, paint, paintbrush, markers, glue, and googly eyes. 

Steps- 

• Take a paper cup and make eight cuts (for the eight legs of the octopus), that go halfway through the cup. Open these flaps to form a flower. 
• Ask your child to select their favorite color and paint the cup properly with the paintbrush. Let the paint dry completely. 
• Use the markers to draw tiny spots on the body of the octopus🐙 . 
• Using the glue, paste the googly eyes on the cup and the octopus 🐙 is ready. 

Plastic Bag Kites 

If the wind is really strong where you live and you have plenty of plastic bags in your storage, then making a plastic bag kite 🪁 for your kids will keep them engaged for hours. 

What you need- 

• Plastic bag and embroidery floss. 
• Tie the floss to the plastic bag and your kite is ready. 
• Let your kids run around with the kite until they get bored. 

Pro Tip: 

You can also create kites 🪁out of recycled newspaper. 

Dad Portraits for Father’s Day 

Father’s Day is usually celebrated in the middle of June. Help your kids to make a portrait for their father as a gift. 

My son and daughter helped each other create the ultimate portrait with the help of cardboard cutouts and paints. Let your child express their creativity and appreciation towards their Dad. 

Engage your child in a conversation about Pride Month 

It is never too late to have an age-appropriate conversation about Pride Month and its significance for the LGBTQ+ community.

When I had this conversation with my kids, I taught them about the challenges, prejudice, and injustices faced by the LGBTQ+ community and the importance of being inclusive. 

Having these conversations will help them be more compassionate towards LGBTQ youth in their school and other people in their lives. 

Father’s Day Cookies 

These sugar cookies are super easy for children to make. My kids wanted to write a fun message for their father on their cookies 🍪. 

What you need- 

Letter cookie cutters, normal cookie cutters, store-bought cookie 🍪dough, and Airheads. 

Steps- 

• On a clear surface spread some flour and help your child roll out the store-bought dough into a thin layer. 
• Use a cookie 🍪cutter to cut your cookies in the desired shape. 
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cookies on it. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for the dough to set. 
• On a piece of parchment paper, place Airheads and heat in the microwave. 
• Use the letter to make the Airhead letters and use them to make words and phrases on the cookies. 
• Bake the cookies🍪 for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cookie is golden brown. 

Read books about Juneteenth 

There are several children’s books 📗available on the topic of Juneteenth that do a great job of teaching all kids about the cultural impact of Juneteenth, why it is celebrated, and why it is so important. 

It certainly helped me and my kids to learn about the experiences of African Americans in our country. I have observed that with these books📗, my kids have some base-level understanding of race relations in our country. 

Pro Tip: 

My kids and I read the following books📗- Juneteenth For Mazie, Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Juneteenth Jamboree, and The First Day of Freedom. 

Starfish Button Craft 

If your kids love the ocean and are fascinated by marine life, then this starfish ⭐ button craft is the perfect DIY decoration for their room. 

What you need- 

Buttons of different shapes and sizes, glue, paper, marker, and scissors. 

Steps- 

• Ask your child to draw a star⭐ on a sheet of paper and then assist them while they cut it using scissors. 
• Give your child an assortment of buttons along with glue and ask them to decorate their star as they wish. 

Backyard Scavenger Hunt 

Do you want to tempt your children into spending their summer vacations outdoors? Then you should plan a backyard scavenger hunt for them.

Place random household items all around your backyard and shed and hand your child a basket with a list of those items. 

Pro Tip: 

Make the hunt more interesting by making the hunt into a competition with the winner getting a prize. 

Rainbow Crayons 

Do your kids have several broken crayon stubs bobbing around in their bags? Then, I highly recommend repurposing these discarded crayons into a rainbow-themed 🌈crayon that also serves as a metaphor for the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community. 

What You Need- 

Broken crayons, silicone cupcake molds, and a baking sheet. 

Steps- 

• Lay several cupcake 🧁molds on a baking sheet inches apart from one another. 
• Remove all of the paper from the broken crayons.
• Now, start placing these broken crayon stubs in the molds at random. 
• Place the baking sheet in an oven set at 250℉ for about 10 minutes or until the crayons have melted. 
• Let them cool until they are sold and then they are ready. 

Pro Tip- 

Do not fill the cupcake molds up to the brim with crayons as the melted crayons might leak from the molds.  

Take your kids to a Pride Parade 

Many cities around the US have Pride parades🌈, festivals, and marches during the month of June.

I would recommend you take your kids to events that highlight LGBTQ voices and showcase artwork to show your support for the community. 

Pro Tip: 

You can also take your kids to any Pride-theme local museum events for a quick history lesson. 

Video Games On Father’s Day 

Encourage your kids to spend quality time with their fathers on Father’s Day by playing their father’s favorite video games🎮 from when he was a young boy. 

Teach about reparations 

This activity is meant for 10 to 12-year-old children. I used the month of June and the day of Juneteenth as an opportunity to speak to my children about the Black Lives Matter Movement and the meaning and purpose behind the African-American community seeking reparations from the U.S. Government. 

Watermelon Playdough Counting Game

This exercise will help your little ones with their counting skills and number recognition 🔢. Create flashcards with a barren watermelon 🍉 (aka no seeds) and a random number on the side. 

Give these flashcards to your child along with black playdough and ask them to make seeds in correspondence with the number on the sheet. 

Pro Tip: 

You can also ask your kid to use the playdough to make the number on the sheet. 

Pride-Themed Artwork 

Help your kids design Pride-themed artwork. Show them different Pride flags for inspiration and let their creativity do the rest. 

Barefoot Play Time On Grass 

This is an activity that barely requires any prep from parents but can do wonders for you and your child’s mental health. 

Walking barefoot on grass 🌾 has shown to reduce stress and improve sleep. This summer encourage your kids to play, read books, or do their homework on the grass. 

Shell Sorting Exercise 

Are you going to the beach this June? Then, ask your child to collect as many shells as they can while they play in the sand. Once you are home, wash the shells 🐚and give them to your child along with chopsticks. 

Challenge your kid to use only the chopsticks to sift through the pile of shells and sort them into different types of shells based on their shape and size. My kids loved this exercise and were stimulated by it. 

Pro Tip: 

This game aims to strengthen your child’s hand-eye coordination and can be played with other household items as well. 

Treat Your Father to Ice Cream on Father’s Day 

My kids are really young but they love to treat their father 🧒 on Father’s Day with ice cream (mostly because they want to have ice cream), their father tends to happily oblige to this offer as well. 

Attend a Juneteenth Celebration 

Most cities have some sort of a festival, barbeque, or get-together where people come together to celebrate Juneteenth.

My kids and I went to a Juneteenth celebration recently where there were readings of popular books by Black authors, stalls by black-owned businesses, live music, and several speakers who spoke about Juneteenth and its importance. 

I highly recommend that you visit such an event with your kids as well. 

Father’s Day Inspired Rock Art 

With Father’s Day 🧒around the corner, this rock art project can be a perfect gift. They can be used as paperweights as well. 

What you need- 

Smooth stones, black and white acrylic paint, permanent markers, and a small wooden crate. 

Steps- 

• Ask your kids to paint the pebbles black. When the black paint has dried, draw a white circle with the paint on one side of the rock. Let the pebbles dry completely. 
• When the pebbles have dried, ask your child to write words in each pebble that describe their father using the permanent marker🖊️. 
• Place the pebbles in the wooden crate. This Father’s Day gift is ready to be gifted. 

Pro Tip: 

My kids decided to keep the wooden crate barren but if your kids want to decorate it, then let them. 

Show Pride-related Videos to Your Kids 

Videos like ‘The Trevor Project’s: Pride Everywhere’ do a great job at explaining what Pride is, why it is important, along the discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ 🌈 people throughout several centuries. You can find several other videos on this topic for children on YouTube.  

Visit a Theme Park on Father’s Day 

My kids, like their father, are adrenaline junkies who love going to the local theme park 🎢whenever it is possible.

Therefore, this summer they have planned to treat their father with a visit to his favorite theme park on Father’s Day. 

Take Your Kids on a Field Trip to a Black History Museum 

There are many museums around the country which are dedicated to Black history. My kids and I recently visited a Black History Museum which had several educational installations for kids and adults alike. 

Rainbow Fruit Kebabs 

This fruit kebab 🍢is a fun way to make your kids eat their fruits during the summer. Packed with water, vitamins, and minerals, fruits make us feel cooler in the summer heat. My kids loved assembling their kebabs. 

What you need- 

Mango, bananas 🍌, strawberries, purple grapes 🍇, blueberries, and kiwi fruit 🥝. 

Steps- 

• Peel and chop one mango 🥭 and kiwi fruit. 
• Place all of the fruits in a large bowl and give your children wooden skewers. 
• Ask your child to arrange the fruits in the order of the rainbow. Your fruit kebabs are ready. 

Pro Tip- 

If your kids are not fans of a certain fruit then replace it with another fruit of similar color. 

Read Children’s Book with LGBTQ+ Characters 

As our society has socially progressed over the decades, we can now find several children’s novels that capture a variety of LGBTQIA experiences.

I have read several age-appropriate children’s books centered around LGBTQIA🌈 characters to teach my kids that they shouldn’t be afraid of diversity. 

Celebrate Juneteenth with Red Foods 

Did you know that it is a cultural tradition to consume red foods and drinks to commemorate Juneteenth? The color red is meant to symbolize the bloodshed faced by the slaves during the transatlantic slave trade. 

However, white supremacists used this to create racist food stereotypes to depict Black people. On this Juneteenth, help your kids learn the history and significance of the food eaten on this date.

Build A Fort 

Help your children and their friends build an outdoor fort this summer using sturdy logs, branches, flowers 💐, and leaves. The fort can be a fun place for the kids to go to read books 📕or play board games. 

Pro Tip: 

An indoor fort is also a great summertime activity. Last year, my kids tried to build an indoor fort using pillows and blankets.

Have a Conversation with a Friend or Family Member from the LGBTQIA community 

I know that this might seem like an odd activity but if you are close with a friend or family member who belongs to the LGBTQIA community, then you should encourage your kids to ask them what Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈 means to them, amongst other topics. 

Help them navigate the conversation in a respectful manner. 

Visit a Petting Zoo 

If you live near a petting zoo or are visiting a state with a petting zoo, then I highly recommend taking your kids to the petting zoos.

This can be a very enriching experience for the children as they can hold the animals 🐻‍❄️, play with them, and even feed them.

It also taught them a great deal about how resourceful farm animals are. 

Watch Movies/Educational Videos About Juneteenth 

In the current political climate, as a parent, I am trying to raise kids who are compassionate and kind towards people who are different from them. Movies are a great medium of education. 

Watching movies and TV 📺shows by Black creators has taught me a lot about the Black experience in America.

I personally recommend showing your kids the “Juneteenth” episode of Black-ish and ‘Juneteenth: Freedom at Last” by Minnesota History. These videos do a great job at tackling the subject of Juneteenth for kids. 

Rainbow Beverage 

In June, it is hot and everybody gets sweaty. This rainbow-themed🏳️‍🌈 beverage is the perfect summer treat for your kids. My kids were mesmerized by how the liquids didn’t mix with each other.  

What you need- 

Strawberry Kool-Aid, sugar, orange juice, club soda, and blue food coloring. 

Steps- 

• Use a packet of strawberry 🍓 Kool-Aid to make red syrup. In a cup of water add half a cup of sugar and let it come to a boil. Take it off the heat and mix strawberry Kool-Aid. Leave the mixture aside in the fridge. 
• Mix some blue food coloring into some club soda. 
• Fill half of your serving glass with orange🍊 juice and ice. 
• Ask your child to hold the back of the spoon over the glass and pour the desired amount of Kool-Aid syrup. Repeat the process with the blue cub soda. Your drink is ready. 

Pro Tip- 

You can also add lemonade or pineapple juice to the mix if you want. 

Jellyfish Craft 

When I took my kids to the aquarium this June, I saw them absolutely mesmerized by the Jellyfish. 

What You Need- 

Paper plates, googly eyes, loose yarn, punch hole, paint, and paintbrush. 

Steps- 

• Cut a third of the paper plate. Ask your child to paint the paper plate with their favorite color using the paintbrush. 
• Using the punch hole, punch hole along the straight line of the paper plate. 
• Take some loose thread and feed it through each hole. 
• Paste the googly eyes on the paper plate and with a marker ask your child to add other features to the jellyfish. 

Conclusion 

June is the first month home for the kids after a busy school 🏫 year. Since it is not so hot during June, I like to make my kids 👪 spend as much time outside as possible with the help of the aforementioned activities and plans. 

My kids were able to learn so much through these exercises and visits to museums and I hope that your kids are able to do the same. 

Tell me in the comments down below if you were inspired by any of the activities, learning exercises, and snacks listed above or the changes you made to cater to your child.  

More To Explore: