At Home Summer Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers That Build Creativity and Learning
- Lucie Duffy
- May 5
- 4 min read
Updated: May 28
Summer brings longer days, slower routines, and more opportunities for meaningful family time at home. For many parents, it also brings the daily challenge of figuring out how to keep toddlers and preschoolers entertained without relying on screens all day long.
We reached out to The Gardner School, where my son attended for four years, to share some of their favorite at home summer activities for toddlers and preschoolers. A special thank you to their teachers and team for helping curate these simple, creative, and development focused ideas for families this summer.
Why Moms Love Simple Summer Activities at Home
Simple activities create opportunities for connection without adding pressure to already busy days. Many of these ideas encourage independent play, creativity, sensory exploration, movement, and learning while still being manageable for parents.
Play based activities also help toddlers and preschoolers build:
• Fine motor skills
• Early literacy and language development
• Creativity and imagination
• Problem solving skills
• Confidence and independence
• Social emotional learning
At Friend of a Mom, we love activities that feel approachable for real families while still creating meaningful moments kids will remember.
Outdoor Summer Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Nature Color Hunt and Collage
One of the easiest outdoor summer activities for toddlers is a simple nature color hunt. Head outside together and look for different colors in nature. Collect green leaves, flowers, sticks, stones, or petals, then bring them inside to create a collage.
Why moms love it:
• Easy setup using free materials
• Encourages outdoor exploration
• Combines sensory play with creativity
• Great for toddlers and preschoolers of different ages
Shadow Drawing Outside
Looking for simple STEM activities for preschoolers at home? On a sunny day, place toys outside and trace their shadows using paper, chalk, or crayons.
Later in the day, revisit the shadows and notice how they moved or changed shape.
Why moms love it:
• Easy outdoor learning activity
• Introduces early science concepts naturally
• Encourages curiosity and observation
• Works well for mixed age siblings
Memory Walk and Reflection Activity
After a walk around your neighborhood, backyard, or local park, sit together and talk about what you saw. Draw pictures, retell favorite moments, or act out parts of the walk together.
Why moms love it:
• Encourages conversation and connection
• Builds memory and storytelling skills
• Simple way to slow down together
• No prep required
Sensory Play Activities for Summer
Water Transfer Sensory Station
A water transfer station is one of the best low prep summer sensory activities for toddlers. Fill bowls or containers with water and provide cups, spoons, funnels, or pitchers for scooping and pouring.
This simple activity helps support:
• Fine motor development
• Coordination and concentration
• Sensory exploration
• Early problem solving skills
Why moms love it:
• Keeps toddlers engaged for long stretches
• Easy backyard or patio activity
• Minimal supplies needed
• Great calming activity during hot afternoons
Pretend Play and Imagination Activities
“Restaurant at Home” Dramatic Play
Pretend play is one of the best educational activities for preschoolers because it naturally supports communication, creativity, and confidence.
Set up a pretend restaurant at home using snacks, paper menus, toy food, or notepads. Your child can take orders, serve food, and role play different scenarios.
Why moms love it:
• Encourages independent imaginative play
• Supports language development
• Easy rainy day activity for kids
• Keeps children entertained without screens
Pretend Mail Delivery Around the House
Create simple notes or drawings and place them into envelopes for your child to deliver around the house like a mail carrier.
This activity supports:
• Gross motor movement
• Early literacy skills
• Independence and responsibility
• Imaginative role play
Why moms love it:
• Toddlers love having a “job” to do
• Encourages movement indoors
• Simple setup with household items
• Great for preschool pretend play
Family Story Basket Activity
Gather familiar household objects like toy animals, books, dolls, spoons, or boxes and place them into a basket. Invite your child to create a story using the objects.
Why moms love it:
• Encourages creativity and storytelling
• Supports vocabulary development
• Great quiet time activity
• Easy one on one connection activity
Easy STEM Activities for Preschoolers
“Build a Bridge” STEM Challenge
Using books, blocks, cardboard, or household materials, encourage your child to build a bridge strong enough to hold a toy.
Ask questions like:
• How can we make it stronger?
• What happens if we make it taller?
• Which materials work best?
Why moms love it:
• Encourages problem solving
• Builds confidence and persistence
• Great introduction to STEM concepts
• Uses materials already at home
Why Play Based Learning Matters for Young Children
Play is one of the most important ways toddlers and preschoolers learn. Through sensory experiences, pretend play, movement, and hands on exploration, children begin developing the foundational skills they will carry into every stage of learning.
Simple summer activities at home are doing far more than filling time. They are helping children build creativity, communication skills, emotional resilience, curiosity, and confidence.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) highlights that meaningful play supports creativity, social development, and critical thinking through experiences that feel natural and engaging for young children.
“Children learn best when they are immersed in experiences that spark curiosity and connection,” says Megan Olson, Executive Director of The Gardner School of Chicago – Bucktown. “These simple moments of play allow them to explore ideas, build confidence, and develop skills that carry forward into every stage of learning.”
Simple Summer Activities Can Create Meaningful Moments
Summer does not need to be packed with expensive outings or elaborate plans to feel memorable. Some of the most meaningful childhood moments happen through simple everyday play at home.
Whether it is sensory bins on the patio, storytelling in the living room, water play in the backyard, or pretend restaurants at the kitchen table, these small experiences help children build creativity, curiosity, confidence, and connection.
At The Gardner School, we believe these early learning experiences matter deeply. Whether in the classroom or at home, thoughtful play based activities help nurture a lifelong love of learning that extends far beyond summer.
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