Ah, it’s summertime and this is one of the best times of the year!
There are pool parties, vacations, sporting events, and most of your time is spent outside playing with the kids.
Oftentimes there is a summer party on the calendar whether you are hosting or attending. Personally, we always host a summer party because our son’s birthday is in the middle of July.
Therefore, we have tried many different summer party ideas for kids and I want to share with you some of our favorites.
These summer party ideas for kids are simple so you can forget about the stress, and you and the kids can stay cool on those hot days.
Let’s jump in!
Get Wet!
You can’t have a summer party without getting a little wet. Whether it is water balloons or water guns there is always some kind of water toy involved.
No more of those single water balloons you fill individually at the faucet which the kids leave running all day. If you haven’t tried these water balloons out yet you are seriously missing out!
You can fill 30 at once, pre-fill them before the party, and place them in a large tub. This are a great way to easily prep beforehand and enjoy more of the fun.
Let’s Talk About Those Water Guns
We choose to get a water gun for each person. this way everyone has their own and they are identical, so no one has an unfair advantage (and no complaining to you).
These also make for a great goodie bag gift. They get to play with it at the party and take it home with them and you can save money and time not having to make a ton of goodie bags. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Now about the refilling issue. Most people don’t have a pool for the kids to refill their water guns the whole time. This means they must use the faucet which is then left running all day and makes a muddy mess.
To avoid this, fill a large tub of water beforehand. Have it sitting in an easy place for the kids to refill their water guns and for you to refill the bucket when needed.
Grab Some Shades
Another great idea for inexpensive fun and to incorporate a goodie bag gift are sunglasses.
Have a bucket or basket sitting out with sunglasses for the kids to grab their own. They can use these while at the party and take them home.
Perfect when you feel like you have to have a goodie bag, but don’t have the time or money to make them.
Ok, You Want to Make a Goodie Bag
If you have the time and money and enjoy making goodie bags, this is perfect for a summer party.
Use a sand bucket and shovel and add beach/summer-themed items such as:
Fish/shark candy
Goldfish (or another fun snack)
Juice
Sunglasses
Float they can blow up
Small game
Bubbles
Goggles
Small pool toy (like torpedos)
Small beach ball
Small sand toy
Popsicle (if you add it right before they leave)
Water bottle
Small water gun
Beach towel
Frisbee
See how Kara’s Party Ideas made hers.
Game Time!
What’s a party without some games and of course there has to be water involved.
You can find lots of summer water games with a quick google search, but I want to share my favorite with you, Sharks and Minnows, with some added water of course.
This is my favorite go-to game because it is the perfect theme, can easily add in some water, and you don’t need any supplies. Yay!
If you don’t know how to play Shark and Minnows you simply start with one shark and everyone else are minnows. The minnows are in a line at one side of the yard and the shark is in the middle.
The shark will then tell the minnows to swim and they will try to run to the other side of the yard. The shark will try to tag as many minnows as they can. If a minnow is tagged, they become a shark. If a minnow made it to the other side of the yard then they are safe.
The sharks will then tell the remaining minnows to swim and they will try to run to the other side of the yard again. This will continue until there is only one minnow remaining which is the winner.
You can add in a sprinkler just for fun or as an extra shark. If a minnow gets hit by the sprinkler then they are a shark.
You can find more water games here.
Animal Adoption
A fun idea for that animal-loving kiddo of yours is to have an animal adoption center.
Whether it is puppies, bears, unicorns, or fish, any stuffed animal is great to adopt.
This idea can be used in multiple ways. You can have everyone pick out one as they leave or as they win a game.
It is also a great alternative to goodie bags (I think that may be a theme here).
You can get this printable sign from ItsyBelle Etsy shop.
Cool Off With a Drink
The kids are going to get hot and need a drink throughout the day. You may not want everyone in and out of the house all day so a great way to limit traffic is to have the drinks outside.
Yes, a cooler would be easy and you most definitely can go with that, but why not get a little cute with a kiddie pool. You can simply add some fun and add to your summer fun theme with a kiddie pool, ice, and your drinks.
We are a Gatorade-loving family and they are perfect for those hot days so we choose those, but any closed drink would work. Throw them in with some ice, add a cute umbrella and you are good to go!
Plus it adds an extra place for the kids to splash in if they don’t mind getting super cold.
Drink Pool Water!
Ok, not really! But how cute is this little added detail!
You can find many blue punch recipes on Pinterest. Many consists of blue Hawaiian Punch, Sprite, and pineapple juice, but here is the secret,,, they turn out looking like pool water that needs a bit more chlorine (blueish green).
So, I thought why make things more complicated. I know the kids like blue Hawaiian Punch and it’s already the perfect color. Just pour it into a cute drink dispenser and add the cute sign.
Use clear plastic cups and add a gummy fish to really make it come to life!
Please leave a comment if you know the perfect blue punch recipe that doesn’t end up green and that kids love to drink.
Time for food!
Every party has great food! Pizza is a given and trust me, I’ve ordered lots of pizza for parties. It’s easy and every kiddo loves it! However, that doesn’t have to stop you from getting creative and festive.
For your summer party add the chips, candy, and other snacks in some sand buckets. Use the sand shovels for the scoops.
Turn them on their side to make it easy to get and the perfect decor.
I Scream for Ice Cream
Ice cream is the perfect treat for a summer party! It’s tasty, easy, and cools everyone down. Plus there are so many flavors to choose from!
If you have a bit of time to prep and a small guest list, you could pre-scoop your ice cream, place the scoops into cupcake liners (or small bowls) and place them in a cupcake pan. Keep them in the freezer until dessert time.
This method works great if you want to have an ice cream bar. Each kiddo can have their scoop of ice cream in front of them and choose from the many different toppings.
You could also opt for a decorate your own cupcake option if your kiddos are the cupcake type.
This leaves everyone happy!
It’s Party Time
Now you have 10 simple summer party ideas for kids you can use this year! No need to have a stressful party when there are fun, festive, and creative ideas that are easy to do.
Leave a comment sharing your favorite activity, hack, or idea for a summer party.
You can find 115 more activity ideas to do with the kids here. These activities create amazing lifelong memories in the simplest ways.
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