31 Backyard Activities to Keep Kids of All Ages Busy This Summer

We've all been met with the dreaded "I'm bored" moments while the kids are out of school. 

If you're like us, coming up with new ideas to keep our kids busy during the summer is getting tough. 

That’s why we’ve put together a list of backyard activities for kids of all ages that are easy to set up and can provide hours of fun, turning your outdoor space into the ultimate boredom-buster zone!

Check out the full list that's separated by age group for easy scanning.

Boredom No More!

Check Out These Outdoor Summer Activities for Tots to Teens

Toddlers
Preschool & Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Tweens (Ages 8-12)
Teens (Ages 13+)

Summer Activities for Toddlers

1. Water Table Fun

Set up a toddler-friendly water table in the shade of your screen enclosure or under a motorized pergola to keep little ones cool and entertained. Add floating toys, mini cups, and plastic animals to spark imaginative play. It’s the perfect setup for sensory exploration without the stress of a full pool.

2. Bubble Station

Toddlers love chasing bubbles, and a designated bubble zone on your screened patio or covered lanai keeps the activity contained and shaded. Set out a few bubble wands and a no-spill tray, and let the giggles begin! Bonus points if your pergola has integrated fans to keep bubbles floating longer.

3. Sidewalk Chalk Art Zone

Create a toddler-safe chalk art area on the patio or inside a screen enclosure to avoid slippery messes in the yard. Add a small table or outdoor easel for vertical scribbling fun, and rinse it all down easily at the end of the day.

4. Backyard Storytime Nook

Add some oversized outdoor pillows and a toddler-friendly play mat under your pergola or in a glass room. Settle in for some cozy one-on-one time with their favorite picture books—it’s a relaxing activity that keeps everyone cool and connected.

5. Mini Obstacle Course with outdoor Pillows and Pool Noodles

Transform your screened-in patio or under-pergola area into a pint-sized adventure zone. Arrange pillows to climb over, pool noodles to step between, and a tunnel to crawl through. It’s soft, safe, and shaded. Best of all, everything stores easily when playtime’s over.

6. Musical Instrument Garden

Place pots, pans, and metal lids under your motorized louvered pergola, and hand your toddler a wooden spoon. You’ve just created a DIY percussion zone. The overhead cover keeps things shaded and cool while giving your little one a space to bang and clang to their heart’s content (without shaking the whole house).

7. DIY Toddler Ball Pit

Toss some plastic play balls into a small kiddie pool and set it on the covered patio for instant entertainment. This easy setup works great under a louvered pergola or inside a screen room, where you can control the sun and breeze. It’s soft, safe, and contained—a toddler dream come true.

Summer Activities for Preschool & Early Elementary (Ages 4–7)

1. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Turn your backyard into a mini nature reserve with a scavenger hunt list: find a smooth rock, spot a butterfly, and collect a fallen leaf. If you have a screen enclosure over your patio, it’s the perfect place to regroup, tally finds, and enjoy a shady snack break.

2. Backyard Camping with Tents and Flashlights

Pitch a pop-up tent under your motorized pergola or next to your outdoor kitchen, string up some LED lights, and let the adventure begin. Kids can tell stories by flashlight, munch on s’mores made at the grill, and fall asleep to the sounds of summer. It's a safe, breezy alternative to roughing it in the woods.

3. DIY Car Wash (for Bikes, Toy Trucks, or Scooters)

Set up a kid-size car wash station with a bucket of soapy water, sponges, and a garden hose under your covered patio. Your screen room or pergola offers a shaded zone to help keep the suds under control while giving your little detailers a fun, hands-on activity that also (conveniently) cleans their ride.

4. Mud Kitchen Play Zone

Designate a corner of the backyard for messy, creative play with buckets, old kitchen tools, and plenty of dirt. If your outdoor living area includes a screen enclosure or paved patio space, this mud kitchen setup stays contained and is easy to clean up. Just add water and let the “cooking” begin.

5. Bean Bag or Ring Toss Games

Create a backyard game zone with DIY toss games, like bean bags into baskets, rings onto cones, or even water balloons into buckets. A louvered pergola lets you control the sun so kids can play longer without getting overheated. It’s a great way to build hand-eye coordination while burning off some energy.

6. Sprinkler Dance Party

Hook up a fun sprinkler attachment and crank up the music for an all-out dance party on the lawn. The best part? Kids can run through the water, dry off on your screened-in patio, then head right back out again. It’s Florida summer fun at its most joyful, and it keeps them cool.

7. Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest

Break out the big tub of sidewalk chalk and host a friendly art contest. Your driveway, patio, or paver-covered pergola space becomes the canvas, and your kids are the artists. Add a judging panel (a.k.a. you and the dog) and small prizes for extra fun.

8. Fairy or Dinosaur Garden Building

Set aside a planter box, a corner of your screened porch, or a shaded garden bed, and let your imagination run wild. Kids can use small toys, rocks, moss, and sticks to build homes for fairies or dino hideouts. It’s creative, screen-free fun that sparks storytelling and make-believe.

Summer Activities for Tweens (Ages 8–12)

1. Outdoor Movie Night with DIY Snack Stand

String up a sheet, grab a projector and transform your screen enclosure or patio into the ultimate backyard movie theater. Add a DIY snack bar with popcorn, candy, and fizzy drinks for the full experience. With a motorized pergola or covered space, your tech and treats stay protected no matter the forecast.

2. Mini Putt-Putt Golf with Household Items

Create your own backyard mini golf course using pool noodles, solo cups, and cardboard ramps. Use the flat surface of a paver patio or turf-covered space under your pergola to keep it smooth and playable. Challenge your kids to design the course layout—then try to beat their score.

3. Slip ’n Slide Relay Races

Bring on the speed with a twist on the classic Slip ’n Slide. Set up lanes on a gentle grassy slope and add team challenges like carrying a sponge or tagging a teammate mid-slide. After the races, your screen room or patio is the perfect place to dry off with snacks and high-fives.

4. Build-Your-Own Bird Feeder Project

Grab some pinecones, peanut butter, birdseed, and string. It’s time to attract feathered friends! Hang the finished feeders from a pergola beam, screened porch, or even a nearby tree. Then, kids can hang out and watch their winged visitors stop by for a snack.

5. Backyard Science Experiments (Like a Baking Soda Volcano)

Set up a backyard science zone for fizzy, messy, awesome experiments. Whether it’s building a volcano, launching a baking soda rocket, or creating slime, your outdoor kitchen counter or enclosed patio provides a washable workspace for big reactions. Just add goggles and let curiosity take the lead.

6. Water Balloon Dodgeball

Turn your backyard into a splash zone with water balloon dodgeball. Split into teams, define the boundaries, and let the laughter begin. Use your pool enclosure or shaded pergola area as the perfect base for reloading, refereeing, and watching the action unfold.

7. Backyard Survival Skills Course

Challenge tweens to build a shelter, identify edible plants (with your help!), or purify water with simple tools. A mix of fun and practical, this activity is perfect for wooded backyards or homes with creative outdoor zones. Plus, the screen room makes a great “base camp.”

8. Giant Jenga or Outdoor Board Games

Break out oversized versions of your favorite games—Giant Jenga, Connect Four, or backyard checkers—and host a neighborhood showdown. Set it all up on your patio or under the pergola for shade and easy cleanup. It’s low-tech fun with high replay value.

Summer Activities for Teens (Ages 13+)

1. Backyard Hangout Zone with String Lights and a Fire Pit

Give teens a place to chill that feels like theirs. Add string lights, comfy outdoor seating, and a fire pit for the ultimate evening vibe. Under a motorized pergola or inside a screen enclosure, it’s a cozy hangout that’s protected from bugs, rain, and boredom.

2. Outdoor Photo Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of fun, quirky, or artsy items for teens to find and photograph around the yard. It’s part adventure, part Instagram mission. If you’ve got a pool enclosure, pergola, or unique landscaping features that make great photo backdrops.

3. Lawn Games Tournament (Cornhole, Spikeball, etc.)

Turn your yard into tournament central with a friendly bracket of lawn games. Host the cornhole championships under your pergola, set up spike ball in the grass, and let the competition heat up. Add refreshments from the outdoor kitchen, and you've got an all-day event.

4. Outdoor Yoga or Dance Session

Roll out the mats and play their favorite playlist. It’s time for some movement in the sunshine (or under string lights after the sun goes down)! A shaded patio or louvered pergola keeps things cool while creating the perfect zen setting for yoga, stretching, or freestyle dance parties.

5. Paint-and-Sip Night with Mocktails

Set up easels, canvases, and a few mocktail recipes, and let your teens channel their inner artist. Screened patios or covered outdoor kitchens with seating make great pop-up art studios. They'll be protected from the elements but still outdoors where the creativity flows.

6. Garden Planting or Herb Box Project

Whether it’s tomatoes, basil, or succulents, teens can design and plant their own container garden or raised bed. A sunny spot near your screen enclosure or just off the patio keeps it accessible and easy to care for. Plus, it’s a cool way to learn (and maybe even grow ingredients for their next cooking challenge).

7. Backyard Cook-Off or Baking Challenge

Inspired by their favorite food show? Let teens team up and face off in a backyard cook-off. Your outdoor kitchen becomes center stage for the action, with bonus points for presentation, taste—and cleaning up after themselves.

8. DIY Screen Enclosure “Glow-Up” Project

Challenge teens to help design a new lounge zone in your screen enclosure or under the pergola. They can help pick out string lights and furniture, throw pillows, or even build something simple like a table or bench. It’s a hands-on way to make the space feel fun, functional, and totally teen-approved.