• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Because dads don’t always think like moms™

  • Dad
    • Celebrities
    • Gay Dads
    • Sex
    • Single Dads
  • Pregnancy
    • Labor or Delivery
    • Pregnant Wife
  • Baby
    • Baby Naming
    • Feeding
    • Sleep
    • Toilet Training
  • Kids
  • Teens
  • Activities
    • Local
    • By Age
    • Movie Reviews
    • Celebrations
  • Toys
    • We Recommend
    • Toys
  • Coaching for Dads
  • Great Dad Talks Podcast
You are here: Home / Dad / How Dads Can Keep Their Kids Entertained This Summer

How Dads Can Keep Their Kids Entertained This Summer

July 30, 2021 by Paul Banas

How Dads Can Keep Their Kids Entertained This Summer

It can be incredibly difficult to entertain your kids throughout every single second of the long weeks of their summer vacation from school. However, you do not always have to spend money on them or spend every minute of the day with them to ensure that they stay occupied. Then, here is a guide to some of the best ways that you can make sure that they enjoy themselves and have plenty to tell their friends about when they return to school at the start of the new term. 

Try Diamond Painting 

Arts and crafts are one of the most traditional ways to keep kids entertained throughout the summer. You can do arts and crafts with your kids at home, and many people can get creative with bits and bobs that they find throughout the house. These activities can even help your kids develop new skills, such as motor skills, without realizing it. However, if you want to take arts and crafts a little bit further, you should try diamond painting. Diamond painting can allow your kids to create pictures with resin rhinestones rather than paint, giving them a simple and mess-free way to let their imaginations run wild. Then, you should look at the variety of diamond painting kits that are available at lovecrafts.com, as these can help your kids to get started, even if they are complete beginners. 

Take Them on Day Trips 

However, as much as you might want to entertain your kids at home, there may come a point when your house begins to feel claustrophobic, and your kids may start to get desperate for a change in their surroundings. If this happens, you should consider taking them on day trips. Although theme parks and zoos can be great options if you have money to spare, a day trip to a museum or a free exhibition can be just as fun for your children and can allow them to learn new facts along the way. Not only this, but there are usually large annual outdoor events and festivals throughout the summer months, which can get your kids excited and which can allow you to stay entertained from dawn until dusk. 

Sign Them Up to Youth Groups

If you would like a brief respite from your kids throughout the summer, or if you have work that you need to do without the distraction of young children, you should consider signing them up to youth groups and clubs in your local area. These can allow your child to participate in a range of activities from crafts, sports, and drama in a safe environment while allowing them to try new things and to meet new friends. 

Encourage Imaginative Play 

One of the best ways that you can keep your kids entertained this summer without spending a penny is to encourage imaginative play. Although your kids may be desperate for the latest action figure, playset, or costume to bring their imaginations to life, it is easy to create your own props to complement the stories in their heads. Although you can often leave them to their own play, imaginative play can be just as fun for adults, and if they need a villain or a sidekick in their quests, you should consider participating. 

Get Outside 

Many dads find that their children tend to spend their summers crouched over a video game console or watching the television. It might take some imagination, but try to get your kids outside as much as possible. Not only will it help them to stay fit and healthy and can boost their mood. And, it can also ensure that they get to sleep as soon as their head hits the pillow. Depending on their age, consider getting them interested in the great outdoors by investing in sports gear, or exciting toys and play equipment like swings and trampolines. You might also consider getting them outside by taking them to the local park or by visiting a nearby forest or nature reserve, which can give them a new landscape to play in. 

Cook with Them 

You might often see cooking as a chore for the summer vacation, especially if you have a large family. Then, you should consider making cooking fun by getting the rest of your family involved. Cooking and baking can be exciting activities for children that can take up a few hours of your day while teaching them important life skills that they will need for their later life. Then, you should consider researching quick and easy recipes that can help to ignite a passion for cooking inside of them that will last them throughout their entire life. 

Create a Performance

If your children love to perform, then why not consider creating a performance for other members of your family? This can be a great option if you have more than one child. Whether your children are interested in writing, singing, acting, comedy, or dancing, performing can encourage them to have confidence in their abilities and to band together to create a brilliant piece of theater that can showcase all of their hard work. Then, you should consider giving them a theme to work toward and all of the resources that they will need to put on the show of their dreams, including props, items for their set, and costumes. You might also consider choosing one person to be the director. 

Have Movie Nights 

However, if you are looking for a relaxing and laid-back activity that you and your kids can enjoy when you need some downtime, you should consider planning movie nights every so often. These are much less expensive than watching a movie in a theater, and your kids will even be able to choose the film that they want to see. To recreate the theater experience at home, you should consider making your own popcorn and hanging posters of your chosen movie around the room.

Filed Under: Dad

About Paul Banas

Paul Banas is happy married dad of two great kids living in San Francisco. He writes now about kids, new technology and how the two interact for GreatDad.com and for Pregnancy Magazine (pregnancymagazine.com) where he is also the publisher.

Primary Sidebar

Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
byPaul Banas

In this episode of Great Dad Talks, guest Zach Watson dives deep into the often-misunderstood topic of “mental load” in modern partnerships and parenting. Zach, known for his educational and relatable takes on invisible labor in relationships, shares how the mental and emotional workload disproportionately impacts women—often in ways that go unrecognized by men.

Whether you’re struggling with household challenges, feeling disconnected from your partner, or just want to strengthen your role as a dad and partner, this episode is for you. 

Check out Jim’s website at zachthinkshare.com

Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:

– GreatDad.com/coaching 

– GreatDad.com/pq 

– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC  

50% off for podcast listeners with code PODCAST50

Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
July 8, 2025
Paul Banas
152. Building Men’s Character and Legacy with Jim Tracy
July 1, 2025
Paul Banas
151. The Power of Playful Parenting with Dr. Larry Cohen
June 24, 2025
Paul Banas
150. The Power of Humor in Parenting with Gavin Bellour
June 17, 2025
Paul Banas
149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
June 10, 2025
Paul Banas
148. Healing Generational Trauma with Dr. Sasha Reiisi
June 3, 2025
Paul Banas
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
May 27, 2025
Paul Banas
146. Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry
May 20, 2025
Paul Banas
145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
May 13, 2025
Paul Banas
144. Exploring Mindful Fatherhood with Odeani Mc Bean
May 6, 2025
Paul Banas
Search Results placeholder

More to See

5 Best Earhook Earbuds That Don’t Fall Out 2025

July 2, 2025 By Paul Banas

smart sprinkler controllers

10 best weather-based smart sprinkler controllers in 2025

July 1, 2025 By Paul Banas

Copyright © 2025 . GreatDad