For the past three summers, I’ve had three kids home with me full-time while also trying to work a few hours a day, so creating a fun summer routine for kids at home has quickly become essential for my sanity. I’m not someone who fills every week with expensive camps or plans nonstop activities, but I also learned that without some kind of rhythm, our days felt chaotic fast. The kids were bored by mid-morning, asking for snacks constantly, and wanting screens all day long. So instead of creating a strict schedule, I built a flexible summer routine that gives our days structure without making them feel rigid. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s creating a predictable flow that helps the kids know what to expect, keeps the day running smoother, and allows us actually to enjoy summer together.
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Summer should absolutely feel fun, slower, and more relaxed than the school year. I’m a big believer that kids need downtime, boredom, creativity, and space to just be kids. But even during summer, children still thrive when they know what to expect. Kids do well with routines because routines create security. When children know what comes next, there are fewer power struggles, smoother transitions, and less constant asking for snacks, screens, or what’s happening next.
A routine doesn’t mean overscheduling your child. It simply means giving the day a shape. For us, this has meant fewer meltdowns, less boredom, and much calmer days overall.
We start the day with breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth, and doing basic morning tasks. Even in the summer, I’ve found it helps so much when everyone gets ready for the day instead of staying in pajamas until noon. It puts everyone in a better mindset and helps the day get going.
After breakfast, we usually head outside for a walk. We either push a stroller or the two older kids ride their scooters (we have this one for ages 2-5 and this one for older kids ages 5-10). This is one of my favorite parts of our summer routine because it helps everyone get fresh air, sunlight, and movement first thing in the morning. It’s also usually cooler earlier in the day, and where we live, summer storms often roll in later. Even a quick walk around the neighborhood helps get the wiggles out and starts the day on a positive note.
Before afternoon screen time, my older kids have a few simple expectations. First, they complete one page from their summer review workbook. I love using these because it keeps reading, handwriting, math, and writing skills fresh without overwhelming them. It’s such an easy way to help prevent the “summer slide,” which is the learning loss that can happen over summer break when kids go months without practicing important skills.
Then they complete what we call our Daily 3:
This has been such a helpful system because it gives them clear expectations before screen time while also helping us keep a healthy balance of learning, movement, and fun during the summer.
My two youngest usually have swim lessons for part of the summer, so that often becomes our next activity. If you don’t have swim lessons, this could be anything simple like a playground trip, library story time, splash pad, bike ride, errands, or backyard water play. I’ve found that having one thing planned in the morning helps the whole day feel easier.
Most days, we try to do one outing before lunch. Sometimes that’s the pool. Sometimes it’s Target, Costco, the playground, a library stop, or just running errands. One thing that helps me so much is packing lunches in the morning, even if we’re staying home. Lunchtime sneaks up fast, and hungry kids can turn the mood of the day quickly. Having lunches ready means less snacking, less stress, and it makes spontaneous outings much easier too. We end up eating outside most days, either at a park or the pool! We love using these Bentgo boxes to make packing lunches even easier!
After lunch comes what might be the most important part of our day: quiet time. When my kids were younger, this was nap time. Now that my older two don’t nap anymore, they still go to their rooms for rest time for about two hours. They can read, color, listen to stories on their Yoto player, do puzzles, draw, or play quietly. As long as they stay in their rooms and play independently, they can choose what they want to do. This gives them time to reset after a busy morning, and it gives me time to work, clean up, or simply breathe. I like having a visual for them to pick what to do during rest time like this. Here are some of our favorite quiet time toys and activities.
After quiet time, everyone comes downstairs for a snack. This is when they usually get to watch a show while I finish up anything I need to do. Because they’ve already moved their bodies, done learning time, played, and rested, I feel much better about screen time happening here.
Before dinner, we usually try to get outside one more time. Sometimes we go to the neighborhood pool. Other days it’s scooters, bikes, chalk, bubbles, a walk, or playing with the water table. Getting outside again before dinner helps the evening go much smoother. Here are some of our favorite outdoor toys!
Then we come inside for dinner, baths, and winding down for bed. During summer, bedtime is usually a little later than during the school year. Instead of 7:00, it’s often closer to 7:30. That extra flexibility feels nice when there’s no early school wake-up the next morning.
This is important: I do not follow exact times. Some days lunch is early. Some days we stay at the pool longer. Some days plans change completely. That’s okay. The magic isn’t in following a perfect schedule. It’s in having a predictable rhythm to the day. The kids know what comes next, which creates so much more peace for everyone.
If you want to make your own fun summer routine for kids at home, think in blocks instead of times:
Build it around your family, your kids’ ages, and your real life.
I also love using daily summer review workbooks to keep learning fresh in just a few minutes a day.
They’re perfect for practicing:
Summer doesn’t need to be packed full to be special. Kids don’t need constant entertainment. They need rhythm, fresh air, connection, and space to play. This fun summer routine for kids at home has helped our summers feel calmer, happier, and a whole lot more enjoyable.
