Activity Jars

For the summer we made activity jars filled with popsicle sticks, each with a fun activity written on it! The boys love picking out their next activity, most can be done with a few household items! Below is a list of our activities, our inspiration and some how tos are posted on my Pinterest page. Enjoy!

To make your own activity jars you will need popsicle sticks (we bought pre colored ones at Michael's to identify each activity type) a permanent marker and a container to put them in! All in all this cost under $5 and about 10 min.


OUTSIDE: (green)

• Collect bugs
• Games: red light green light, tag, ball.
• Water playtime: Build a water wall, water table, spray bottles.
• Plant a garden
• Splat paint
• Sensory table
• Sidewalk chalk (make your own sidewalk paint with cornstarch, food coloring and water!)
• Bubbles (make your own bubble wands with wire hangers)
• Have a picnic
• Scavenger hunt (use an egg crate and paint the bottom of each a different color, have the kids find that color!)
• Paper seed starters
• Make bird feeders
• Play hopscotch 

CRAFTS: (blue)

• Bingo dot pen art
• Paint rocks
• Salt dough ornaments/shapes
• Build a vehicle out of a box
• Finger paint (try making your own paint)
• Foam crafts
• Letter collage (pick a letter and have them help you pick pictures out of magazines to glue on)
• Bake cookies
• Make a nature collage
• Make your own crayons, or just color
• Make a messy masterpiece.

GAMES: (red)

• Color matching games (make your own with clothes pins)
• Make play stilts
• Tin can telephones
• I Spy games (make I spy bags/bottles!)
• Magnetic pom poms (glue a magnet on craft pom poms, and use a cookie sheet to make shapes)
• Sorting games (use craft pom poms, tongs and an ice cube tray)
• Lacing cards or buttons on pipe cleaners
• Play bus driver
• Build a fort
• Dance party & make music shakers
• Play pretend kitchen
• Make an obstacle course
• Make a marble race track (water float tube cut in half and marbles!)
• Binoculars: stuffed animal or bird watching
• Funny faces contest
• Treasure hunt
• Shoe box train for stuffed animals
• masking tape shapes, letters, #'s or car track!

OUTINGS: (yellow)

• Library
• Farmers market
• Children's museum
• Swimming
• Park
• Pet store
• Story time at the book store
• Ride the bus
• Bouncy place
• Zoo or aquarium

We are still adding to our lists. Have more ideas for fun activities or outings? Leave me a message!