Summer is a great time for the whole family — but with kids out of school, they can quickly run out of ideas for things to do and boredom can set in. When the average private school size is 300 students, their social circle gets a lot smaller when they’re home for the summer. So if you’re going to have the kids home all summer, it’s important to plan ahead. And to help you out, we’ve compiled a list of a few simple and fun activities that will keep kids busy during their break from school.

Backyard Obstacle Course

If running around outside isn’t enough to keep the kids busy, then why not make it more challenging with an obstacle course? Obstacle courses are great because they keep kids occupied while both setting up the course and completing it. And best of all, it can be changed around as many times as they’d like. So gather some basic supplies, like jump ropes, old tires, hula hoops, and soccer balls and let the kids get to work. They’ll have fun setting up the course and challenging their friends. And they’ll stay active — with less than 5% of adults getting 30 minutes of exercise every day, it’s important to keep kids physically active.

Nature Collage

If your kids are more into crafts, then collages are a must-do. And when you make a nature collage, you don’t even need a lot of craft supplies, just some paper and glue. And with the world producing 411 million metric tons of cardboard and paper in 2016 alone, you’re sure to have some paper in the house you can use. To make a nature collage, or even a rock mosaic, have the kids go outside and gather items like rocks, leaves, flowers, twigs, and dirt. When they have what they want, they can turn their items into a fun design on the paper and glue it on. This is something they can even do in the driveway and continue to create designs just for fun. Either way, they’ll stay busy and have fun.

Outdoor Picnic

Putting together meals for the kids can be quite the process… so why not have them make their own lunch? And you can inspire them to make yummy foods for an outdoor picnic. Eating inside at the table can be kind of boring, and a waste of a perfectly sunny afternoon. So pick a few simple items for your kids to work with — sandwiches, fruits and veggies, and chips and dip always make good picnic items. The kids will love being able to make their own food and picking a spot in the yard to eat. Just remember that the sun is the strongest during 10 am and 2 pm, so maybe choose a spot with some shade. Having a little backyard picnic can make lunchtime even more fun and can maybe become a weekly family tradition.

There are so many fun things kids can do right at home to keep them busy all summer long. So keep these ideas in mind to make sure your kids have a great summer vacation.