30 At-Home Summer Holiday Activities
Posted by EYR Team on 4th Aug 2025
read moreLooking for ways to keep children entertained this summer during the school break? We’ve got you covered! In this blog we share 30 different activities for you to try – one for each weekday of the 6 week holidays! Whether it’s a creative craft, outdoor adventure or simple science experiment, there is something for every child to enjoy – without breaking the bank!
30 Activity Ideas to try at home
1. 3D Nets
You will need:
- 3D Pull up nets download
- String
- A hole puncher
Benefits:
- Understanding 3D shapes
- Fine Motor Skills
- Early Maths
2. Owl Ice Cream Oobleck – The Gruffalo
You will need:
Benefits:
- Sensory exploration
- Materials and their properties
- Storytelling & Literacy
3. Cloud painting
You will need:
Benefits:
- Mindfulness
- Expressive art and design
- Weather and seasons understanding
4. Flower vase
You will need:
- Cardboard
- Paints, pencils or crayons
- Pencil or something sharp to poke holes in the cardboard
Benefits:
- Outdoor exploration
- Plants and Garden topic
- Fine motor skills
5. Shooting Rockets Experiment
You will need:
- Rocket Template
- Ink from ball point pens
- Tuff tray and water
Benefits:
- Forces and motion exploration
- Messy play
- Space topic understanding
6. Yarn Writing
You will need:
- Sticky Tape
- Yarn
- A pen
Benefits:
- Mark making and pre-writing skills
- Fine motor practice
- Expressive art and design
7. Tuff Tray Target Practice
You will need:
- Tuff Tray Target Mat
- Tuff Tray and stand on an angle
- Beanbags
Benefits:
- Number recognition
- Gross motor skills
- Hand-eye coordination
8. Blooming Flowers Experiment
You will need:
Benefits:
- Expressive arts and design
- STEAM exploration
- Water play
9. Tuff Tray Den Making
You will need:
Benefits:
- Gross motor development
- Problem solving
10. Ocean Spaghetti Sensory Bin
You will need:
Benefits:
- Fine motor practice
- Sensory play
- Understanding the world
11. Light Table X-Ray
You will need:
Benefits:
- Sensory exploration
- Understanding “About me” topic
- Early scientific exploration: humans and animals
12. Ice Cream Exploration Station
You will need:
- Exploration table
- Shaving foam
- Food colouring
- Kitchen utensils
- Pom poms, sequins and other decorative loose parts
Benefits:
- Messy Play
- Fine Motor Practice
- Role Play
13. Mud Painting
You will need:
- Brushes
- Thick paper/paper pad
- Mixing bowl
- Washing up liquid
- Paints
Benefits:
- Understanding of materials and their properties
- Expressive art and design
- Outdoor exploration
14. Phonics Lollysticks
You will need:
Benefits:
- Word building
- Understanding phonics
- Communication, language and literacy
15. Doll Washing
You will need:
- Tuff tray or water tray
- Vinyl Dolls
- Soap
- Sponges, brushes or pippettes
Benefits:
- Learn about routines and hygiene
- Fine motor skills
- Montessori play
16. Dancing Hungry Caterpillar Craft
You will need:
Benefits:
- Storytelling
- Expressive art and design
- Fine motor skills
17. Yarn Kitchen
You will need:
Benefits:
- Role play
- Language development
- Physical development
18. DIY Projector
You will need:
- Paper cups
- Sticky tape
- Whiteboard pens
Benefits:
- Understanding light and dark
- Expressive art and design
- Sensory play
19. Upside-Down Tuff Tray Zoo
You will need:
Benefits:
- Communication, language and literacy
- Small world play
- Imaginative play
20. Balloon Painting
You will need:
- Balloons
- Tuff tray paper pad
- Paints
Benefits:
- Messy play
- Expressive art and design
21. At-Home Planetarium
You will need:
Benefits:
- Understanding about Earth and space
- Expressive art and design
22. Painted Shell Sealife
You will need:
- Sand
- Paints
- Foraged shells
- Collage essentials such as pipecleaners, googly eyes etc
Benefits:
- Understanding of animals and sealife
- Beach topic
- Sensory play
23. Elmer in the Rain
You will need:
- Elephant download
- Plastic wallet
- Sticky tape
- Colouring pens or pencils
- Metallic paint
Benefits:
- Fine motor skills
- Sensory play
- Communication, language and literacy
24. Pinecone Bird Feeder
You will need:
Benefits:
- Understanding of animals and their food
- Nature exploration
25. Giant Bubbles
You will need:
- Tuff tray or water table
- Hoops
- Washing up liquid
- Glycerine
- Cornflour
Benefits:
- Materials and their properties
- Sensory play
- Gross motor development
26. Hopping Frogs
You will need:
- Paper cups
- Elastic bands
- Coloured paper
- Googly Eyes
- Measuring tape
Benefits:
- Early Maths: measure
- Forces and motion
- Understanding cause and effect
27. Rainbow Fish Refraction
You will need:
- Rainbow fish download
- Colouring pens, pencils or crayons
- Water table
- Plastic wallet
Benefits:
- STEAM exploration
- Understanding colour
28. Leaf Print Animals
You will need:
- Paper pad
- Paints, pens and pencils
- Foraged leaves
Benefits:
- Nature investigation
- Creativity
- Animals and humans topic
29. Animal Ice Rescue
You will need:
- Sand and water table
- Sealife animals frozen in water
- Salt, brushes, pipettes and other sand and water accessories
Benefits:
- Problem solving
- Sensory and messy play
- Understanding materials and their properties
30. Cork Boats
You will need:
- Water way towers
- Guttering
- Corks
- Elastic bands
- Decorative elements for your boats
Benefits:
- Understanding force and motion
- Problem solving
- STEAM exploration
We would love to see what you get up to during the summer break! Share your experiences with us on social media by tagging us or using the hashtag #ExploreWithEYR