Key Takeaways:

• The best budget summer activities for families require only a bit of creativity and a nostalgic spirit.

• Your backyard can be your own little summer oasis for cheap summer activities as long as you have the right games and setup. 

• Make snack time part of your summer fun on a budget by making healthy snacks at home or searching for fun discount treats.

• Always have supplies stored away and ready for a rainy day.

Best of all, you don’t need to travel halfway across the world to do it. All you need are a few low-cost activities to enjoy summer fun on a budget. After all, the best nostalgic summer activities don’t call for much more than outdoor space, food, drinks, and some imagination.

Summer Fun Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune

Kids have a way of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, which is one of the reasons it’s so easy to have summer fun on a budget. In our experience, it’s usually the adults who get too caught up in needing to spend money to have fun.

Sidewalk chalk, card games, sprinklers, cookouts, reading outside, backyard campouts, you name it. These are all cheap and fun summer activities that can be just as awesome as any big-ticket vacation.

Bring Back Classic Backyard Fun

Backyard summer fun really never goes out of style. Sometimes all you need is some good ideas to get the ball rolling:

• DIY Water Slide: Lay a big tarp on the grass and set your sprinkler on it. That’s a few dollars for hours of fun! Want to make it even more exciting? Set up some inflatable bowling pins and let the kids pretend to be life-sized bowling balls. 

• Get Crazy with Sidewalk Chalk: Create a chalk maze, a beanbag toss court, a hopscotch course, or make big murals in the driveway. 

• Get Active: Have a backyard triathlon with hula hoops or jump ropes. Or go for the gold in a potato sack race.

• Put on a Tournament: Have a cornhole or ring toss set? Get the whole neighborhood involved! 

In need of some good lawn games or summer toys to amp up your backyard fun? Check out Ollie’s outdoor recreation finds. We have a constant rotation of fun, discounted seasonal toys and games that you can keep on hand for a day outside.

You can also look through Ollie’s patio, garden, and outdoor living section for some fun accessories to elevate the backyard. A few chairs or an outdoor mat can make fun budget summer activities feel like more of an event. 

Make Snack Time Part of the Memory

Close your eyes and go back in time to your favorite summer memory. If you’re like most of us, that memory probably involved some kind of tasty treat. Maybe a freshly-grilled hot dog and a bag of potato chips after a dip in the pool. Or maybe some homemade pizza bites in your friend’s backyard before going on a sunset bike ride. 

There’s something about an outdoor snack that’s just more memorable. Snack science.

And since we're talking about summer fun on a budget, it’s worth looking into healthier budget snacks as well:

• Popcorn

• Ants on a log

• Cut veggies

• Hummus and crackers

• Dried fruit

• Edamame

• Juice boxes

Ollie's has a wide selection of affordable snacks and beverages if you need a little inspo.

The key is to set up a little snack station so that your fun summer activities can last longer. Have a cooler outside for drinks, a bowl of grab-and-go snacks, napkins, plates, a trash can nearby, and a towel for wet hands.

Turn the Patio Into Party Central

You don't need the world’s fanciest patio for summer fun on a budget. As long as you have some chairs, some good snacks, and the kids are busy, you've got yourself a party.

Check out Ollie’s patio finds for some simple setup pieces, including:

• Folding chairs

• Outdoor tables

• LED string lights

• Table umbrellas

• Planters

• Portable gazebos

• Outdoor throw pillows

Try out this easy setup if you want to enjoy budget summer activities with a party feel:

• Get a few hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, or snack trays together

• Grab a variety of cold drinks and a cooler

• Put out one game for the kids and one for the grown-ups

• Set a shady sitting spot

• End the afternoon with cookies, popsicles, or stories around the fire pit

The fun summer activities people remember most are the ones when they felt the most at ease. 

Keep Kids Busy Without Breaking the Bank

If the kids are telling you they're bored, it's not that they necessarily need a new toy. It’s that they need a new perspective on what they already have. Do they like reading? Set up a blanket outside with some snacks and have a reading party. How about board games? Set up a table on the porch and play outside.

Lunch can be a picnic, just like dinner can be enjoyed around the fire pit with blankets and flashlights.

True summer fun on a budget for kids means variety. Rotate the fun each day so all the same supplies never get old:

• Monday can be chalk day

• Tuesday? Sprinkler day

• Wednesday is reading outside day

• Thursday can be yard game day

• Friday is backyard picnic night

If you have a pool or access to one, bust out the pool toys and make one day a pool day. 

Ollie’s has a massive selection of games and puzzles for family nights. It's much easier to plan cheap summer activities when you already have a few options nearby. 

Rainy Day Backup Plans

Don't let rain ruin the day. Just move the summer fun on a budget indoors.

Keep a rainy-day shelf ready with games, puzzles, cards, snacks, coloring supplies, and a few movie options. 

Some of the best budget summer activities are indoor activities. Puzzles, board games, indoor scavenger hunts. You can even build a massive blanket fort in the living room. 

We also love rainy days for making new traditions:

• Pajama lunch

• Puzzle tournament

• Living room picnic

• Sunday morning arts and crafts

The choice is yours! Just make sure you have a few fun summer activities for rainy days on hand so you don’t have to brave the weather to go hunt some down when the day comes.

Shop Early for Summer Finds at Ollie’s

Ollie's is a treasure hunt, which means the good stuff is always changing. You never know what you might find for backyard days, snack stations, patio hangs, family games, or sunny afternoon silliness. 

If you really want to have summer fun on a budget, shop now so that the first time you hear “I’m bored,” you’ll already have the cure on hand.

Our selection varies by store, so check out our current flyer before you hit your local Ollie’s.