101 Creative Summer Questions for Kids & Activity Ideas

By matthewmacmillan

Kids are notorious for asking questions, but sometimes we need to turn the tables and be the ones asking questions. Summer can be the best of times or the worst of times. Kids get bored easily, and although there’s something to be said for just letting kids be bored so they learn to creatively self-entertain, we as parents can also assist that process with some thoughtful questions.

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Open-ended questions mean kids have to come up with something. Yes or no questions can end a conversation, but open-ended questions and asking “why” turns questions into a game that expands little minds. Here are some questions you can ask your kids this summer to really get them thinking, and some suggestions for related activities that could spark an all day creative play session!

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Summer Questions for Kids by Category with Ideas for Activities

Your search for a (nearly) endless list of ideas to keep kids interested and busy all summer long is here. From “would you rather” to “this or that” and questions about food, space, seasons, and places, these questions will get kids thinking and creating no matter what the weather is doing outside. (Note: there are 101 prompts, but 214 questions all together! So let’s get rolling!)

15 Summer Would You Rather Questions for Kids

children having fun because of creative summer questions for kids

Would you rather go to the zoo but have to clean your whole room first or go to the park without a tradeoff?
Would you rather go to the pool for only five minutes or get only one bite of ice cream?
Would you rather go to the beach but not be able to go in the water or go to an amusement park without going on any rides?
Would you rather run a race in flip flops or go to the playground wearing a duck costume?
Would you rather have a talking fish or a dog who can do your chores?
Would you rather have to eat burnt French fries or soggy tater tots?
Would you rather run an ice cream shop with only one flavor or a toy and game store with only one type of toy? (Bonus question: what flavor or game or toy would it be?)
Would you rather eat an ice cream sundae without a spoon or have to use a popsicle stick to eat an ice cream cone?
Would you rather give up your favorite game or your favorite food for the whole summer?
Would you rather have summer weather for all the seasons or never have summer again?
Would you rather go up in a hot air balloon for a whole day or under the sea in a submarine for a whole week?
Would you rather play in the rain on a cloudy day or jump through the sprinkler on a sunny day?
Would you rather have to get up two hours earlier but snack all you want all summer or go to bed two hours later but no snacking?
Would you rather have only ice cream for each meal all day or have ice cream every single day for a whole week?
Would you rather swim in a pool filled with Kool-Aid or go to a beach made of Orbeez instead of sand?

12 Questions About Space for Kids

What would the sky look like if Earth had two moons? How bright would it look at night under two full moons? Use two mirrors or paper plates wrapped in tin foil to simulate moons. Catch the sunlight and compare the light of one “moon” and two.
A new planet has been discovered, and you get to name it! But you have to name it after the last thing you ate. What is this planet’s name, and do you think people will like it? Tell us all about life on this new planet and how it lives up to its name.
The planet Venus rotates in the opposite direction as all the other planets in our solar system. What do you think happened to cause this? This is a good opportunity to invent a fantastic story, or use it as a starter for a round robin story so all the kids (and adults) can participate!
What do you think it would be like to live on Mars? What would houses look like there? What about parks or sports stadiums? Build a model Mars village with clay or Legos. (We love this modeling clay that doesn’t dry out – you can create over and over again!)
Pluto isn’t considered a planet anymore. What would Pluto have to do to become a planet again? Help Pluto make its case for planethood. Does it need to offer a valuable natural resource? Would it help if life was discovered on Pluto?
Saturn has rings. What would the sky look like if Earth had rings? Would they be sparkly or dull? Would you be able to see them during the day, or only at night? Create a work of art showing the sky if Earth had rings.
Imagine you saw a UFO crash near your home and an alien family came to your house to use a phone. What do they look like? What kind of language do they speak? What would you offer them to eat? Make a snack for your new alien friends.
You are in charge of the next mission to search for life on other planets. What signs of life would you look for? Which planets would you visit? Would you bring an alien back to Earth if you found one?
What would a swimming pool or a beach look like on a planet far away? Would it have to be covered with a dome? Would the water be a new and different color? What would you snack on during an extra-terrestrial day at the beach? Would you still need sunscreen? Can you set up a pool or beach day in your own living room or bedroom?
You’ve won a free trip to the International Space Station! What will you bring for your day in space? Pack a bag for your trip and explain why you’re bringing each item.
If kids were being chosen to go live on a colony on Mars, would you want to be one of those kids? What would life on Mars be like? Would a summer day on Mars be anything like a summer day on Earth?
It currently takes about three days to get to the moon. How might you cut that time down to one day? Design your spacecraft, then get some materials to build a model. How will it be better than the current space shuttles?

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12 Questions About Animals for Kids

What is your favorite animal? What is your second favorite animal? What would it look like if the two were combined? What is its name? What does it do during the day? Draw a picture of your creation!
Big cats like lions and tigers often act and play like the kinds of cats we keep as pets. Can you imagine a small, pet-sized version of another wild animal, like an elephant or a giraffe? How would you get a pet like this?
What animals do you see most often during the summer? Where do you think they live? Where do they go when it rains?
If you could be any animal, which animal would you choose? What is life like for this animal? What things could you do that you can’t do now? What would you not be able to do?
If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be? What changes would your family have to make to ensure this pet has a good and happy life? Which animals would not be good pets?
Some animals, like dogs and monkeys, are easier to train to do activities, jobs, or even play a game with someone. If you could train any animal to do anything, what animal would you choose, and what would you teach it to do?
Many animals lose their homes, or habitats, when trees are taken out to build homes or other buildings. What can you do to help your area become a better home for these animals? If you made a house for them, do you think they would live in it? Draw a design for a wild animal home.
What is your favorite wild animal? What continent does it live on? How can you learn more about nature this summer?
Endangered animals are those that are close to dying out entirely. Can you think of any ways to help endangered wildlife? Find some ideas here.
Do you think animals get too hot in the summer time? What do they do to stay cool? If wild animals built themselves a swimming pool, what would it look like? What if they went to the beach?
Dogs and cats are the most common type of pets. Why do you think this is? Do you think another type of animal should be in the top spot?
In your search for new sea life, you’ve discovered a never-seen-before animal during a day at the beach. Where in the world does this animal live? Is it a mammal or a fish? Name your animal, draw a picture of it, and imagine a whole life for it!

20 Summer “This or That” Questions for Kids

Sunglasses or umbrella hat?
Fly on a plane or drive?
Sunscreen: spray on or rub on?
Sidewalk chalk or blowing bubbles?
Backyard cookout or picnic in the park?
Splash pad or swimming pool?
A day at the beach or a day at an amusement park?
Summer camp or visit friends?
Board game or card game?
Sandbox or tree house?
Popsicle or ice cream?
Computer game at home or go to an arcade?
Favorite movie or favorite TV show?
Game day or movie night?
Trail hike or playground?
Playing pretend or arts and crafts?
Fishing or canoeing?
Crocs or flip-flops?
Pokémon Go outing or a game in Minecraft?
Baseball game or soccer match?

Ready for a summer adventure? Bring out the inner superhero in your kids with the book Robot Activated!

10 Questions About Times and Places for Kids

Have you been to a farm? Maybe you or someone you know has a farm! What summer activities happen on farms, and what makes them special?
What do you do to keep from being bored while waiting at a restaurant? Play a game of tic-tac-toe or I spy? Maybe next time try writing a poem about your favorite food! (What rhymes with taco, anyway??)
Have you traveled to another country? What things were different, and what things were the same? If you haven’t, search for a book or website that talks about a country of your choice. What do you think life is like for kids there?
Do you like to look at maps when going to an unfamiliar place, whether that’s on a phone or other device, or an old fashioned paper map? Help your family get where they are going by telling them to turn either left or right. (When do kids learn left and right? This is a great practice exercise!)
Have you ever visited a museum? Was it an art, history, or children’s museum? Some museums are free to visit. How do you think free museums pay their employees and other bills? If you were in charge of a museum fundraiser, what would you do?
What do you think life will be like in the future? Will it be filled with flying cars or will teleportation be normal? Draw a scene from a possible future town or house. (Help kids think creatively with robot stories for kids!)
What was life like in the past? How was it different when we didn’t have electricity or running water? Would you like to try going a day or a week without electricity? Who still lives today without it?
If you could go deep into the ocean for a day, what might you see? Strange sea life? Sunken ships? Pretend you’re in a submarine and have a deep water adventure! (Tip: do an internet search on deep ocean creatures and imagine what life is like for them!)
Some places are always cold – even in the summer. How would you get ready for a frozen summer adventure to the top of Mount Everest or into Antarctica? How would a day at the “beach” be different at the North Pole?
Is your birthday during the summer? If not, you can still have a birthday party…for your stuffed animals! Check out our stuffie birthday party here on YouTube. Which one of your stuffed animals is going to have a birthday party?

10 Super Summer Questions for Kids

What are your favorite free activities to do during the summer? Park, splash pad, backyard sprinkler, or a swimming pool? How would life change if your family had to pay for these activities? What might you do to earn money to still be able to do it?
How is spring different from summer? Do you notice the temperature getting warmer or does it sneak up on you? Help your kids fill four glasses full of water of differing warm temperatures. Feel them, then guess the temperatures. Use a meat thermometer to take the temperature of the water and see how close your guesses were.
In some northern places, the sun never fully sets for part of the summer. This is often called the “midnight sun.” Would this make it hard for you to sleep? What could you do to make a room darker to help people sleep?
What would make this summer the best ever? Is there anything you can do to help make that happen? If not, can you use your imagination to help it feel real?
What music do you like to listen to in the summer? Can you write a song about what you’ve done this summer? What instruments can you use?
Who do you get to see during the summer months that you don’t normally get to spend time with? Cousins? Grandparents? Friends who live far away? What makes this person or people so special? Can you write a letter or create a card to tell them?
How do you stay cool during the summer? Swimming pool, splash pad, hit the beach, or travel north where it’s cooler? Or just stay inside with a Pokémon coloring book and the air conditioning?
On a hot summer day, it’s important to stay hydrated. Do you like to drink water? Do you add anything to it, like sea salt or flavorings? Do you have a favorite water bottle? Design a water bottle that you would love to drink out of!
What are your favorite summer activities that don’t involve water? Do you visit an ice cream shop, go to the zoo, or spend the day with friends? Which activities are free, and which cost money?
At the end of summer, many kids go back to school. Do you go to school? Do you like it? What activities would make school more fun or interesting? What activities would you plan if YOU were the teacher?

12 Questions About Food for Kids

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? What’s your second favorite? What would an ice cream combo of those two flavors taste like? Create a real life combo and find out!
Imagine you went to a summer cookout, but instead of hamburgers and hotdogs, they were grilling unusual foods like apples, macaroni and cheese, and carrots. Do you think you’d like it? What’s the craziest food you can imagine putting on a grill?
Do you like to eat outside or go on picnics? What are your favorite foods to eat outdoors in the summer? What makes a food good to take on a picnic? Have a picnic today! Or if it’s a rainy day, you might have an indoor picnic with your family.
All kids love snacks. Have you ever done a snack scavenger hunt? Where would you search for hidden snacks? Hide ten snacks and see how long it takes your family to find them! (Caution: if you have a dog, he or she will find them first!)
If you had a robot that was a chef, what food would you ask it to cook for you? (If you love this idea, then you’ll definitely want to read Tip the Lunchtime Robot!)
What is your favorite food to eat for breakfast? What do you not like for breakfast? If you could have breakfast food for dinner, would you?
When you’re on a family summer road trip, where do you like to stop for food? Do you go to a restaurant or do you pack lunches and eat on the road? Is there a food you wish you could take on a driving trip?
Who does most of the cooking in your family? Mom, Dad, a grandparent, or an older sibling? Can you think of an invention you could create to make the job of cooking easier for them?
Popsicles are made with fruit flavors, but what if you got a popsicle with a different flavor, like broccoli or cheddar cheese or scrambled eggs? What crazy flavors of popsicles can you invent? Do you think anyone would like them?
Are there any foods that make you think of summer? Like popsicles or Jell-O? What about foods that bring on fall or winter feelings? Why is that?
If you had to eat only food for a whole day, what would it be? Would you get tired of your favorite food if you had to have it every single day?
There are round pizzas and there are square pizzas, but have you ever seen a triangle-shaped pizza? Or a pentagon? Or a star? How might you create a pizza in a unique and interesting shape?

Kids learning shapes? Try these fun robot-themed coloring and tracing pages covering 12 common shapes. See more.

10 Questions About All the Seasons for Kids

We have four seasons, but what if there were more? Invent a new season. What is it called? When would this season be? What is the weather like? What family traditions or activities happen in your new season?
In some places in the world there more like two seasons than four, with a rainy season and a dry season. What if you were in the middle of the rainy season and there were no umbrellas or ponchos? Create an invention to keep yourself dry without those items!
As we go through the seasons, the length of sunlight hours in a day changes. Do you prefer lots of sunlight, like we have during the summer, or less? Can you think of any benefits for days with less sun?
What’s your favorite season and why? If it’s not summer, how could you re-create your favorite spring, fall, or winter activity during the summer?
If summer is too hot for you, is spring a better season? What activities do you love to do during the spring? (Don’t miss Spring Questions for Kids for more fun ideas!)
How is a fall day different from a summer day? What are clues that you see in the natural world that fall is coming soon? When do you usually start seeing them?
In the winter, many animals hibernate, or go to sleep for a long time. If you had to hibernate, how would you get ready? Where would you sleep? What would you take with you? Create a pretend den and imagine you are an animal about to hibernate!
When hibernating animals wake up in the spring, they are very hungry! What meal would you want to have after sleeping for months? How much food would you need?
A swimming pool is fun during the summer, but often sits unused over the winter. What are some ways someone could use an empty swimming pool during the other seasons?
How would your favorite winter holidays, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Hannukah, be different if we celebrated them during the summer instead?

Summer Questions, Activities, and Cultivating Creative Kids

Kids are naturally creative, but sometimes they need a little guidance. As we search for ways to keep kiddos engaged through the summer, remember that a simple question can open up a whole new world for them. I hope these summer questions get your kids moving in a more creative, fun, and entertaining direction. If your kids do any of the suggested activities, or have any answers to these questions you’d like to share, I’d love to hear about it! Post pics and comments on the Belle Green Facebook page or tag me on Instagram! Have a great summer!