Summer doesn’t have to break the bank! We know the best fun and free things to do with kids all summer long. Active Parents has your Guide to 100+ things to do in the summer that won’t empty your wallet. Share this list of cheap and free summer fun with everyone you know and be the SUMMER SUPERSTAR!
100+ Ideas For Free Summer Fun Near Hamilton Halton and Niagara
If your wallet is feeling a little lighter than usual these days, you’re not alone! Oftentimes, summer vacation can be the most expensive time of year, even if your kids aren’t in summer camps. Active Parents can help you. We’ve put together a massive list of fun, free things to do in the summer near Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton and Niagara
The List!
1. Join the Summer Reading Club at your local library. All local libraries host a summer reading challenge for kids. Young readers have the chance to win prizes for reading over the summer!
2. Take in a Free Movie in the Park – All summer long you’ll find free movies under the stars.
3. Happy Rolph’s is Free To Visit – families with young kids will love visiting this free animal sanctuary.
4. Visit the Gage Park Greenhouse. This free greenhouse is home to a plethora of plant life, fish, turtles, and more!
5. Cherry Hill Gate is part of the Royal Botanical Gardens family. It’s home to a great trail, a boardwalk over a marshy expanse and so much wildlife.
6. Visit the New and Improved Gage Park. Gage Park is always a full day of entertainment thanks to its cool playground and splash pad!
7. Teens can join a fitness gym for FREE all summer long. Find one here.
8. Attend a local Children’s Festivals. Every week there is one enjoy!
9. Catch Some Canada Day Fireworks. Beautiful fireworks light up the night sky on July 1.
10. Bike The Waterfront Trail. Start and stop along the route as you like, and there is so much to see on your ride!
11. Splash Pads are my favourite go-to for free summer fun. Easily find Burlington splash pads, Hamilton splash pads and Oakville splash pads here.
More Free Summer Fun…
12. Beat The Forecast – This free indoor play structure at Tansley Woods is great for little kids.
13. Local Skate Parks are a hot spot for tweens and teens in the summer. Bring your safety gear and a water bottle to one of these local parks in Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville.
14. Waterdown Park has something for everyone: Wheel the paved path, splash pad, and playground. Plus the epic skate park has been repainted!
15. Try Geocaching. This one is ideal for kids who are tweens, or really good with a phone’s GPS. You get to track down a “cache” that could have a special surprise inside! Read our newbie’s guide here.
16. Discover New Playgrounds – Use our Playground Guide to find the best park for you! Lots of photos to help you choose, and one of the easier ideas on our list of free things to do in the summer.
17. Chase Waterfalls – Hamilton is home to some of the best waterfalls you’ll find, and they’re almost all free to visit and explore!
18. Chedoke Trail – This stroller-friendly trail is shaded and offers stunning views of the city. Perfect for the whole family.
19. Shop The Farmer’s Market – fresh kettle popcorn, sweet strawberries, baked goods and more await you at these local farmers’ markets.
20. Stroll the Japanese Garden at Tansley Woods and enjoy the peaceful gardens and beautiful plants.
21. The Tugboat Playground at Pier 4 Park for an afternoon of fun and imagination.
22. Send Postcards Internationally – Postcrossing is one of our favourite activities! Sign up for a free account to send and receive postcards from around the world.
23. Snap a Selfie with Theodore Tugboat – He makes his home at the Pier in Hamilton near a great playground, splash pad and biking paths.
Still…More Free Things To Do In The Summer
24. Library Free Passes – Did you know that you can borrow family passes to great destinations like Ontario Parks, Royal Botanical Gardens, Halton and Hamilton Conservation Areas and more with your library card?
25. Every day at the AGH – Access to the 2nd floor (my favourite, and the most kid-friendly) of the Art Gallery of Hamilton is free every day! Visit on a Thursday and the entire gallery is free admission.
26. Have a Picnic at Gairloch Gardens – This Oakville garden is stunning all summer long so make sure to check it out. And why not have a picnic, too?
27. Visit The Majestic Trumpeter Swans – They live at one of Burlington’s best parks and are one of our must-see free things to do in the summer.
28. Borrow Play Equipment For Free – Hamilton, Oakville and Burlington each have free equipment lending services. Everything from balls to life jackets can be borrowed for free.
29. Go Fishing! No one needs to be great at fishing to enjoy it. It’s a relaxing option for some free summer fun. Find some great fishing spots here.
30. Leave a Book, Take a Book – Little free libraries are where all of our books go once we’ve read them and are ready to pass them on.
31. Spend The Day At The Beach – we put together a list of the very best local beaches that our community of parents recommend.
Save Your Pennies – These Ideas Are Free, Too!
32. Free Library Fun – there is always something great happening at your local library. Use our calendar to see what’s happening today.
33. Trainspotting Around Town – Here are some great spots to see trains locally – choo-choo!
34. Something For Kids Who Like Bridges and Big Boats: You can see them both in action down at the lift bridge.
35. Ride The Dirt Jumps at Nelson – Free and well-maintained dirt jumps are just what your daredevil on two wheels is looking for! This is one of my 12-year-old’s favourite free things to do in the summer.
36. Creek Walking is such a great way to keep cool while exploring water creatures up close. Here are our favourite places to creek walk.
37. Explore a Natural Playground – We have so many natural playgrounds that are just a short drive away. Which one will you visit first?
38. Lowville Park is a Must-See Park because it has everything! Picnic space, a great playground, lots of fields and a trail. Plus, Bronte Creek runs through it!
39. Find a Restaurant Where Kids Eat Free – we have an ever-growing list and keep watching as summer deals pop up and are added.
40. Walk The Labyrinth – Did you know that Burlington has a labyrinth?
41. Volunteer With Your Kids – volunteering is free but it pays out in multiples, and when your kids are involved, they benefit too.
Inexpensive Things To Do With Kids This Summer
In addition to those free things to do in the summer, we have some inexpensive ideas for you too! It’s true that the best things in life are free, but sometimes a few bucks can really amp up the fun. These inexpensive things to do with kids in and around Burlington, Hamilton and Oakville are some of our faves. We try to do as many as possible every year.
42. Outdoor Swimming Pools are they are here to cool you off when the temperature rises. Easily find Burlington, Hamilton and Oakville pools with our guides.
43. Indoor Swimming Pools are less busy in the summer and therefore the perfect way to ensure you don’t get sunburned.
44. Beat Your Kids At Mini Golf – we have some unique and creative mini-putt courses nearby.
Cheap Things To Do With The Family This Summer
45. Kids Bowl Free All Summer Long! Register your child for 2 free games of bowling all summer and you’ll always have a rainy-day plan up your sleeve.
46. What Is Footgolf? It’s part golf and part soccer…and all fun! This Hamilton golf course is where you can play.
47. Explore The Karsts – a Karst is a cave-like opening in the earth and Eramosa Karst Conservation Area is the coolest place to see them.
48. Walk The Gnome Trail at Bronte Creek with your little ones and their imaginations will run wild.
49. Eat Your Way Around The City – we know the best places to get ice cream, the top-rated donut shops and the french fries you crave. Read them all here.
50. Go To The Drive-In with the kids, prices are reasonable when you have a carfull, and you can’t beat the memories you’ll make.
51. Take a City Bus Tour: We did it a few years ago and my kids loved it! Some ages ride for free, making this one of the easiest, air-conditioned and free things to do in the summer.
52. Visit a Sunflower Farm at the end of the summer and you’ll be spellbound by the glowing fields of gold as far as the eye can see.
53. Have lunch on a patio at one of these kid-friendly breweries or wineries.
More Ways to Play In Your Neighbourhood
54. Chalk art. Write messages at the end of the driveway to spread cheer, positivity, and love to your neighbourhood and people passing by.
55. Make a chalk mosaic like the one below from The Idea Room. It’s a big impact and so simple!
56. Make a chalk obstacle course with spots to jump, spin, balance, and hop. Check out these clever ways to play hopscotch with your preschooler.
57. Practice sight words and spelling words! Reading is everywhere!
58. Chalk a bike town. Include all the fun places you want to explore once this has all passed.
59. Jump Rope and learn a new rhyme.
60. Find a story and chalk about it! Chalk by Bill Thomson is about three kids who find a bag of magical chalk and quickly discover that their drawings come to life!
61. Practice your bird calls. The National Audubon Society has a list of some common birds that are probably flitting around in your backyard this time of year.
62. Create an obstacle course. Down the slide, through your swings, around the house, jumping through hoops and grab a stopwatch for a test on your kids’ agility (and yours)!
63. Make a Nature Journal with these tips from Conservation Halton.
64. Make a fairy garden or toy playground. Gather sticks, rocks, plastic containers, and maybe toilet paper rolls!
65. Read on a blanket. Get some extra vitamin D as soon as that ground warms up. If it is warm enough set up in the grass or head to the porch!
66. Get active! Try Go Noodle or Cosmic Kids Yoga in the backyard.
67. Watch a movie outdoors!
15 More Fun Things to Do at Home
68. Paint and Hide Kindness Rocks – Add a little colour to your day and extra fun to your walks by painting rocks to leave for others to discover
69. Create tie dye t-shirts like we did!
70. Make a birdfeeder! We have some easy-to-make bird feeder ideas here.
71. Cool off with a wet sponge ball challenge. High-energy free things to do in summer!
72. Use up some of your mismatched socks and make bubble snakes!
73. Channel your inner Picasso and do squirt gun painting.
74. We are big into sending postcards – they’re colourful and easy to write. Plus, people love seeing them in their mailboxes.
75. Start a scrapbook and include notes from friends and family.
76. Make Playdough! This recipe doesn’t need to be cooked and doesn’t need cream of tartar – so simple.
77. Learn to crochet. My friend Deanne at Small But Kinda Mighty has great intro videos on crochet on her YouTube channel, suitable for all ages!
78. Study and practice the art of paper folding with Origami. Start with a fortune teller or dog! Red Ted Art on YouTube has lots of great tutorials.
79. Draw! Find a drawing tutorial video on YouTube. Our favourites are Art for Kids Hub and Draw So Cute.
80. Send artwork you create at home to a nursing home. Call before to make sure they are accepting cards and art.
81. Play a new board game! We’ve got a list of our top faves here.
4 Hot Ways to Cool Down at Home
82. Get out that sprinkler, pool, or just the garden hose! With most of the pools and splash pads closed this year don’t worry about your grass this Summer. You’ll have time next Summer for a perfect yard. If you want to venture out try one of these beaches.
83. Make a homemade Slip N’ Slide! With a tarp, some dish soap and a garden hose, enjoy an afternoon of slippery fun!
84. Have a water balloon fight! Fill up some water balloons, assemble teams, aim and splash! One of the best free things to do in the summer.
85. Build a cool fan tent! Use a thin bed sheet and a box fan to make a cozy but cool hideout and enjoy your favourite book, nap or draw!
More Things to Do Around Your Neighbourhood
86. Go on a scavenger hunt. Rainbows, hearts, bears, what can you find? We have outdoor and indoor scavenger hunts on our website.
87. Geocache. It’s a scavenger hunt in your own neighbourhood and so easy to do.
88. Counting walk. Count the number of… trees, cars, squirrels, birds, cats, dogs, people, something you normally see in your neighbourhood.
89. Chalk a trail. Leave a trail of hearts on your walk for fun little surprises.
90. Pick up trash. Teach your kiddos our responsibility to our planet and why it’s important not to litter.
91. Freeze walk. Play music and when the music stops freeze or strike a pose.
92. Add a game to your walk. Red light. Green light. Simon Says. Mother, May I. I-Spy. These classic games can be incorporated into fun walks with kiddos.
93. Bring a stuffed animal friend. Everything is more fun with your favourite stuffy or doll when you are little.
94. Grab the binoculars. This keeps kids busy and you never know what you’ll run into. Don’t have real ones? Make your little one some pretend ones out of toilet paper rolls, thanks to Pinterest.
95. Take pictures. Challenge older kiddos with a photo challenge. Or do a photo scavenger hunt.
96. Take a night walk. We bring flashlights and look for bats, stars, and more.
97. Research your neighbourhood’s history. Many neighbourhoods have historic buildings, houses and stores. Research their history and see when they were built! The Burlington Historical Society and this Hamilton site have lots of great resources on their website.
98. Scoot around on scooters. Try out one of these skate parks. A friendly reminder to wear your helmet.
99. Set up a lemonade stand or a craft stand. Sell handmade works of art to passersby.
A Few More Ideas For Free Summer Fun
100. Take a ride on this antique carousel. It’s only 5¢ per person and so nostalgic.
101. Organize a Toy Swap for your neighbourhood. Kids can swap toys and have fresh new fun all summer long.
102. Plant a strawberry bush and watch the sweet berries grow. String beans grow quickly too.
103. Connect with the neighbourhood families and swap out child-minding so each set up adults gets some free time – my fave!
104. Bring small toys outside and snap photos of them in big scenes. Think Jurassic Park and super heroes!
Printable Summer Bucket List of Free Things To Do In The Summer
You can count on Active Parents for 50+ inexpensive summer activities that are ideal for families. Summer vacation can quickly go from carefree to stressful if parents aren’t careful. Plan simple activities you can do as a family to make the most of summer vacation.
Free fun like visiting the beach or splash pad. Frugal fun like having a BBQ or getting some ice cream together. Most of these activities require little planning and are almost entirely free. We cover it all, and we hope this keeps boredom off your trail all summer long!
Click here to download a printable PDF version for your fridge!
Tag us when you’re sharing your fun on Facebook and Instagram. Especially if you try one of these free things to do in the summer We love being tagged and living vicariously through your adventures!
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