Camping out in the backyard is always fun....if you don't have a tent, just use a large sheet or comforter draped over a table and let the kids use it as a fort.

How about the zoo, beach, or maybe a local water park? Even an aquarium.

How about swimming? Or picnics (In the garden or out and about).
Maybe some messy craft type things - ie painting with your feet (too messy for inside) or make something with papermache.
Maybe plant some seeds and watch them grow - kids can water them everyday.

I'm a grandma, and don't always have my little man every day during the summer.

But, when I do, we have a great time.

Doing things like running through the sprinkler, playing kickball, drawing on sidewalk with different colors of chalk, swimming at local lakes and special "trips to town" to swim at the pool that is awesome, we also make puppets and do our own puppet shows, especially when we can get some of the neighborhood kids involved.

One thing he really likes to do is paint with shaving cream - I have a large piece of plastic board for him and he can simply wash it off with the waterhose and start over again.

Of course, there's the big sand pile, which we add a little (or a lot) of water to it, and make roads and racetracks, volcanos -- you can make the volcano erupt by making a small indention in the top and adding baking soda and pouring in vinegar, and it will bubble up and look like it really is a volcano; he enjoys fingerpainting and painting with his feet, as well.

We try to have a "special date' at least every ten days that we visit the jr. museum that has lots of cool stuff for kids to experience, as well as exotic animals and farm animals; or go to the Wakulla Springs where the water is ice cold and the glass bottom boat is only $6 to ride and see all the fish, etc. underneath our feet; we enjoy making our own creative ice cream desserts, adding fruits or nuts or make silly faces with them. If it's raining, we bake- cookies with funny faces, cakes with animals or plastic play animals as decorations, of course, reading and "playing store" or even, "playing school' of course, he wants to be the teacher and I'm the student, lol.

You can always go on the net and check out all kinds of kids activities if you want to try something new and different, there are thousands of ideas on there.

I enjoy scrapbooking, so, I encourage him to make his own scrapbook with his choice of what he wants to put in it-- usually pictures from magazines of things he enjoys.

Ideas are endless, but the most important thing is to just "have fun" - quality time, ya know?

We also 'camp inside" with a tent made from sheets draped over chairs-esp. on the rainy or extra hot days when we want to stay inside.

Kids are so much fun! I don't get a lot of other things done when he visits, but we sure do have fun!

He's been making canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls since he was one -- as he always enjoys hearing the can "pop" when it is opened.

I like to plan adventures to the back yard. Treasure hunts.

When kids are napping run out and hide colored clothes pins. Have them paint them first with paint, markers and such.

Or try to find a 4 leaf clover.

I am heading over to home depot to buy sand-have two little boys and they could play in the sand all day. Also, they have a "water volcano" sprinkler that they go crazy with. THey also like to collect bugs-I am going to put an aquarium out back for them to store these little creatures-no way will I let them inside with bugs! Also, they love to write on the sidewalk with colored chalk. Camping is fun in the backyard like maggie said too