15-30 Minute Activities for Busy Summer Days

12 Activities

Overview

Need quick summer camp activities that are easy to lead? These 15-30 minute low-prep activities are perfect for transitions, schedule gaps, rainy days, and last-minute plan changes. Designed for summer programs, they keep youth engaged without adding stress to your day.

Summer Programming

Made Simple for Afterschool and Camp Leaders

Grades K - 2

Loose Parts

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 5

Loose Parts

Rediscover Center

K - 5

25 Minutes

In this activity, students will explore a variety of Loose Parts, sort them into different categories, and lay them out to make a self-portrait. Loose Parts consists of a collection of different easy and free to collect household and outdoor materials.

There are two modes of this activity: a Sorting Activity and a Self Portrait Activity.

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Loose Parts

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 5

Jingle and Mingle

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Jingle and Mingle

kid-grit

K - 2

15 Minutes

In this closing, reflection activity, students are invited to share songs from their cultural backgrounds. The activity aims to explore both the richness of diversity and the common threads that bind us together. This cultural exploration isn't just a celebration of traditions—it's a strategic approach to fostering better cultural awareness and emotional connection, using music to explore perspectives and experiences of others.

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Jingle and Mingle

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Skip Counting Hip Hops

STEM, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades K - 2

Skip Counting Hip Hops

PowerUp Fitness

K - 2

5 Minutes

PowerUp Skip Counting Hip Hops - increase knowledge of multiples through movement and math integration.

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Skip Counting Hip Hops

STEM, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades K - 2

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

Arts, STEM

Grades K - 2

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

VentureLab

K - 2

15 Minutes

Let your imagination run wild as you transform everyday objects into something different! In this playful warmup activity, students take turns generating ideas about what everyday objects could become. The objects can turn into something as wild as students like - they should have fun with it!

This activity is designed to set the right tone for the rest of your lessons by not limiting our ideas to what seems sensible or possible, and to show that play is a fun way to encourage creative thinking and problem solving.

Discover Activity

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

Arts, STEM

Grades K - 2

Grades 3 - 5

Rhyme in Super-Quick Time

Literacy, Arts

Grades K - 5

Rhyme in Super-Quick Time

Foundations, Inc.

K - 5

20 Minutes

This game practices rhyming and is excellent for pre-school and younger elementary age kids as well as English Language Learners (ELLs). Rhyming is a great way to help children and youth develop vocabulary, pronunciation, and listening skills.

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Rhyme in Super-Quick Time

Literacy, Arts

Grades K - 5

Project Funway (Team Building) Games

Arts, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

Video

Project Funway (Team Building) Games

!Mpact Players

3 - 12

30 Minutes

Using toilet paper, tape, streamer, and cups, become a fashion icon and strut your stuff down the catwalk!

Discover Activity

Video

Project Funway (Team Building) Games

Arts, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

Definitely Different

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy, Health and Wellness

Grades 3 - 5

Definitely Different

kid-grit

3 - 5

15 Minutes

This is a closing activity to help students think about differences intentionally. These skills help them in school and real-life situations, like resolving conflicts with friends. Developing critical thinking early builds confidence, encourages curiosity, and prepares kids to face challenges more thoughtfully.

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Definitely Different

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy, Health and Wellness

Grades 3 - 5

Make a Straw Rocket

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 3 - 8

Make a Straw Rocket

NASA

3 - 8

30 Minutes

Create a paper rocket that can be launched from a soda straw – then, modify the design to make the rocket fly farther!

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Make a Straw Rocket

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 3 - 8

Grades 6 - 8

Don't Go (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

Video

Don't Go (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

3 - 12

10 Minutes

Using only opposite directions from your parter, quickly navigate a maze with your eyes closed!

Discover Activity

Video

Don't Go (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

What Walked?

Literacy, STEM

Grades K - 12

What Walked?

Foundations, Inc.

K - 12

30 Minutes

Kids enjoy challenging themselves, and testing their memory is one way for them to do this. Build recall and observation abilities to help kids succeed in school and beyond! Connecting a memory activity to a new topic or skill is a great way to introduce a new subject area and make this area meaningful to the student experience.

Discover Activity

What Walked?

Literacy, STEM

Grades K - 12

Back-to-Back Drawings

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 6 - 8

Back-to-Back Drawings

After-School All-Stars

6 - 8

10 Minutes

This drawing and communication activity gets students practicing interpreting what others mean and articulating their own thoughts.

Discover Activity

Back-to-Back Drawings

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 6 - 8

Sushi, Chopstick Relay (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 6 - 12

Video

Sushi, Chopstick Relay (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

6 - 12

15 Minutes

Using only chopsticks, transfer candy from station to station until your team reaches the finish line!

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Video

Sushi, Chopstick Relay (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 6 - 12

More Collections for Summer

15-30 Minute Activities for Busy Summer Days

Grades K - 8

3 Hours 40 Minutes

Overview

Summer Programming

Made Simple for Afterschool and Camp Leaders

Grades K - 2

Loose Parts

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 5

Loose Parts

Rediscover Center

K - 5

25 Minutes

There are two modes of this activity: a Sorting Activity and a Self Portrait Activity.

Discover Activity

Loose Parts

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 5

Jingle and Mingle

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Jingle and Mingle

kid-grit

K - 2

15 Minutes

Discover Activity

Jingle and Mingle

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades K - 2

Skip Counting Hip Hops

STEM, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades K - 2

Skip Counting Hip Hops

PowerUp Fitness

K - 2

5 Minutes

PowerUp Skip Counting Hip Hops - increase knowledge of multiples through movement and math integration.

Discover Activity

Skip Counting Hip Hops

STEM, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades K - 2

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

Arts, STEM

Grades K - 2

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

VentureLab

K - 2

15 Minutes

Discover Activity

Creativity & Play: This is Not...

Arts, STEM

Grades K - 2

Grades 3 - 5

Rhyme in Super-Quick Time

Literacy, Arts

Grades K - 5

Rhyme in Super-Quick Time

Foundations, Inc.

K - 5

20 Minutes

Discover Activity

Rhyme in Super-Quick Time

Literacy, Arts

Grades K - 5

Project Funway (Team Building) Games

Arts, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

Video

Project Funway (Team Building) Games

!Mpact Players

3 - 12

30 Minutes

Using toilet paper, tape, streamer, and cups, become a fashion icon and strut your stuff down the catwalk!

Discover Activity

Video

Project Funway (Team Building) Games

Arts, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

Definitely Different

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy, Health and Wellness

Grades 3 - 5

Definitely Different

kid-grit

3 - 5

15 Minutes

Discover Activity

Definitely Different

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy, Health and Wellness

Grades 3 - 5

Make a Straw Rocket

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 3 - 8

Make a Straw Rocket

NASA

3 - 8

30 Minutes

Create a paper rocket that can be launched from a soda straw – then, modify the design to make the rocket fly farther!

Discover Activity

Make a Straw Rocket

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 3 - 8

Grades 6 - 8

Don't Go (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

Video

Don't Go (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

3 - 12

10 Minutes

Using only opposite directions from your parter, quickly navigate a maze with your eyes closed!

Discover Activity

Video

Don't Go (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 3 - 12

What Walked?

Literacy, STEM

Grades K - 12

What Walked?

Foundations, Inc.

K - 12

30 Minutes

Discover Activity

What Walked?

Literacy, STEM

Grades K - 12

Back-to-Back Drawings

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 6 - 8

Back-to-Back Drawings

After-School All-Stars

6 - 8

10 Minutes

This drawing and communication activity gets students practicing interpreting what others mean and articulating their own thoughts.

Discover Activity

Back-to-Back Drawings

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 6 - 8

Sushi, Chopstick Relay (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 6 - 12

Video

Sushi, Chopstick Relay (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

6 - 12

15 Minutes

Using only chopsticks, transfer candy from station to station until your team reaches the finish line!

Discover Activity

Video

Sushi, Chopstick Relay (Team Building) Game

Social and Emotional Awareness, Leadership and Teamwork

Grades 6 - 12

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Library

Categories Collaborators Explore All Activities All Collections

Community

Our Story Team Mizzen Events The Mizzen Minute

Engage

Newsroom Contact Us

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