Summer Top 5s: Activities with kids

The hot and humid summer is just knocking on the door in Japan and brings a very challenging time for most of us who are not used to the hot climate. Especially if you have kids, it can be very hard to always find activities for them without melting in the sun. Let's have a look at my favorite summer activities for my kid here in Japan:


Water fun in the pool
If you are lucky enough and have a good size balcony, you can buy a small pool for kids and fill it with refreshing water and some water toys. For sure, your kid will love it and will spend half of the day in it. Alternatively, some people also put out a small pool in a park and enjoy it there with friends.


Bicycle tour
For me, nothing is better than to put my kid on the back of my bicycle and explore the area. During our trips we have already found so many great playgrounds and parks which could be very difficult to access by train. Passing through a park or being near the sea, the breeze is really refreshing and you also do something for your physical condition.


Water fight
Even just going to a simple playground can be very refreshing in summer when you bring some water guns. Many places in Japan have water taps where you can refill the water guns, or just use the huge ones with a small bag back which can be filled with water. For sure, a water fight is a really great way to spend an afternoon with friends and kids in the park.



Indoor play center
Indoor play centers are a great place to let your kids play inside at a huge playground together with other kids in a cool place. Some indoor playgrounds in Japan are free of charge, but some also offer really great play areas and toys, where you often have to pay to access. The negative point can be, sometimes, that everybody wants to use them during hot days, and they can be very crowded.



BBQ
Having a BBQ in the summer heat? Yeah, it doesn't sound that good, but I prefer to do this just right next to the ocean. There are some nice spots for BBQ at the beach areas of Chiba Prefecture. Swimming in the ocean and afterwards having some delicious meat or seafood is really a great way to spend a day.

How do you spend the time with your kids during summer? Any great ideas?