Summer holiday activity ideas

Keep everyone entertained over the school summer break with 50 days of summer holiday activities. From easy recipes to make with kids to picnic inspo and children’s rainy-day activities, we’ve got ideas for every day.

Senior Food Editor at M&S Food

Heather Taylor

How to entertain the family this summer

The six-week summer holidays stretching out ahead of you can be a daunting prospect. How to keep everyone entertained, without breaking the bank, and maintain your sanity? We’ve got you. Keep reading for some easy ideas to get you started.

More family inspiration Budget-friendly summer holiday ideas

50 summer holiday activity ideas

Follow along with our social series to see a new family idea to try this summer, every day. Plus, browse 50 summer holiday food ideas here to get you started.

Head out for a picnic

Get outside – pack up your favourite snacks, drinks and sandwiches, roll out the rug and enjoy a picnic in the park, in the woods, or on the beach.
Have a living room picky tea. If it’s raining, why not bring the picnic indoors? Try our kids’ snacking plate recipe, or make a dip board with crunchy crudités. Top up with ready-made snacks from the Foodhall, like our Spanish Tortilla and Sausage Rolls.
Go on a bug safari – hunt in your local park for insects and bugs, and see how many you can spot.

More picnic ideas

Bake up a storm

4. Try these easy banana, peanut butter and oat muffins, which just need a bit of mixing and folding – ideal for little bakers. These freeze well, too.

5. Make a batch of mini cheese biscuits, and let everyone cut out their favourite shapes.

6. Pack in more veggies with a tray of courgette and halloumi muffins.

Get creative with food

7. Make some ‘monster’ crudités by arranging cucumbers, peas, carrots, radishes and olives on a plate, then serve with steamed broccoli ‘hair’ and your favourite dip.

8. Try making ‘boonana’ crumpets by topping our Five-Grain Crumpets with cashew butter and banana ghosts with blueberry and raisin eyes.

Have a pizza party

9. Use our handy ready-to-roll sourdough Pizza Dough to make these mini tomato and mozzarella pizzas, then let everyone choose their own toppings.

10. Make the easiest homemade pizza by using our Woodfired Pizza Base, Pizza Sauce and Mozzarella.

11. Try some air-fryer pizzas topped with pesto – they’re ready in 10 minutes, and you can switch up the toppings with whatever you have to hand.

12. Treat everyone to our Pizza Night Dine In and get two pizzas and two sides for £12.

More pizza party ideas

Don't let the rain put you off

13. Have a family film afternoon complete with duvets, pillows and PJs. Create a snack board with popcorn, fruit kebabs and crudités – try this recipe for a creamy avocado and pea dip.

14. Master some new kitchen skills. Follow a recipe from start to finish, try practising chopping skills (with a grown-up’s supervision) or invent a recipe from whatever’s left in the fridge.

15. Take your picnic inside with a fun snack board – try these easy ideas, like bear-shaped pancakes and bagels.

Browse for recipes

Get out in the garden

16. If you have some outside space, plan an al fresco feast. Think sizzling sausages and burgers, plus fresh salads and sides. Read our ultimate guide to eating outdoors for inspiration.

17. Pick up one of our strawberry planters in the Foodhall and get growing.

18. Play a game of ‘nature bingo’. Write down a list of common garden animals and plants, such as magpies, ladybirds, daisies and worms, and see who can spot them all.

Camping food ideas

Keep your cool

19. Blitz up one of our smoothie mixes for a low-fuss fruity treat.

20. Invent your own smoothie recipe – try this kiwi and peanut butter smoothie recipe, this easy banana and strawberry smoothie recipe for inspiration.

21. Jazz up your water. Try freezing fresh berries, cucumber, herbs or edible flowers in ice cubes. Or make your own flavoured water by adding lemon zest, strawberries or mint to a big jug of water and allowing to infuse. Or try our fun Giant Cocktail Ice Cubes.

Heatwave food ideas

Make some bread

22. Homemade flatbreads are easy to make. Give this yogurt flatbread pizza recipe a go, letting everyone help with mixing, shaping and choosing toppings.

23. If you’ve got a bit more time, try these cute mini hedgehog rolls.

24. Speaking of hedgehogs, how about a hedgehog antipasti bread? Stuff it with everyone’s favourites from the Foodhall.

Bread recipes

Switch up your dinner

25. Let everyone help plan the week’s meals, looking through recipes for inspiration (try our handy digital meal planner). Write your week’s ‘menu’ and stick it on the fridge for the family to see.

26. Have a dinner party, complete with hand-decorated menus around your chosen theme. Try Italian, a curry night, or a Mexican taco night.

27. Play a game of ready, steady, cook and invent a recipe based on what’s left in the fridge.

Family dinner recipes

Snack smarter

28. Make a batch of homemade berry yogurt bark to snack on.

29. Check out our Tastebuds range for snacks with added goodness, from baby peppers and cucumbers to raisins and cheddar sticks.

30. Use our ready-rolled pizza dough to make these homemade pizza crust dippers.

Healthy snack ideas

Theme your lunchbox

Heading out for the day? Pack a healthy lunchbox inspired by a different country.

31. Greek: watermelon and feta salad, falafel, houmous, wholegrain pitta bread and grapes with a carton of orange juice.

32. Italian: make ‘bagel pizzas’ by topping bagels with our Everything Tomato Sauce and mozzarella, then baking. Serve with sultanas and red pepper pitta chips.

33. Mexican: assemble wholemeal wraps filled with beans, cheese and soured cream and serve with pineapple slices, smashed avocado and cucumber.

Plan a family feast

34. Check out our 10 top-rated classic family recipes – get everyone to vote on which they'd like to try first.

35. Try our fuss-free family meal plan for a week of easy, family-approved recipes.

36. Level-up your jacket potatoes with these three easy, tasty topping ideas.

37. Try a Mexican night, with homemade quesadillas, tacos or nachos.

Fire up the barbecue

38. When the sun shines, you can’t beat a barbecue. Read our ultimate barbecue guide and get cooking sizzling sausages, burgers and more.

39. Try a barbecue pudding, like this barbecue banana split.

40. Make some burgers then get creative with some levelled-up topping ideas.

Best barbecue recipes

Level up your ice cream

41. Reinvent the retro classic with a nostalgic ice cream float made with their favourite toppings and soda.

42. Or try fun sundaes, fruity lollies and toppings with our ultimate guide to the best ice cream.

Browse ice cream

Pack up and go

43. Save money by making a packed lunch to bring with you on days out, but making the lunch can be part of the fun too. Try a 'spaceship' theme, with star sandwiches and planet crackers (simply top oatcakes with Emmental cheese and rocket-shaped fruit kebabs.

Top your own flatbreads

44. Pick up some flatbreads and a selection of toppings and let everyone help make their own for an easy, fun rainy afternoon activity. Try these ideas:

Banana and chocolate spread.
Ham, tomato and mozzarella.
Falafel, roasted peppers and houmous.

Try some new recipes

We've got recipe ideas galore to inspire you this summer, so whether you're cooking with kids or just need some easy dinner recipe ideas, grab your aprons and give these new ideas a go.

45. This refreshing watermelon slushy that's made for hot days.

46. Try a kid-friendly pasta salad – let everyone choose their own toppings.

47. This genius hidden veg pasta sauce, made with our alphabet pasta that packs in extra veggies.

48. Whip up some homemade healthy strawberry and yogurt ice lollies on hot days.

49. Peanut butter and jam flapjacks, made to pack in lunchboxes.

50. Cheese toastie meets eggy bread in this super-easy, good-value recipe.

More family recipe ideas

Published 12/06/2026