75+ Dollar Tree Items Your Kids Need for Summer

The Betty Crocker colander is small enough for the kids to play with. Use it to wash rocks or sift sand. The plastic holds well and there hasn’t been any cracking. We do try to keep this one put away for the colder months to avoid brittle plastic breaking.

Sure, you could use these for making some refreshing lemonade on a hot summer day, but citrus squeezers would also be a fun addition to a water table. Add the squeezers with things to be squeezed like sponges, yarn, and construction paper. Also try other fruits like grapes, berries, or tomatoes. These are great for working on fine motor skills and strengthening hand muscles.

I suggest getting a couple packs of the condiment bottles if you can. There are many uses for them during the summer and beyond. Fill them with water and squeeze onto sand or even hot sidewalk to draw shapes, pictures, or practice letter writing. Add a few drops of watercolor or food dye to make paintings on a pillow case, sheet, or old towel. Wash to keep playing or let dry to use for play or clean up. These are just a couple of examples. Let imaginations go and have fun!

The smaller size of these dressing dispensers make them easier to hold and squeeze for toddlers. They can be filled with paint, water, or other liquids to strengthen those hand muscles. If the tops are secure, you could also fill with water and freeze to soothe gums for teething babies.

Another fun addition to the pool or water table is to add waterproof LED candles. Warm summer evenings will be that much more exciting watching lights ripple in the water. Set them up around the bathtub for indoor play too.

Not only can the sponge be used for water play (or window washing), but the attached squeezer is great for building strength and motor skills. Fill a bin with water and let them explore. Children love to use the same tools adults do and giving them free range with them allows them to explore, problem solve, and think outside the box.

If you can get your children to do laundry then you must be some sort of magician. Otherwise, a laundry basket can be used for more than just clothes. Use it as a ball toss goal inside or out. Practice fine motor skills and patterning by weaving ribbon or even paper strips around the outside. Flip it to cover a toy and let infants problem solve trying to get it out during tummy time. As a bonus, you can also use it to hold stray toys!

The pinching variety of clothes pins are my favorite to use. When squeezing them open, children are working their finger muscles, which will help when grasping writing utensils. This can also teach them cause and effect as they pinch to see the other end open up. Use them for holding items like cotton balls, leaves, or other material that you can then use as a paintbrush. Take them apart and use the wooden pieces for craft projects.

Perhaps less of a play item and more for storage purposes, these oval slotted baskets are great. Place sand or water toys inside to store, but still be able to air out and dry. The handles make them easy to transport to the beach or water table. A fun way the kids can use them is to stand behind the basket and have another child toss a water balloon into it. When it goes in and bursts, the child gets wet!

These divided caddies are great for transporting supplies (craft or food) inside and out. We love to eat outside when weather permits, so having something to carry all of our goodies in is super helpful. They are a great size for children to be able to carry their own caddy filled with sand tools or anything else they don’t have enough hands for.

If you haven’t been using contact paper with kids, you’re missing out. This is one item I haven’t been able to live without since discovering classroom uses years ago. It makes a great substitute for lamination if you want to preserve an activity. It sticks to walls and windows and removes easily. My favorite use is to encourage children to stick fallen flower petals, leaves, or other nature bits they find to create a collage.

While this is something I’m sure you already have in your arsenal, it wouldn’t hurt to pick up some more for the summer. Crafting on rainy days always tend to require colorful paper to brighten the day, but even sunny days could use some. Sun bleaching around toys is a fun way to learn about the sun’s power – and maybe even the importance of wearing sunscreen.

Giant paper for life-size art? Yes please! Kids will love drawing or painting over such a large surface. Trace the outline of their body and have them design and color in a cool outfit for the summer. Use it to cover tables of surfaces you don’t want colored on or practice team work and social skills by creating a mural.

Windy days can send papers soaring, making art outside difficult. Pick up some clipboards (and maybe a box of binder clips) to help keep paper in place when painting or drawing outside. They are also portable lap desks for drawing in the car or holding checklists for scavenger hunts and nature walks at the park.

If you have checked out any of my other activity posts, you might recognize these trays. They work great for keeping materials together, but separated for each child. They are slightly sectioned off to provide space for four different objects if desired. This makes it convenient for sorting and classifying.

Found in the teacher section, the jumbo tweezers are just the right size for little hands. If you are at a loss with what to do with them, I can assure you that if you hand a pair to a child, they will practice pinching just about everything!

Parents and grandparents should remember these. I know I do! Another great item to take for traveling is this handheld water game. Shaped like a video game, children can press the buttons to try to get the rings where they belong. I have to admit, I may have played with it for quite awhile in the store myself. For only $1.25 each, it might be wise to pick up a few!

Pick up a multipack of toothbrushes next time you stop at the Tree. There are kid and adult sizes available. Toothbrushes can be used as a unique paintbrush to create interesting art. Give children a little soap and water for some mini scrubbing action or use it dry to spread chalk or sand. It is the little tool your kids never knew they could have so much fun with!

These bath sponges can create a ton of bubbles! Stick them in a tub with soap and water and squish and squeeze away. Children will enjoy the process and the results! I have also used the mesh bath sponges with paint to stamp fun patterns, give hair to portraits, or imaginary creatures.

An extendable massager is just the right size for little ones to push along. Create designs or draw pictures in the sand or with paint. Comb through the long grass or even just relax with a summer massage and some lemonade.

Crayola finger paint soap is an awesome addition to the pool or tub. Not only does it bring color and creativity to water play, but it is also soap! It has been said (perhaps in jest) that if you give a child soap in the pool then they can skip a bath, so this is definitely a win-win.

This is a medium that is used quite often in sensory activities. The foam is enjoyable to touch and can be mixed with a number of other materials to change it up and make it interesting. Add drops of color and swirl it in for a galaxy effect. Mix with equal parts of glue to make puffy paint and create 3D art. The best part is that shaving cream is essentially soap, so it practically cleans itself.

Every time I pick a spray bottle up for myself, the kids always seem to run off with it. Most of the time they are squirting each other with them, which is perfect for hot summer days. They can also be used for activities like spraying colored water onto white shirts or paper. Twist the tip to make a stream and create a target for them to try to aim for. The sprayer will strengthen hand muscles and they will be working on hand-eye coordination.

Consider this a flexible hand rake. The spa comb can be used in a sand table or pea gravel pit. It would even be great for art projects, as children can maneuver the tines like a brush.

Protect those little eyes with a pair of sunglasses. For only $1.25 a pair, you won’t be out a fortune if they get broken or left at the park. It might be wise to pick up a few pair right away in case of such instances.

Warm weather and outside play means more active kids and most likely more accidents, especially when little ones are just learning to walk, run, or climb. These handy little first aid kits are perfect to slip in a diaper bag, purse, or even a pocket for on the go boo-boos.

I have tried a few different plates for outdoor kitchen play and these plates found in the baby department seem to hold up the best. The plastic is a little thicker and doesn’t become brittle. Plus, they are the perfect size for the kids to handle. They also make great picnic plates!

Wipes come in handy for pretty much anything. The smaller packs available at Dollar Tree are convenient to stuff in a purse or diaper bag or even keep in the car. They will clean up those little fingers and faces in no time and wipe up spills or art marks in a flash.

Little ones might not be able to wiggle their hips enough to actually hula hoop – though it is always adorable to see them try. However, hula hoops come in handy for lots of outdoor games. Create Venn diagrams while sorting and classifying toys or natural materials. Let children to roll the hoops or encourage young infants to move outside the hoop by scooting or crawling.

Obviously great for the pool, these foam noodles are a must have from Dollar Tree for summer. My kids sometimes use them to battle each other, but if you prefer a less violent use, try using them for a marble run (for children over 3). Cut them in half for stability and use them as a low balance beam for gross motor practice. They can also be cut into 1, 2, or 3 inch pieces to create stacking blocks for littles.

If you need something to freshen up pool play, pick up one of these fishing games. Children will have three fish to test their hand-eye coordination. Don’t have a pool? Float them in a plastic dish pan or just toss them in the grass. Pick up a couple sets and challenge children to see who can catch the most.

The packs of animals make neat additions to sand or outdoor play. Children can create mini habitats depending on the type of animal pack you get. It could also make a great extension activity for a summer zoo trip as children try to navigate to find the animals in their collection.

Sure, kids could help clean up if you’re lucky. If you teach them to have fun with the tools used for tidying up, you might be more successful. The mini sweeper and dustpan are the perfect size for little hands and allows them to coordinate their hand movements. Start with just the brush and have toddlers sweep beads into a shaped area. Once they master the sweeping motion, add in the dustpan to help move debris away.

Another summer staple is sidewalk chalk. We are always drawing pictures on the patio, driveway, and sidewalk until the rain comes and gives us a fresh canvas. That being said, we go through a lot of chalk. A small bucket for $1.25 is more than reasonable and buying multiples will give you quite a supply. Don’t just use the chalk for pictures, though. You can create a number of activities by drawing on the ground.

Did you know Dollar Tree has large bottles of bubble soap? Pick up several of these for the summer because bubbles are fun and spills are inevitable. When you get them home, pour them right into the water dispensers so older children can help themselves to refill their bottles or the bubble machine.

This is my favorite traditional medium to use outdoors. Not only does it bring color to objects with water, but clean up is a breeze too. Paint on paper or even the sidewalk. Try adding color to white flower petals or see what happens when you add spots to a piece of paper towel. Being outside and letting nature be an inspiration for children is sure to develop some special art.

What do you do when children want to use that color and that color? And that color? You pick up a paint palette! Children can choose up to 6 colors to be placed in the shallow wells of the palette. This helps to conserve paint and give children the freedom to choose how their art looks.

Speaking of paint, how about some chunky brushes? They gather up a lot of paint so kids get the instant gratification when it hits the paper. The thicker handles also make them easier for kids to grasp. Pick up a couple of sets so you can designate one for paint and one for the sand table. They work well for archeological digs when uncovering delicate dino bones.

If you have a sand box or a larger area to dig, these claw scoops are amazing. They provide the leverage you need to pick up big scoops of material and are actually pretty fun to use. They are a thinner plastic so take care when the temps get cooler as they will become brittle. Despite that, they would also be fun in the snow if you’re careful.

We have many of these, but it never feels like enough. More often than not, they are used for pinecones, mulch, and other yard debris as opposed to actual sand. Kids love to carry things around and this handled vessel is an inexpensive way to let them do it easily. Plus, it comes with a shovel in case you actually want to use it with sand.

A dishpan can have many uses over the course of the summer. It is the perfect size sensory bin for infants or a single toddler. Fill with shaving cream, Orbeez, or other messy mediums. They also work great when you don’t want to fill up the pool, but a little water play is in order. Even set up a wash station for cleaning off toys and bikes.

This type of ball makes a great alternative to water balloons. There are no little pieces to pick up and no faucet required. Just toss them in the pool or in a bucket of water and let children throw them around. Squeeze them by hand or with a citrus squeezer for some hand muscle building.

Designed to prevent slipping in the tub, the bath mat can be used for the same purpose in the pool. Sometimes when toddlers are just learning to stand and walk, being in a slick-bottomed pool can be dangerous. Put a few of these in the bottom to keep them from falling. They can also provide a bit of texture to explore with feet or during tummy time. Place under a jumper with a puddle of water, so when littles take a hop, they will feel a little splash on their feet and legs.

Not only does it have a pretty sweet texture, but it is also useful for giving things a bit of a scrub. Kids will love playing with it by itself or in water. They can toss it around or see how it works at getting mud off of a shower curtain or other surface.

This food scoop is sturdy enough to use in a pea gravel pit or with wet sand. The scooping design is also helpful for the way kids tend to dig through materials. Other longer handled shovels tend to crack and break. It also holds more substances so little ones can get their tasks completed quicker.

A shampoo massager sounds dreamy by itself, but the handheld design makes it a great tool for children. Stamp it into wet sand or dough to create a bunch of holes at once. Rake it through sand, rocks, or grass for different sensory experiences. Even use it to gently brush along your infant’s skin for some sensory stimulation.