How to Have a Very 90's Themed Summer Camp With Your Kids

If you miss when life was Pop-Tarts, Saturday morning cartoons, and catching fireflies before the streetlights came on, this is the post for you. This week was for every millennial parent who’s ever wanted to hand their kids a little piece of that childhood… scrunchies, tie dye, and all (why was life so much simpler back then?). Here’s how our 90s camp week went, with a few backup ideas in case you want to recreate it at home.

We went full tie dye and it did not disappoint, though it’s always slightly chaotic. Grab a cheap tie dye kit (Tulip makes an easy one that even little hands can manage) and a bag of plain white shirts (Michaels has a ton), and you’ve basically got the whole activity covered. We’ve been making tie dye shirts every year since 2023 now and it may just be my favorite activity.

Other craft ideas for this theme:

Friendship bracelets with a 90s twist: 100% lean into the pony beads and letter beads and create a whole handful of bracelets to keep or pass out.

Puffy paint t-shirts: if tie dye feels messy, puffy paint is a great low-mess alternative with the same retro payoff.

We made homemade pop tarts and it was a recipe I’ve always wanted to make but never found a reason to, until now. It’s just pie crust (store-bought is totally fine here), your favorite jam or Nutella, and a quick powdered sugar glaze on top. My kids loved picking their own fillings and decorating the glaze with sprinkles and while these remind me more of toaster strudels, they’re SO satisfying.

Recipe i used: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-frosted-brown-sugar-cinnamon-pop-tarts/

Other ideas you can make are to make homemade lunchables (it’s so easy with crackers, cheese, and ham) or try to recreate the iconic dunkaroo dip.

The whole theme with 90s week is the simpler the better, so don’t feel the need to go all out and try to do anything crazy today. Plus nothing says 90s summer like squirt guns and running through the sprinkler until you're pruny and there’s grass ALLLLLL over your legs. Bonus points if you can dig up an actual Super Soaker for the full nostalgic effect, but if not the dollar tree has a collection of water guns that are just perfect for this moment.

I couldn’t resist a trip to the actual theater where we watched Toy Story 5. This honestly felt like the perfect full-circle moment for a 90s week since the original came out in 1995 (and can anything beat Toy Story?). There’s something so fun about watching a movie in theaters mid-week and a lot of our local theatres do discount tickets during the summer!

Other movies to watch on this day (at home, if a theater trip isn’t in the cards): Any classic disney movie works here, Matilda for a little movie magic, or The Rugrats if you really want a blast from the past.

Honestly there are so many ideas that work for this day! Bowling is always a great outing, and so many places have kids bowl free over the summer, and it's an easy win for a range of ages. A retro arcade works too if you want flashing lights and skee-ball (we also have a Chuck E Cheese that is still a hot destination in our town). Mini golf is another solid pick, especially if you want something a little lower key. And if you'd rather stay home, a glow stick bath is always a hit and feels 90s coded enough, or break out some old gaming systems for a retro gaming night.

Hopefully these ideas can inspire a fun 90’s filled week for you to try with your kids this summer! If you try anything out, be sure to let me know!