10 Fun Activities to do at home with kids
When I’m home with the kiddos, I love to think of fun activities to do that are a little different than the regular “go-to” options we always seem to choose. I don’t have a ton of time to set up or create, so quick, easy, and a dash of different is what I tend to go for. And sometimes I amaze myself at how something so simple turned into hours of fun.
In this post, I’ve included some ideas that my family loves, and that can usually supply hours of fun, and if not hours, then something the kids enjoy doing over and over again. My favorite thing to do is activities with supplies you already have at home. Read on and see if there’s something you think your kids might enjoy. If it is something you have already tried, then think about how you can add just a small tweak to make it new again.
10 Easy and Fun Activities for Kids At Home
1. Create with a Box
Every time we open a box it is immediately snatched up by one of the kids. There are endless possibilities to create with a box. We’ve made airplanes, cars, leprechaun traps, a McDonald’s drive-thru, and lately our creations have something to do with dolls. The McDonald’s drive-thru was one of the funniest creations to watch come into play. Watching the older girls use the toddler’s little bike as their car to order chicken nuggets looked a bit ridiculous, but I got some laughs out of it.
2. Frozen Nature Treasures
This one is a favorite with all of my girls. An idea I got as a Tinkergarten leader. I give them a bucket or a plastic container. They walk around our yard, or sometimes we even go for a short walk in our neighborhood and they collect anything they can find in nature. When they’re done we put it in a plastic container with water and freeze it. 24 hours later we pop it out of the container, get our magnifying glasses, and inspect our frozen treasure. Now for what I think is the kids’ favorite part. We find a mallet, rock, or stick and smash it to bits. Then we do it all over again!
3. Toilet Roll Binoculars for a backyard/neighborhood scavenger hunt
You can discover a lot around your home or neighborhood. Why not make your own binoculars to zero in on things you may not have noticed? All you need is two toilet paper rolls. Tape, glue, or staple the empty toilet tubes together. You can decorate it however you choose. Grab some string, yarn, or twine and glue or staple it onto both sides. I used a hole puncher on mine and tied a ribbon on both sides. This way, you can carry them around your neck as you go on your hunt.
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4. Directed Draw
What is a directed draw? You draw a small part of a picture and the kids copy until you complete the whole drawing. I love doing this with my students in the classroom. It’s fun to keep the drawing a secret and listen to them guess as you add each line that will make the drawing complete. When you’re done with the drawing, they can color or decorate it any way they choose. Using a sharpie to outline the drawing is always a big deal for kids. So, if you’re okay with it, give them one to use. You can search online for directed draws, make it up yourself, or go to Art for Kids Hub for tons of drawing fun!
5. Homemade Put-Put Golf Course
This could be an indoor or outdoor game. We have some old golf clubs that hardly ever get used. The girls had fun making various obstacles to get your ball into cups that served as holes. You may have some pre-made holes in your yard if you have any active gophers like we do.
6. Make up a dance
Okay! I love to dance. I miss the days of going out dancing with my girlfriends. The next best thing, dance with your kids. Most of the time they make up the dance and perform it in front of my husband and I. Every once in a while, I get in on the action too. You can make up an easy routine that everyone can follow, or blast your favorite tunes and everyone dances freestyle. This makes some of the best memories.
7. Make up a skit
This might be for kids who are a bit older, but my older girls love to find a way to involve the 2-year-old. She may not know exactly what she’s doing, but as long as she gets to play with her big sisters, it’s all fun to her. It’s amazing to see what they come up with. The teacher in me thinks about how many skills this kind of play activates.
8. Handmade instruments
Everyone likes to make noise. What better way to be loud than to make it with some handmade instruments. Plastic tubs and toilet tubes filled with rice make great shakers. Boxes with rubber bands can make a fine guitar. Use your imagination! Search for ideas online. Find what you have at home and give it a go. Instead of a drum circle, have an instrument circle. Pass around the instruments so everyone gets a turn to play each instrument. The kids can also take turns being the conductor. They can tell the others when to play loud or soft, fast or slow, or play a game of copycat. The conductor plays something on their instrument, and the rest copy.
9. Water Play
Children always love water. If there’s a tiny drip of water somewhere I can always find a child playing in it. Inviting water play seems like the perfect thing to do on a hot summer day when you just need to get out of the house if only for a few minutes. A lot of parents like to invest in water tables, but I prefer to create my own water station. And since I never can quite remember what I did before, the play is always a little different.
You can set up on the ground or on top of any kid-size tables you might have. Find containers of all sizes and fill some, or all with different amounts of water. Grab a few cups, straws, whatever you can find that might add an extra element of play. Use shovels and wooden spoons to stir with. You can also find different objects and introduce that age old science lesson of sink or float. Allow their little experimental minds to flow through them.
10. Crayon Melt
Don’t throw away your old, broken crayons. We always seem to have many homeless crayons all around our home. They get broken, misplaced, or wedged in between something. I always feel like I have to go out and buy a brand new pack, especially when the school sales start. Well, throw them away no more.
Either get yourself one of those cute silicone baking molds, or you can use a regular old muffin tin. Heat your oven to 150 degrees. Peel off the paper and break them up to fit inside the cups. Let the crayons melt in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. After they cool, let your kids make some cool, colorful drawings with them. The kids can help you do most of the work. Kids love peeling the paper off of crayons, and they can decide which colors they want to melt together.
Have Fun!
I hope you’ve found a few ideas that you can do at home with your kids. It is always fun to try new activities or make a small change to something you’ve done before. The best part is that you don’t have to go out and get anything. I’m always doing things on a whim, so having everything already in the home is a win-win for me.
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