Need some easy at home at home kids activities? I’ve got you covered!
Well, this week has been a little crazy for our family…..and for the entire world. It can feel a little unsettling when life doesn’t go as planned and we are left with so many unknowns. The next few weeks our family will be spending most of our time at home together. I know my kids will get a little stir crazy and we are busy preparing some at home kids activities.
I have learned that the less screen time my kids have the better they behave. If the kids are happy…..everybody seems to have a better day. I’ve been collecting fun screen free activities for years, and I am excited to share them with you today!
I hope you find a new favorite activity for you and your kids to enjoy together!
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Outdoor At Home Kids Activities
1. Go for a Walk
Get outside and go for a walk together. This might just be a stroll around the neighborhood or a walk to the mailbox.
2. Play in the Sprinklers
If it’s warm enough where you live, put on your swimming suits and play out in the sprinklers. For even more fun put the sprinkler under the trampoline while you jump.
3. Draw on the Sidewalk with Sidewalk Chalk
Draw a picture on the side walk using side walk chalk. We also like to draw a game of hopscotch or make a road for our bikes to ride on.
4. Sleep Under the Stars
If the weather stays warm at night, have a family camp out under the stars. This is a great time to learn about constellations and stars.
5. Play Catch
Play an old fashioned game of catch. See how far apart you can get and still throw the ball to each other. Or, you count how many times you can throw the ball without anyone missing it.
6. Jump on the Trampoline
If you have a trampoline, use it! If it’s warm we love to put water balloons on the trampoline while we jump. Or play a game, such as Marco Polo.
7. Have a Scavenger Hunt
Set up a scavenger hunt outside. Make a list of items for your kids to find, give them each a bag and see who can find them all. After the hunt you can bring the items inside and have the kids show their findings to each other.
8. Play Missionary Tag
Tag is a family favorite for outdoor fun. If your family is big enough try playing our favorite Missionary Tag.
9. Plant a Garden
Kids can be wonderful garden helpers. One of my favorite things to do is to be in the garden alongside my kids. I love their excitement as we watch a seed turn into a plant and then into food we can eat.
If you are new to gardening here is my list of the best garden vegetables for beginners.
10. Catch Bugs
Search the yard for bugs and try to catch them in a jar. Observe and learn about them for a few hours and then set them free again.
11. Build a Fairy House
Try to find items around the yard to build your own fairy house. We use twigs, grass, moss, leaves and pebbles. This is something fun you can keep adding to over time. Be creative!!
12. See What You Can Find With Homemade Binoculars
Make homemade binoculars out of toilet paper rolls. All you need is two toilet paper tolls, staple them together and tie a string to them to go around your neck.
Take your binoculars outside and see what you can find. Maybe a bird or an airplane???
12. Jump Rope
Have an old jump rope lying around the garage? Pull it out and use it! Have a contest to see who can jump the longest without stopping.
13. Watch the Clouds
Lay out on a blanket and watch the clouds go by. See what shapes you can make out of the clouds….who can come up with the funniest shape?
14. Have a Backyard Picnic
Set up a picnic in your backyard. Make a few favorite finger foods and sit out on a blanket in the shade. Enjoy the day together over a nice lunch or dinner.
15. Paint The House Using Water
Fill a bucket with water and hand your kids a few paintbrushes. They will love watching the house change color as they “paint” it with their water. Let them paint the sidewalk while they are at it!
16. Make an Obstacle Course
Set up a fun obstacle course in the backyard. This might include crawling under the trampoline, jumping on one foot until you get to the fence, bouncing a ball five times, etc. Be creative!
17. Bike Car Wash
Let the kids wash their bikes like an old fashioned car wash. They can rinse them with the hose and dry them off with a towel. Let them wash your bike and give them a $1 tip just for fun!
Indoor At Home Activities
18. Read a Book
Help your kids pick out a fun book you can all read together. Maybe this will be an old favorite, or something new. Enjoy having a little quiet time to relax.
19. Play Board Games
Play some of your favorite board games together. Let each of the kids choose a game and spend a few hours playing each one together.
20. Build a House of Cards
Get out a few decks of cards and build a card house. Try to see who can build the tallest house before it falls over.
21. Make Puppets Out of Paper Bags
Use brown paper bags to make puppets. The face will be the bottom of the bag so that you can control it with your hand.
21. Play Grocery Store
Set up an area where the kids can play pretend grocery store. Maybe a few cans of soup and boxes of pasta. Get out play money for them to spend at the cash register. This is a great activity to learn about counting.
22. Do a Puzzle
Puzzles are a great way to keep the mind relaxed. Turn on some soft music and work on a puzzle together. We prefer the 100 piece puzzles (I get frustrated and impatient to easily….).
- Related: Kids Chore Chart That Works!
24. Do a Science Experiment
My kids love science experiments! We are constantly searching Pinterest for new ideas. The magic toothpick experiment is really simple and fun.
25. Build a Fort
What’s better than a fort?? Nothing! Pull a few chairs together and put a blanket over top to make a covered hideaway. Crawl into the fort and play games together or tell stories.
For a quick fort, just drape a couple of blankets over the kitchen table. Quick and easy clean up!
26. Paint Rocks
Collect a few rocks outside and bring them in to paint them. We love turning rocks into animals or painting them with fun designs.
23. Make a Sticker Book
If you have some stickers laying around the house, pull them out and make a sticker book. This is easy to do! Just staple a few pieces of paper together for your book, and then add the stickers. My kids hold on to these for years and keep adding new stickers to their collections.
27. Finger Paint
Make up a batch of finger paint for your kids to enjoy. It’s always fun to try a new way of painting!
28. Make Play Dough
You can make your own play dough in minutes with this easy homemade play dough recipe. The kids love helping make it….and playing with it!
29. Make Peanut Butter Play Dough
Want a twist on the traditional play dough? Try our peanut butter play dough recipe. My kids beg me to make this….I think they enjoy the eating it part best….. 😉
30. Play Bank
Set up a game of pretend bank. Someone can be the bank teller and the others can go to the teller to deposit or withdraw money. Teach them how to write a check and count out money. Give everyone a turn to play “teller,” because that’s the most fun part!
31. Make an Indoor Treasure Hunt
Set up a treasure hunt at home, complete with clues and of course a fun box of “treasure” at the end. Have each clue lead to the next clue, and then to the next clue, etc., until they find the treasure. Give everyone a chance to make a treasure hunt.
32. Matchbox Cars in Flour
Fill a cookie tray with flour and let your child play with their matchbox car in the flour. We call this “white dirt” and my son loved this activity as a toddler.
Once they are done playing let them wash the cars off in the sink. This makes for two activities in one!
33. Write a Letter to a Friend/Family Member
Send a card via snail mail to someone who might need a little extra love and attention. Try to think of those who might not be receiving many visitors at this time or could use a little extra cheer and love.
34. Listen to an Audio Book
Sign up for a free account on the app Libby. This app connects to your local library card and gives you access to thousands of free eBooks and audio books. Pick out a favorite kid friendly book and listen to it together with your kids.
35. Draw a Picture
Have an art day where you can draw pictures together.
- Related: 5 At Home Kids Activities
36. Play Beauty Salon
Set up a game of beauty salon, where you (the parent) are the client. Let your child have fun fixing and styling your hair for you.
37. Paint Nails
Get out the nail polish and paint each others nails. Push yourself to see if you can do a little nail art!
38. Matchbox Car Wash
Set up a car wash for match box cars. All you need is a cookie sheet, a cup of water and a pastry brush. Set the cars on the cookie sheet and use the pastry brush to wash the cars. Kids love this!
39. Play Dress Up
Encourage the kids to dress up in fun clothes. Let them raid your closet or use some old Halloween costumes. Invite them to a special snack time with everyone wearing their new outfits.
40. Do a Craft
Come up with a fun craft to do with your kids. Maybe you’ll enjoy making nature bookmarks, pom pom garland, or fireworks stamping.
41. Color on Hot Rocks
We love coloring on hot rocks! All you need to do is collect a few big rocks from outside, bake them in the oven and then use crayons to color on them. The crayons melt to make fun designs.
42. Bake Something New
Kids love to help in the kitchen! Use this time to bake a few new recipes together. You might enjoy our Chocolate Dipped Cookies or Banana Bread recipe.
43. Play Library
Encourage your kids to play a pretend game of library. Set up a few books on shelves and let one child be the librarian and the other kids can walk around pretending to check out books.
44. Play Hide and Seek
Play a game of hide and go seek around the house. Take turns being “it.”
45. Put on a Play
Help your kids put on a play. They can make up the story, get into costumes, and get creative. This is such a great way to boost confidence too! Invite the grandparents or friends over to watch the production!
46. Make Your Own Instruments
Make your own instruments using items you already have around the house. Afterwards pretend you are in a marching band and let the kids march around the house making music with their homemade instrument.
- Related: A Month of Kids School Lunch Ideas
47. Start a Journal
Encourage your kids to start a journal. They can write about the fun things they did each day while staying at home. These do not need to be fancy, just staple some papers together and you have a journal!
48. Have a Dance Party
Crank up those tunes and have an at home dance party. This is a great way to lift up the mood if someone is having a hard day.
49. Make Slime
Homemade slime is easy and a huge hit with the kids! We use this recipe for our slime and it turns out great!
50. Make a Perler Bead Creation
We go through so many perler beads. I love watching my kids sit quietly while they create a picture out of these tiny beads. This is an excellent activity to strengthen fine motor skills.
51. Play a Card Game
Get out a deck of cards and play a fun card game together. We love Solitaire, Speed and of course War.
52. Enjoy an Indoor Picnic
Set out a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic. You can even have everyone bring a Teddy Bear and turn it into a Teddy Bear Picnic.
I know it’s hard to be stuck at home, but try to look for the positive. This can be a beautiful time to slow down, focus on the things that matter most, and enjoy building memories and bonds with your family.
What screen free at home kids activities does your family enjoy?
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Screen free at home activities for kids!
