130 Fun Things To Do At Home With Kids

Over the past couple years, more and more families are looking for things to do at home with kids. Day after day, parents battle boredom while trying to keep up with household chores and possibly working from home. Simply put, us parents need fun, learning, activities to keep our young children busy.

I’m a parent and an early childhood educator.  I understand children needing to be entertained.  Whether you are homeschooling, or a parent looking for fun activities, you’ll appreciate these things to do at home with kids ages 4-9.

Board Games to Play with Kids

A fun game can bring the whole family together. I think it’s every parent’s dream to find something to do at home for both the younger kids and older children.

Here is a list of games you can play at a dining room table or on the living room floor with any family member.

• Watch Ya’ Mouth
• Hedbanz
• Jenga
• Don’t Make Me Laugh
• The Upside Down Challenge Game
• Connect 4
• Giant 4 in a Row
• Yahtzee
• Beat That Challenges for Families
• Twister
• Hot potato: If you don’t have the “Hot Potato Game“, use an actual potato or a stuffed animal to toss around while singing.
• Indoor bowling
• Play the silent game:  It’s not a board game, but it’s a good one when you need a moment of silence. 
• Play “The floor is lava”
• Make your own bingo cards.

 

Card Games for the Whole Family

• Taco Vs. Burrito
• Kids Against Maturity
• War
• Go Fish
• Crazy 8’s 

Ideas for Baking and Cooking with Kids

• Bake cookies
• Try a new cake recipe: There are lots of great baking cookbooks for kids.
• Make a menu and create a restaurant
• Make homemade ice cream then have an ice-cream bar. Let the kids pick out their own toppings. 
• Have a tea party with your stuffed animals or pets
• Make pancake art. 
• Make homemade playdoh
• Do a taste testing challenge: blindfold, and give kids different foods to sample. See if they can guess what it is.
• Make homemade pizza
• Decorate donuts: some local donut shops, like Peace, Love, & Little Donuts, offer take out boxes with plain donuts and all the toppings needed.
• Eat the Rainbow challenge: eat something for each color of the rainbow (red peppers, orange carrots, etc)
• Make a cake out of cupcakes. 
• Try a new kids’ meal and snack delivery box.

 

Creative Things To Do At Home With Kids

There’s nothing better than a fun art project on a rainy day!  

• 3 Marker Challenge: You blindly grab 3 markers from the box. Whichever colors you choose, those are the only ones you can use to color a picture.

• Color: While coloring may seem like a basic activity, it’s a great way to build creativity and fine motor skills.
• Paint
• Paint rocks
• Face painting
• Learn how to braid hair
• Make paper airplanes
• Bead Bracelets: Use beads and pipe cleaners to make simple bracelets. You can see our bead bracelets, here.
• Make sock puppets out of old socks
• Try a new Arts and Crafts subscription box. 
• Learn how to sketch
• Print off free coloring pages.
• Build with blocks: if you don’t have blocks, use boxes. We all have amazon boxes sitting around…use them for creativity.
• Dress up like Superheroes: you don’t need superhero costumes- be creative and use things from around the house.
• Make a family tree
• Create a vision board: yes, kids can do this, too!
• Make a sensory bin
• Tie-dye an old shirt
• Upcycle something old
• Use painters tape to create a mosaic on the window, and let the kids color it in with window markers. 
• Make an art gallery: fill up a wall with your kiddos favorite artwork
• Create a photo booth: Hang a fun backdrop on your wall, and find props from around the house.
• Create a youtube video.  
• Put on a performance

 

 

Fun Activities for Learning at Home

• Read a new book.
• Play school
• Write (or draw) your own stories
• Follow videos for directed drawings
• Create a kindness jar
• Puzzles
• Do a cloze story 
• Learn new poems or nursery rhymes
• Virtual classroom field trips
• Have a rote counting and skip counting challenge
• Do a “Write the Room” activity around the house.
• Take a nature scavenger hunt.
• Do a puppet show.
• Shaving cream sight words, letters, or numbers
• STEM activities
• Build a Poem
• Name writing activities
• Math talks
• Make a school memory box or a time capsule.
• Learn a new language
• Set up a writing center: Include paper, construction paper, word cardshttps://littlelearningcorner.com/store/Year-Round-Vocabulary-Words-Picture-Cards-p249350411, markers, crayons, stickers, scissors, glue, and old magazines
• Make a detailed, colorful, map of the house.

Science Experiments for Kids 

A simple science experiment is a great way to get bored kids up and thinking. 

• Sink or float challenge in the sink or bathtub
• Make slime
• Have a science day
• Turn off the lights and make shadow puppets

 

Fun Ideas for Outdoors

These ideas are a great way to get your kids outside, taking in the fresh air, and connecting with nature. 

During the summer months, when kids are off school, get them off the couch with these fun outdoor activities. 

• Create an obstacle course
• Simon-Says
• Visit national parks
• Clean out the car
• Red Light, Green Light
• Duck Duck Goose
• Red Rover
• Hackey sack
• Jump rope
• Plant flowers: here are some writing and drawing activities to go along with your flower planting day.
• Play tag
• Nerf guns
• Go for a walk or run
• Build a bird feeder
• Ride a bike:  Little kids can join a bike ride with their balance bikes 
• Walk the pets 
• Play hide-and-go seek
• Have a dance party

Fun Things To Do At Home

These are a collection of indoor activities and things to do at home with kids.  

• Have a movie day
• Rediscover old toys
• Make a blanket fort
• Have an indoor picnic
• Yoga
• Legos
• Listen to music
• Fashion show
• Clean toys
• Have a singing contest
• Look at old pictures and videos
• Face-time family or friends
• Learn new magic tricks
• Clean out closets
• Listen to positive affirmations
• Rearrange the furniture
• Make pillow towers
• Have chill days
• Make a maze through the house
• Create indoor furniture obstacles
• Pokemon
• Tell jokes for kids
• Truth or Dare
• GoNoodle
• Scavenger hunt around the house
• Exercise
• Have a crazy hair day
• Ball pit
• Roller skate in the garage or basement

 

Get your FREE printable list HERE.

 

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Things to Do at Home with Kids