35 Activities for Kids at Home (for when you're out of ideas)

In the wake of the pandemic that has got us to maintain social distancing and avoid public places, we are getting accustomed to a 'tele – everything' world. Our kids, too, are learning to habituate themselves to online schooling. However, with these alarming changes in the world and community, it is more likely for anyone to get bogged down, leave alone the kids.  

Keeping the kids entertained while they are stuck at home is a difficult task. We know many parents have been going through that phase where they do not understand what to do with bored kids or conduct what toddlers at home do.

So if you are one of those parents searching for answers to the above, you are at the right place. We have curated a list of 35 fun activities for your kids to keep them entertained and away from any cabin fever, if there is any.

35 ways to get keep your kids entertained

Use this list of creative activities for toddlers or kids at home. Browny points if they can learn something valuable from these activities. Go ahead make a list for your kids-

     1. Host an indoor picnic-

Lay out an outdoor tablecloth on the floor, make some delectable lunch, pack it in a meal bag, lay some disposable cutlery, and kickstart your indoor lunch picnic. Kids think it is a big treat to do them every day in a particular place. Elsewhere you can brew some tea and have little teacups with saucers, with sides of crackers or bread for an afternoon treat.

      2. Homemade playdough-

Of course, store-bought play doughs may seem to be an easier option, but you can make this into a fun activity for toddlers at home. You can make playdough from scratch at home with an endless array of colors, all from natural food dyes. Spread some tablecloth, get some dull knives, rolling pins, and cookie cutters to kickstart this fun activity.

     3. Art time-

Let your kids explore their inner artist. Keep a simple cabinet with art supplies handy to let your kids grab the supplies whenever the muse strikes them. Or host a paint party! And let them draw their hearts out. 

     4. Color Mandalas-

Coloring is a fun activity for both adults and kids. Mandals are believed to bring harmony and well-being with good vibes. Get some Mandala coloring books for adults and kids, or download some free printable Mandalas available.

     5. Crafts to do at home-

Teach your child the importance of upcycling and recycling old materials. This list of DIY crafts at home is perfect for keeping your kids entertained-

• Get a used tin-can that is thoroughly cleaned. Give it to your kids and let them paint it. Use a DIY plant holder for your house.
• Grab a bunch of newspapers/old papers, and teach your kids to upcycle them into a DIY homemade piece. You can use dried flowers/natural dyes etc., to add an aesthetic value to the paper.

     6. Dance party-

Turn off the lights, add some glowsticks, bring in your kids' favorite snacks and drinks, turn up the volume and make it a real kid dance party. This is one of the fun family activities.

     7. Write letters-

Help your kids write a letter to their pen pals or some far-flung relatives. You can use a two-finger pencil and pen holder for your kids. This pen holder is suitable for children aged between 3-13 years and helps improve their handwriting while preventing their thumb and forefingers from crossing.

     8. Obstacle course-

Set up an indoor obstacle course to keep your kids physically active.

     9. Rock art-

Let your kids explore their inner artist in them while they paint these rocks. All you need are some rocks from your garden, acrylic paints, and paint pens

     10. Home gardening-

This is a fun and educational activity for kids and adults. You can grow beautiful greens and plants from a carrot top or onion trimmings and lots more. Check out some home gardening tips and tricks to regrow all kitchen scraps.

      11. Build cardboard furniture-

All those Amazon boxes lying around in your house can be upcycled into DIY furniture. This is a great way to teach your kids the importance of upcycling while making this a fun-filled activity. You can cut the cardboard pieces and let your kids assemble them to build a piece of furniture for your home.

     12. Play board games-

Who does not love board games? Get them out now and make this a fun family activity. You can play age-appropriate board games.

     13. Have a pizza party-

Put on your chefs' hat and make pizza right from scratch. Involve your kids and assign them tasks appropriate to their age. Have fun binging on delectable Pizza, homemade with love.

     14. Movie night-

Ask your kids to pick up one movie they did love to watch. Have a movie night with the popcorns and candies.

     15. Rock Tic-tac-toe –

While we mentioned earlier about doing a fun paint a rock activity, well, you could use those rocks and make your own tic-tac-toe game with them. For instance, paint those rocks into avengers and Thanos.

     16. Play a spa day-

Put on your bathrobes and play a spa day.

     17. Fancy dress competition-

Divide your family into teams and host an indoor fancy dress competition. Pro-tip, use scraps at home to come up with some innovative DIY costumes.

     18. Create a race car track-

Use painter's tape to make a huge road system across your house for your kids' cars. Make this activity fun by creating obstacles. 

     19. Hopscotch-

Make a simple hopscotch board and let your kids play it indoors.

     20. Ping pong ball catch-

Get out those red solo plastic cups and a few pin pong balls. Let your kids toss the ball to a partner and try to catch it. Keep increasing the distance to make this activity even more fun.

      21. Shape hunt-

A scavenger hunt is everyone's favorite. Give this a twist by having kids find items of specific shapes. When all the objects are collected, kids can trace and color them on a sheet of paper.

     22. Bake time-

Try making a new cookie recipe or bake a cake. Get your kids involved by giving them age-appropriate tasks.

     23. Read a book-

Get your kids to develop a habit of reading. Let them choose a book and ask them to read it. If you have younger kids, read out a book to them.

    24. Build a blanket fort-

Let your kids have a fun time building a blanket fort, where they could sleep, eat or play games.

     25. Make a time capsule-

This is a beautiful activity for it creates a memory that lasts forever. One day your kids can use it to tell their kids about their craziness.

     26. Decorate a t-shirt-

Take some old t-shirts of your kids and ask them to decorate them the way they like them. It could be with some colors or a tie-dye with natural dyes.

     27. Rearrange or redecorate the room-

Ask them for the changes they want to see in their room and get them involved in rearranging or redecorating their room. Make some DIY room decors and make this a fun-filled activity.

     28. Balance Building-

Pick uneven or unstable objects like cards, paper cups, etc. and ask your kids to build as high as they can or in various shapes

     29. Facetime with family and friends –

Skye or make a zoom call with your close family and friends. You can even host online kids parties such as a Netflix party, paint party, play-date party etc.

     30. Play in a bubble bath-

Set up a blow-up pool with water and add in some bubbles and toys for your kids to have a good bathing time.

     31. Make a scrapbook/journal-

Scrapbooks and journals seems to be a great way for your kids to express themselves. Give them a book or a diary and let them put their emotions down. 

     32. Put on blindfolds and do a test of random foods-

This is a fun family activity you can do with your kids around. Grab some random foods and put on those blindfolds and take on this challenge.

     33. Draw a map of your neighborhood-

Ask your kids to draw a map of your neigborhood. Just give them a blank sheet of paper and some sharpies. It is a great way for them to learn about their neighborhood.

     34. Play some balloon games-

There are so many balloon games out there. For instance, blow up lots of balloons, fill in with some candies ,treats, trinkets, toys and notes. Let the kids work hard to pop those balloons to get a surprise within.You can even play balloon tennis, just use some paper plates and paddle pop sticks to make a racket and get set with playing indoor balloon tennis.

     35. Do a puzzle-

The best way to build your child’s  logic is to make them play puzzles. There are tons of options out there from shapes to animal puzzles, choose the ones that are age-appropriate for your kids.

The Takeaway

We hope you have a great time while bonding with your kids. Here’s afree printable daily home routine for your kids, use this to plan a schedule for your little ones, inclusive of any of the above activities and pin it on their study desk or on the fridge. These activities will keep them entertained and also teach them some valuable lessons. So go ahead and give these a try.