Fun Activities for Kids: Keeping Children Entertained at Home
Originally published on the todaysparent.com website
As summer gives way to the crisp embrace of fall, it’s the perfect time to brush up on your list of fun things to do with family indoors. While the allure of screens may be strong when boredom hits, Claire Diamonstein Weinberg, LCSW-C, a licensed social worker, says it’s better to choose engaging activities that can unite the family.
“Children who routinely engage in fun, child-centred family activities tend to feel more emotionally connected with their family,” she explains. “Family activities support children’s development by providing opportunities to practice social skills and positive communication within a supportive environment.”
If you’re having trouble deciding which activities to put on your list, we’re here to help. We’ve put together a list of expert-recommended activities that are ideal for those days when you’re stuck indoors, including fun indoor games, creative arts and crafts, engaging STEM projects and much more.
Creative Arts and Crafts
Joseph Tito, a parenting expert from The Dad Diaries, suggests that crafting is one of the best things to do at home as a family. It sparks creativity and provides meaningful learning opportunities for kids of all ages.
“When children take part in arts and crafts, they are honing their fine motor skills, which boosts their dexterity and coordination,” he explains. “These activities also provide an amazing platform for creativity and imagination, enabling kids to express themselves in distinctive and innovative ways.”
Although craft kits are available online or at local stores, Tito recommends starting with these simple projects using everyday materials you probably already have at home.
DIY slime
Materials Needed
- White school glue (4 oz bottle)
- Baking soda (½ teaspoon)
- Contact lens solution containing boric acid (1½ tablespoons)
- Food coloring (optional)
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pour the Glue: Empty the entire bottle of white school glue into the mixing bowl.
- Add Baking Soda: Mix in ½ teaspoon of baking soda to help firm up the slime.
- Add Color (Optional): If you’d like coloured slime, add a few drops of food colouring and stir until evenly distributed.
- Add Contact Lens Solution: Slowly add 1½ tablespoons of contact lens solution while stirring continuously. The mixture will start coming together and pulling away from the bowl’s sides.
- Knead the Slime: Use your hands to knead the slime for about 2-3 minutes until it reaches a stretchy, gooey consistency.
Developmental Benefits
- Sensory Exploration: Enhances tactile experiences, helping kids understand different textures.
- Fine Motor Skills: Kneading and stretching improve hand strength and coordination.
- Scientific Understanding: Introduces basic chemistry concepts like mixing and reactions.
Paper plate animal masks
Materials Needed
- Paper plates
- Coloured construction paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons
- Elastic string or ribbon
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Choose an Animal: Decide on an animal to create (e.g., lion, rabbit, owl).
- Cut Out Eyes: Cut two eye holes in the paper plate where the child’s eyes will be.
- Create Features: Cut out ears, noses, whiskers, or feathers from the construction paper.
- Decorate the Mask: Glue the features onto the paper plate. Add details with markers or crayons.
- Attach the String: Punch holes on either side of the mask and tie the elastic string so it fits snugly around the child’s head.
Developmental Benefits
- Creativity and Imagination: Encourages self-expression and storytelling.
- Fine Motor Skills: Cutting and gluing enhance dexterity.
- Social Skills: Great for group activities and role-playing.
Indoor Physical Activities
Even when the weather is dreary, families can find fun ways to stay active indoors. Taryn Parker, a curriculum director and professional instructor at The Little Gym, suggests creating obstacle courses and organizing relay races as entertaining indoor activities for the whole family.
Design the course together
Regardless of whether you’re organizing a relay race or setting up an obstacle course, Parker says that designing the challenge together as a family is just as important as participating in it.
“Working out the rules and obstacles as a family can be a great bonding experience,” she explains. “As you tackle the course together, you’ll find it’s a fantastic way to connect and have fun as a family.”
Prioritize safety
Safety should always be your top priority when participating in physical activities with your children to avoid accidents or injuries. Parker advises that you take proactive steps, such as removing any sharp-edged items from the area, to help maintain a secure environment.
She explains, “You can also use tape to create safe zones on the floor—just think of it like a game where the floor is lava, and the taped areas are your only safe spots! Additionally, allowing your child to navigate over, under, around, or through obstacles (like using two stools with a towel draped over them) can elevate an obstacle course from simply fun to truly exciting!”
Use household items
You also don’t need to spend any money to design the perfect obstacle course. Parker shares that a roll of masking or painter’s tape is one of the simplest items for creating obstacle courses at home. “With tape, you can design a variety of shapes on the floor or set up barriers for your kids to navigate. They can crawl under, climb, weave, or go around it in countless ways.”
Educational Games and Activities
Dr. Emily Levy, a developmental expert and director of EBL Coaching, recommends using educational games and activities to maintain children’s focus and enthusiasm for learning as they return to school.
She emphasizes, “It is important for parents to reinforce key academic skills at home. The more fun the activities are, the more kids will want to engage in them, leading to stronger academic performance.”
Finding enjoyable educational games and activities can be easy. Levy offers ideas that help sharpen reading, math and language skills while keeping children engaged.
Reading hour
Set aside dedicated time to read together to boost your child’s reading skills and strengthen family bonds. As Levy suggests, this simple activity enhances literacy and provides a wonderful opportunity for family bonding.
She advises, “Families can set up this designated reading time either after dinner or before bed, where all members of a family pick any book or reading material to read (newspapers and magazines count too!) and focus on reading together for either an hour or other set amount of time.”
Math
Incorporating math into everyday activities can be an engaging way for families to practice numerical skills together. For instance, a trip to the grocery store offers numerous opportunities for mathematical learning.
According to Levy, “Parents can turn shopping into a fun counting game. For example, they might ask their child to count out three green apples and two red apples and then calculate the total number of apples. This simple activity reinforces basic addition skills in a practical, hands-on manner.”
To challenge more advanced learners, Levy suggests that parents introduce estimation exercises. She suggests, “Before checkout, ask your child to estimate the total cost of the groceries. This encourages critical thinking and helps develop a sense of numerical magnitude. After the actual total is revealed, parents can pose more complex problems. For instance, if our bill is $85.75 and I pay with a $100 bill, how much change should we receive?”
Language:
You may be surprised to learn that something as simple as a dress-up game can improve your child’s language skills. According to Levy, “When parents participate in dress-up with their children, they can discuss various characters and the roles they play while also exploring new foods or adventures that these characters might encounter.”
Parents can also further develop language skills by using building blocks and reading books together. “When building with blocks, parents can engage their child in conversations about what they are constructing, introducing vocabulary words like tall, short and strong,” Levy explains. “Reading together also provides a wonderful chance to explore characters, storylines, emotions, settings and much more—helping to strengthen essential language skills.”
Family Game Night Ideas
Joy Turner, vice president of education at Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care, says family game night is another way to strengthen family ties.
“Game nights are a great way for families to spend quality time together,” she explains. “Parents can use this time to check in and have casual conversations about their children’s day or week. Children will feel more empowered during game night if they decide which games are played—parents can make a small list of options and allow their children to pick their favourite.”
If you’re looking for indoor games to play with kids, Turner suggests looking for activities that teach skills in a fun way. “Matching games that have pictures on the cards are exciting and promote short-term memory development and attention to detail,” she says. “Charades are another perfect way to get moving and showcase creative expression.”
Board games are also great for older children who understand winning and following directions. “Games like Sorry and Candyland elicit cognitive skills like counting,” adds Turner. The iconic card game Uno also helps with number matching, colour recognition, and following rules.”
Imaginative Play and Storytelling
According to Tara Donatiello, LAC, a licensed associate counselor who specializes in providing psychotherapy to children and adolescents, imaginative play is beneficial for children as it’s how they learn.
She explains, “Play is an important part of human development. It gives children the opportunity to explore, test possibilities, learn new skills, and solve problems. It also helps kids develop emotional regulation skills, empathy, and resilience.”
Try any of these ideas from Donatiello for activities that benefit from imaginative play and storytelling.
Go old school
“I believe the best activities for encouraging imaginative play and creativity are the toys we might consider to be ‘old school’ and that minimize batteries, electronic buttons and the use of technology,” Donatiello says. “Examples of these include blocks, people and animal figures, vehicles, dolls, play foods, etc. These types of toys give children the freedom to decide how they will be used.”
Puppets and dress up
Playing with puppets and engaging in dress-up activities are excellent ways for families with young children to bond while exploring various roles.
Donatiello, however, emphasizes that families need not purchase new items for these activities. She suggests, “The enjoyment often comes from searching through your home’s closets for old clothing (or Halloween costumes) and accessories or crafting puppets from discarded socks together.”
Storytime
Families can enhance their indoor activities by incorporating storytime, which fosters imaginative play.
Donatiello recommends a collaborative storytelling approach: “Start with one family member providing the opening sentence of a story. Then, take turns, with each person adding a single sentence per round. Continue for a predetermined number of rounds or until the story reaches a natural conclusion.”
Science Experiments and STEM Activities
According to Elizabeth Fraley, Kinder Ready’s founder and CEO, science experiments and STEM activities are excellent choices for kids who prefer hands-on learning approaches.
“These engaging exercises not only bolster scientific aptitude but also serve as powerful tools for developing critical thinking and enhancing problem-solving capabilities in children,” she says. “STEM activities and experiments are important for a child’s development because they help push higher-ordered thinking skills, not to mention inquiry-based thinking skills.”
DIY volcano experiment
You might recall this classic science experiment from your childhood. To share the same excitement with your kids, Fraley suggests all you need are household ingredients and a volcano mould with compartments. However, she advises conducting this experiment outdoors to prevent mess and suggests using gloves and goggles as a precaution.
Materials Needed
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Dish soap
- Food coloring
- Volcano mould with compartments
Scientific backing
Surprisingly, this experiment has some scientific backing. According to Fraley, “When baking soda and vinegar are combined, they create an endothermic reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas. The reaction causes a volcanic eruption!”
Magic milk experiment
This is another perfect science experiment for both preschool-age and early elementary children. “With it, students learn how to make valuable predictions and findings,” Fraley explains. “They also learn that milk is built up of proteins and fats that hold the colour in the milk. However, it’s always a good idea to have safety goggles and plastic gloves on hand.”
Materials Needed
- Rainbow colours of food dye
- Dawn dish detergent
- Milk
- Large Platter
Scientific backing
When dish soap is added to the milk, the food colouring begins to blur, which Fraley explains is due to the breaking up of the proteins and fats present in the milk. “Students are fascinated by the vibrant colours and patterns created by the food colouring in the milk when combined with dish detergent,” she notes. “However, keep in mind that if food colouring is present, any changes may not be visible to the naked eye.”
Cooking and Baking with Kids
Jamie Watson, a registered play therapist and adjunct professor at the University of Western States, emphasizes the multifaceted benefits of cooking and baking together for children and families.
“Cooking and baking together provide parents and children with more than just a fun indoor activity; they also foster a deep sense of attachment and emotional connection,” Watson explains. These shared experiences create opportunities for parents to be both physically and emotionally present, showing care and attention, which helps children feel secure and valued.”
These activities also impart crucial life skills. Watson elaborates, “It teaches essential life skills, such as following directions, measuring ingredients, and understanding basic math and science concepts like fractions and chemical reactions. Cooking also promotes creativity, as children can experiment with flavours, colours, and decorations, giving them a sense of ownership and accomplishment (improving self-esteem!)”.
To help families get started, Watson offers three cooking and baking activities that both kids and parents can enjoy together.
Pizza Bagels
“Pizza bagels are fun and easy for kids to customize with their favourite toppings,” says Watson. “Simply slice bagels in half, add pizza sauce, sprinkle cheese and let them add their own toppings like pepperoni, veggies or pineapple. Bake until the cheese melts for a quick, kid-approved meal.”
Homemade Granola Bars
Watson suggests making these granola bars together if your kids are craving something sweet. “Mix oats, honey, peanut butter and a variety of mix-ins like chocolate chips, raisins or nuts,” she advises. “Press the mixture into a pan, refrigerate and cut into bars for a healthy, homemade snack.”
Fruit Kabobs
Fruit kabobs are another sweet treat your kids will love making with you; best of all, they’re easy to make. Watson suggests, “Using skewers (or even plastic straws for younger kids), let children build their own colourful fruit kabobs with a variety of fresh fruit like strawberries, pineapple, grapes and melon. It’s a simple way to encourage healthy eating.”
Scavenger and Treasure Hunts
Kristen Miller, Director of Education for Celebree School, recommends scavenger hunts as an excellent activity for children. She explains, “These hunts offer multiple benefits: they promote creative and higher-level thinking, encourage physical activity, foster teamwork and collaboration, reduce screen time, and are typically easy to set up and clean up.”
Try any of Miller’s suggestions below for easy scavenger and treasure hunt ideas.
Colour hunt
This treasure hunt idea is great for little kids, as Miller says it’s age-appropriate and helps support cognitive development.
“Encourage your toddler to two-year-old to find red items,” says Miller. “Then make it a little more difficult by asking for a specific number of blue items; for preschoolers, ask them for items to make the rainbow, for example, a red item, then an orange item, then yellow, etc.”
Shape search
You can also create a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt for your kids based on shapes. “Find items that match specific shapes or cut out shapes and hide them around your home,” suggests Miller.
Alphabet hunt
Alphabet hunts are equally great for kids of all ages. “For younger children, have them find cut-out letters, and for older children, have them search for the letter in their environment, such as grabbing an apple for A,” says Miller. “For more of a challenge, encourage children to find the letters in alphabetical order.”
Rainy Day Activities
Having a list of rainy-day activities is also smart, says Dr. Sara Jane Blackman, Director of Learning & Development at Parents as Teachers National Center.
She explains, “It ensures children remain engaged and entertained when outdoor play isn’t possible. These activities provide opportunities to foster creativity, problem-solving and social skills while preventing boredom and reducing frustration.”
Families can try various fun and educational indoor activities. Blackman suggests, “Homemade sensory bins filled with rice, beans, or pasta can engage children while promoting fine motor skills. Home scavenger hunts encourage observation and problem-solving, while games like hot and cold hide-and-seek help with listening and spatial awareness. Building a blanket fort for storytime or creating a cardboard castle also lets children explore their imaginations, making these rainy-day ideas both entertaining and enriching.”
Blackman recommends puzzles, drawing, simple crafts, or reading together for quieter moments. “Board games and storytelling inside a blanket fort are also great for peaceful activities,” she adds.
Most importantly, Blackman emphasizes flexibility. “Allow families to switch between quiet activities and more active games based on energy levels. Creating special traditions, such as rainy-day baking or story time, adds an element of fun and helps build lasting memories, transforming a gloomy day into a cherished family experience.”
Whether you choose to explore baking ideas in the kitchen or enjoy playing board games, there are countless indoor activities for families to share with their children.
These activities teach kids something new and bring the family closer together. Additionally, engaging in indoor activities is an excellent way to reduce screen time and reinforce learning from school.
What are your favourite fun activities for kids? We would love to hear your top ideas in the comments below!
Experts
- Joseph Tito is a parenting expert from The Dad Diaries.
- Claire Diamonstein Weinberg, LCSW-C, is a licensed social worker.
- Dr. Sara Jane Blackman is the Director of Learning & Development at Parents as Teachers National Center.
- Elizabeth Fraley is the founder and CEO of Kinder Ready, an educational service company that focuses on early childhood education.
- Tara Donatiello, LAC, is a licensed associate counselor who specializes in providing psychotherapy to children and adolescents.
- Jamie Watson is a registered play therapist and adjunct professor at the University of Western States.
- Kristen Miller is the director of education for Celebree Schools, a nationwide early childhood education franchise.