Are you and the kids stuck indoors? School suddenly came to a halt and your normally kid-free moment of the day has once again been hijacked by the little balls of energy?
You may be feeling overwhelmed with how you can entertain these kids for so many hours of the day, or maybe you are worried about how you can keep the little guys learning. Well, we are here to help!
Below is a list of 75 fun activities for kids that you can do indoors AND outdoors. Some are crafts, some games and some are crafts and games that are aimed at learning. Scroll through the list and pick a different activity each day when you really can’t come up with anymore yourself!
1. Virtual Playdate
What is a virtual playdate you ask? Well, it’s a way that your kid can have some fun activities with their friends through video chat!
Set up the webcam and get them to pick an activity from the printable playdate idea and watch their imagination come alive!
2. Playdough Soap
Now here is a creative idea. And it is also a great way to get your kids washing their hands more often!
This playdough soap is made from the same Castille soap that you use to wash your hands but feels like squishy play dough.
3. Colorful Advent Calander
Are your kids potentially about to spend a lot of time indoors? Well, make each day an exciting day when they wake up and get to open up a new little surprise.
These gingerbread houses are colorful, simple to make and will be a lot of fun for your kids to open up! Advent calendars don’t have to just be at Christmas time.
4. Circle Weaving
Introduce your child to the old school art of weaving! This circle weaving technique is a great way to start learning and could get them busy for quite some time.
Have fun choosing colors of yarn and making your own loom. In the end, you will have a great teapot trivet.
5. Mermaid Slime
Get your kids involved in the creation of their ooey-gooey mermaid slime. It’s just as much fun making it as it is playing with it!
I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t like playing with slime. It’s way too much fun. I especially love this mermaid-theme sparkly slime – so fun!
6. Alphabet Learning Slices
Just because your kids aren’t in school doesn’t mean they should stop learning – teach them at home.
The best way to learn is while having fun so these homemade alphabet wood slices will make spelling class a blast.
Try this fun activity7. Make Stamps
Playing with stamps is a fun activity for kids and grown-ups, but actually designing and making your own stamps is a whole other ball game.
Get your kids to help you design their very own stamps that they can use over and over again. Whether it’s a basketball, a ballet slipper or whatever their creative minds can come up with!
8. Minion Clothespins
Maybe your kids will be more likely to help you hang up the laundry if they think they are playing a game?
Minions are a pretty big thing these days. I’m sure your kids will have fun playing with their little minion clothespin friends!
9. Constellation Geoboard
Teach your kids about the constellations on this cool and interactive geoboard. A great way to pass the time while also learning.
I love the idea of fun activities for kids that also inspire learning indirectly. Productive and entertaining games to keep you and your kids entertained.
10. Boredom Buster Popsicle Sticks
When you are really at a loss of what to do grab a popsicle stick from the boredom buster jar.
Sit down with your kids and get them to help you come up with a bunch of their favorite fun activities for kids, and then write them on popsicle sticks – this way they will never be bored!
11. Car Tunnels
An easy peasy craft that you don’t even have to supervise – give your kids some colored paper and tape, teach them how to create the tunnels and let their imagination run wild!
Great for the little car lovers in your household.
12. Alphabet Learning Game
This game takes a bit of preparation and time but it will keep your kids busy and blowing off energy as well.
This will sure to tucker them out and get them sleeping. What bliss…
13. Edible Finger Paint
A great activity for a rainy day, or you know, unexpected isolation! Colored icing is a great way to get your kids making art and not having to worry about them licking their fingers.
Just two ingredients! Whipped cream and food coloring! Only moments to make but might take a bit longer to clean up after… Oh well, it’s worth it.
14. Color Changing Flowers
Are your kids out of school? That’s no reason why they can’t be performing science experimenting and learning!
This is a cool experiment that your kids will absolutely love! After just a couple of hours, they will start to see the petals change color depending on the liquid food dye that you use in the water. So cool!
15. Sugar Writing Tray
Keep your toddler busy and keep your toddler learning. This is a great way to teach the alphabet without using a bunch of paper! I recommend pulling up the letter on your tablet or computer and then getting them to draw it out.
As simple as filling a tray with sugar and handing them a pencil. The only hard part is trying to get them not lick it when you’re not looking…
16. Homemade Worry Dolls
I had a box of worry dolls when I was a kid and, to be honest, I still have them. I adore the delicate little dolls and I’m sure your kids will too!
You can get your kids to tell them all their worries, desires, hopes and dreams – they are the perfect companions.
17. Paddle Puppets
You can cut some paddle shapes out of cardboard and get your kids to paint the faces on. Just the painting part of this craft will definitely keep them occupied for a while.
When they have finished painting and the puppets are dry, they can have fun playing make-believe!
18. Homemade Bubble Solution and Blowers
Playing with bubbles is a lot of fun! And you can get some really great pictures of your kids playing while blowing bubbles.
This tutorial teaches you not only how to make bubble blowers but the solution too.
19. Create a Safari
Turn your house into a jungle safari. You can hide animals around the house and send your kids on a scavenger hunt.
First, they will have to make some cool safari binoculars to be able to find the animals!
20. Make Masks
Create giant masks out of cardboard boxes! It’s a really fun activity for kids, coming up with characters and designing the mask. Playing with them afterward is equally fun.
This specific mask is the Unikitty from The Lego Movie – a personal favorite!
21. Whack A Bug!
Here is a cool reading game for the kids that they will definitely love because it involves bugs and whacking.
Readout a word and your child has to smack the corresponding bug with a fly swatter. Simple, productive and fun!
22. Corn Hole
I think everyone knows the famous cornhole game. It’s always a really fun way to pass time with your kids because it’s fun for all ages!
You can easily make your own mini corn hole game out of cardboard and bags filled with rice or beans.
23. Kids Cleaning Caddy
Teach your kids about the importance of hygiene and healthy living while also getting the chores done.
It’s a win-win! Your kids will be more likely to give you a hand cleaning if they have their own personal cleaning caddy. Turn it into a fun game and in no time your house will be sparkling.
24. Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin
Basically a sensory box is just a bin filled with something that is cool to touch, something fun to dig around in. Then it’s even more fun when it has bright colors or extra weird feeling items hidden below.
This specific sensory bin is made with colorfully dyed rice. Give it a try – it is great for little ones getting to know the world.
25. Animal Matching Game
How about some food for your brain? Get the brain juices flowing by putting their wits to the test.
Matching games have been around for such a long time and there is a reason for that! They are fun while also being educational.
26. I Spy Dice Game
Pretty much how the game works is that you roll the dice, add or subtract the numbers and then depending on the color you have to find the corresponding number of items around the house that have the color.
It’s a simple game that involved math and finding things! Great for the kids who are out of school to keep learning.
27. Spinning Tops
You can make your own spinning wooden tops and paint them bright fun colors. Playing with tops was a childhood favorite from my time and I’m sure your kids will also enjoy it.
I don’t know what is more fun; painting the tops with bright patterns or actually spinning them, they are both fun activities for kids.
28. Shut the Box Game
Set up an indoor picnic, put out some fresh lemonade and snacks and start playing!
It’s estimated to take about an hour to create this Shut the Box game. It’s a lot of fun to play! Roll the dice and flip down the numbers adding up to your dice – flip down all the wooden numbers to win!
29. Busy Book Counting
Teach your kids the important skill of counting with bright colors, cool textures, and cute little buttons.
Your little one will love playing with this busy book counting page!
30. Toilet Paper Roll Bowling
Don’t throw away those perfectly good toilet paper rolls! They will come in handy when you are trying to think of fun activities to entertain the kids.
Check out this idea of transforming them into bowling pins and having a fun game of indoor bowling!
31. Flamingo Ring Toss
You can create a ring toss with pretty pink flamingos or you can get creative with items you have around the house. When you’re stuck indoors it’s important to get creative.
If you don’t have flamingos and rings you could always toss bottle caps into bowls or marshmallows into mugs!
32. Pin the Cherry on the Ice Cream
Donkeys and tails are so overrated, here we are all about ice cream and cherries!
A fun activity for kids is a game of pin the cherry on the ice cream is a nice way to pass the time playing with the kids. Or, you know, just make the game for them and then keep them distracted while you get some housework done.
33. Play Bingo
There are lots of free printable bingo sheets on the internet that you can print – or, you can design and create your own!
A relaxing and quiet game of bingo is a nice way to spend the afternoon. Although, with the kids playing it could possibly be anything but quiet…
34. Play Checkers
If you are going to create your own checkers board game you can do it without even leaving your house!
If you have an old checkered placemat or table cloth laying around or even a ragged old plaid shirt, you can transform it into a game board. Then, use cut up pieces of wood, or once again any other small round item as the game pieces.
35. Ping Pong Shooters
Now here is an activity that will keep the kids busy not only for hours but for days!
Flinging ping pong balls at each other with their own custom ping pong shooter might just be the most fun that they (and you) have had in a while! You have to try this!
36. Bake Tetris Cookies
Wait… Baking and games combined into one activity!? It’s too good to be true! Why didn’t I think of this! Baking, decorating, playing and eating are all fun activities for kids.
Turn your old favorite game of Tetris into a delicious feast with these cookies shaped like Tetris pieces. The game probably won’t last long though…
37. Table Tic Tac Toe
A trendy game of Tic Tac Toe that looks great on the table! It doesn’t matter if the kids leave this game out when they are done playing with it because it’s so pretty it can stay as a fun decoration!
Big beautiful eyes and kissy lips! This could also make a great gift for your friends and family!
38. Make a Photo Booth
These fun activities for kids include setting up a fun photo booth in your house with crazy backdrops, eccentric costumes, and fun props.
Then a wonderful way to pass the afternoon would be taking funny and crazy pictures with your children!
39. Harry Potter Horcrux Hunt
Spoiler alert! This scavenger hunt reveals what the seven Horcruxes are so if you haven’t finished the book, be wary!
Send your kids on the most magical scavenger hunt of their lives. Looking for the hidden Harry Potter items will be a challenge but I think they are up to it.
40. Pipe Cleaner Llamas
I am obsessed with this amazing craft! Maybe because llamas are one of my favorite animals… But also just look how cute they turned out. I can’t wait to try this at home with my nieces.
Made from pipe cleaners, wool, felt and pom poms! You can really get creative when picking out colors and patterns for the blankets.
41. Play with Perler Beads
Remember playing with Perler beads as a kid? I know I do! I had so much fun creating art and then getting to display my work when it was all melted together.
Just try and make sure that they don’t stick the beads in their mouth! I say that from experience as I remember being a little one wanting to chew on those brightly colorful beads.
42. Paint Seashells and Rocks
Do you have a seashell and rock collection accumulating in your house from all those days at the beach and camping trips at the river?
Turn those ordinary items into works of art! Put down some newspaper, get out the puffy paint and bring some color to your life.
43. Monster Bath
Do your kids see bath time as a scary time? Well, turn it into a scary good time!
Your kids will be excited to take a bath when you bring out your handmade cyclops bath bombs that sizzle and fizzle in the water and help keep your little ones clean!
44. Knit
Teach your kids to knit while getting some practice in yourself and also making a cute new teddy bear – talk about multi-tasking!
This is an easy project that reminds you, if you can knit a square, you can knit a bear!
45. Prize Punch Box
Waiting in each of those holes is a handful of surprises! Treats, toys and secret messages! This is a really cool replacement for a pinata!
When they have found all the prizes you can then turn that small banana stand into a play place or a podium to practice acceptance speeches.
46. Go Camping Indoors!
Who says you have to go outside to go camping? You can recreate that camping atmosphere using your creativity.
Create decorative stars to stick to the roof or shine them on to the roof with a projector. Set up a tent, create a fake fire and eat smores! Just like the real thing.
47. Tissue Box Monsters
Don’t throw away those empty tissue boxes! They are only a few short steps away from being your kid’s entertainment for the next hours!
Transform ordinary tissue boxes into scary (and kind of silly) monster pals.
48. Play Kitchen
Your kids will have a lot of fun playing with their own mini play kitchen! It’s such a great way to get their imagination rolling and also to keep them busy for hours…
They just won’t be able to get enough of their play kitchen – you will probably struggle to get them away from it to come to the real kitchen for dinner!
49. Baking
Do some baking and spend special time with your kids making super special treats.
A really “sweet” way to spend the afternoon. I absolutely adore how this funny little penguin pops turned out and I’m positive your kids will fall in love too. Give it a try!
50. Make Dreamcatchers
Here is another craft you can do indoors with the kids. It is a simple version of a dreamcatcher that even your little ones will be able to get involved in.
Bright unicorn colors, ribbons and of course the shiny unicorn horn to finish it all off – so cute!
51. Make Jewelry
Snap bracelets sort of disappeared for a while but they will always be cool in my mind.
Have a fun night making jewelry with your tweens and keep them busy, learning and having a good time.
52. Movie Night
Get your kiddos to pick out their favorite animated film and then decorate the whole house accordingly.
Themed movie nights are a ton of fun because it can really spark your creativity as far as how detailed your decorating can get. Everything from designing the snacks to decorating with the right colors.
53. Fairy Wands
Play make-believe and bring some sparkly magic to your kid’s life. These fun kids’ activities include whipping up some bright and shiny fairy wands, cutting out some crowns and crafting wings.
Then, you can send your kids on special fairy missions to find hidden treasures around the house! Next stop: imagination station!
54. Set Up Shoppe
Set up cardboard shops around the house and play along with the imaginative world of your child. They can sell, trade or buy!
Plus – Actually making the shops out of cardboard is a lot of fun too! Great fun for kids and adults alike.
55. Try Embroidery
Give your hand a try at embroidery and get your kids involved! There are some pretty basic projects that your kids should be able to handle and that isn’t too boring for you either.
This is a fun art project that your kid can hang up on their wall when they are finished and it is sure to look great!
56. Lego Planters
There are so many fun steps to this project. First, your kids will have to build you the Lego planters. Then, they can help you fill the planters with dirt and add the small succulents.
It doesn’t end there though. They will need to take care of their new plant pets from there on out.
57. Kaleidoscopes
These fun activities for kids include designing, making and gazing into your very own kaleidoscopes. A great alternative to star gazing if you are stuck inside at night!
The bright changing colors and patterns inside your kaleidoscopes will have the kids dreaming and dancing for hours.
58. Terrariums
Fuzzy moss, brightly colored mushrooms, stones, sticks, and forest creatures – make your mini wonderland in mason jars.
Your kids can design their own fairy magic land inside of mason jars with a mix of plants and figurines.
59. Set Up a Swing Set
Set up a swing set in the backyard and watch how your kids run to that thing like they’ve got magnets on them. Just as equally, it will be tough to get them away from it when it’s time to eat or do their homework. But they will definitely thank you for it!
A wonderful way to get the kids out in the yard and playing.
60. A-Frame Play Place
The most trendy and cool playhouse in the neighborhood. Your kid will fall in love with their very own clubhouse that is both stylish and fun.
This will keep them busy and playing outside for days… No, weeks! No! Months!
61. Chalkboard Wall
Chalkboards are not just a thing in the classroom. Build a giant chalkboard wall in your backyard to get the kids to practice their drawing and writing in the warmth of the sun.
Do your kids know how to spell vitamin C? S-U-N! So get them outside and excited to play and make-believe.
62. Fountain Table
As a child, I used to absolutely love to run through sprinklers and play with water outside on a hot summer day. I have a feeling your kids do too!
This is a unique way to get your kids cooling off in the sun. It’s a water table with fountains and it’s actually surprisingly easy to build. Give it a try!
63. Field Day
Throw a field day in the backyard! This is a really fun way to pass an afternoon filled with laughter, smiles and some really great photos.
Paint some potato sacks and have a classic potato sack race! Decorate with streamers and balloons and don’t forget the lemonade!
64. Blow Giant Bubbles
Yeah, bubble blowers are fun but just wait until your kids have blown giant bubbles.
It’s quite easy to DIY your own giant bubble blower and the soap solution. Follow a step by step tutorial and in no time your kids will be dancing with bubbles in the backyard.
65. Exploration Station
The ultimate test of your creativity! This exploration station may take a while to set up but then you will have endless outdoor fun activities for kids to keep them occupied, learning and hopefully getting along.
Get your kids to help you plan the different activities they want to include. It could be anything from treasure hunting to potion-making.
66. Rainbow Ice
Making this ice could be a great time to teach your kids about the primary colors or even the science of liquids turning to solids.
After they have done their learning they will enjoy playing with brightly colored ice on a hot summer day.
67. Teeter Totter Tire
Upcycle an old tire into a teeter-totter for the kids in the backyard. A great way to upcycle something old into something new and soon-to-be used daily!
It’s a pretty quick project that uses basic materials and you can even get your kids to help paint it pretty colors.
68. Summer Hunt
Send your little one on a scavenger hunt looking for things found right in your own backyard!
Can they find a butterfly or a pretty blooming flower? What about one of their own toys or one of dad’s gardening tools?
69. Super Soaker Sponge Balls
Now here is a backyard activity that even you will want to get in on! This is a really fun time that you just won’t be able to resist.
These water bombs will make soaking your kids easy. So let the battle begin!
70. Ice Painting
We all know that the best fun activities for kids are the messiest! So are you looking for a new way to make a mess? Ice painting!
Perfect for a summer afternoon to keep the kids occupied and practicing their artistic skills. Plus, it takes only moments to prepare and then it’s just a matter of time before they are frozen and ready to use.
71. Hopscotch
Portable hopscotch that you can pick up and put away when the kids have finished playing – this hopscotch game is made out of cement pavers so careful with toes!
Counting, jumping, and singing, the old school game of hopscotch will never be lost!
72. Ladder Golf
Ever played ladder golf? This game is fun for kids and adults alike. I often play this game with my friends and I imagine it would be fun to get the little cousins involved.
You can make your own ladder golf game pretty simply with PVC piping. Check it out!
73. Giant Yard Dice
Sometimes bigger is better! Especially when it comes to games. Do you know any dice game? Well, I can guarantee you will have more fun playing those games in giant form.
Making these dice is a cool woodworking project that you can do with your partner. When they are all ready to roll call the kids out and start having some fun in the yard.
74. Can Stilts
Have you got a couple of little circus clowns running around the house? well, send them outside to practice their circus skills!
You can make stilts out of old tin cans and see if your kid has got the balance to stay up. Put their stilt walking skills to the test!
75. Soap Boat Races
You don’t need much for this project and you probably already have it all lying around the house.
An old rain gutter, some bars of soap, toothpicks, and fabric for the flags and of course a hose with water! What soap boat will win today’s race? Find out!
As you can see, there are a ton of ways to keep busy and keep learning indoors and outdoors! Sometimes, it’s just hard to come up with them all by yourself. That’s why we came to help.
Hopefully, this list of fun activities for kids has inspired some ideas to keep you and your family busy and having fun! Whether it’s cooking up something sweet, playing make-believe, cutting, gluing and pasting, or maybe just watching a movie. Family time is quality time and now more than ever you can really enjoy spending more time with your kids.
