So, the kids are unexpectedly home from school. Now what? No judgement here if it means a little more screen time than normal. Heck, I know we will be having plenty of TV time (Frozen II on repeat anyone??) and gaming around here. I’m just grateful for all the amazing digital learning programs available right now and teachers who are working tirelessly to create educational content for our kids to do at home. In case you’re looking for “rainy day” boredom busters/ sanity savers, I’ve gathered up a bunch of fun, creative, and yes, educational ideas in this list of 50+ things to do with kids when you’re stuck at home.
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- Discover Atlanta, with virtual visits to top attractions and museums.
- Living Room Dance Party – Let your child help create a custom playlist to boogie on down to, or challenge yourselves to a friendly Just Dance competition.
- Play Dress Up and put on a fashion show
- Mo Willem’s Lunch Doodles – Get out your paper and crayons, and join Mo Willems at 1 p.m. EST for lunchtime doodles. It’s completely free and absolute gold! Benjamin and I loved the first day today and can’t wait for more!
- Bake Together – Cookies and muffins are fun and easy to make. Experiment with new recipes.
- Read and have your child read to you. Need books? Find out how to get books Free & Cheap
- Go on a Virtual Museum Tour at one of these 12 famous museums.
- Paper Spinners couldn’t be easier to make. Mesmerizing!
- Have a Game Day or family game night. Here are 5 Must-Have Board Games for Preschoolers
- Maybe a bit messy but a fun science experiment and activity nonetheless. Create “SMASHing Balls“… so satisfying.
- Build an epic Blanket Fort and have camp out in your living room.
- Snuggle and Listen to Podcasts. Listen to stories being read or learn about science, music, and other interesting facts. Here are 6 Favorite Preschool Podcasts (Great for Older Kids, Too!)
- Build a Plastic Cup Tower and use “blow darts” to knock it down.
- Learn Origami.
- Create the Ultimate Busy Bag Binder for little kids so you have activities on hand.
- Set up a Pretend Retail Store. Give value to your items and have your child “ring you up”! Great for practicing math.
- Abracadabra! Learn a magic trick and put on a show.
- Water Play! Kids love playing in water. Set up a bucket, tub, or water table outdoors, fill the kitchen sink, or plop them in the bathtub. Don’t forget the toys. It can be as simple as kitchen utensils and cups.
- Everything tiny is cute! Your kids will love putting this Kid-Sized Foosball Table into action.
- Make Paper Airplanes and have a flying/ distance contest.
- Go on a Digital Safari each day with Cincinnati Zoo.
- Got potatoes? Make Potato Stamps.
- Log onto Scholastic’s Learn At Home Projects site for daily lessons for kids of all ages. They’re currently offering 20 days of lessons for FREE!
- Make bean bags and have a Bean Bag Toss at holes cut in cardboard, a target or into containers.
- Play LEGOS. Build that set together or gather every piece of LEGO in the house and build a giant building.
- Learn a New Instrument or practice one you already have! Here is Benjamin with his ukulele.
- Have a Scavenger Hunt (Here are some ideas to get you started. You can tailor to your surroundings and age level. )
- Something you wear
- Something round
- Something red
- Something old
- Something that starts with the letter “H”
- Something used on a holiday
- Something that has numbers on it
- Something that is hollow
- Something from nature
- Something with an animal on it
- Do a Word Search, you can buy books for various levels or create your own!
- Make Crayons by recycling old ones to create fun shapes, by using molding sheets.
- Bring some STEM activities into the home with this fun Spaghetti Strength Challenge.
- Grab some embroidery floss and create Friendship Bracelets.
- Bust out your creativity and Draw! Or Color! Here are a couple of our favorite sites for FREE coloring sheets.
- Made by Joel – whimsical, artist drawn coloring sheets
- Art Is Fun – Advanced Kid & Adult Coloring pages
- The Spruce – A variety of Seasonal Coloring pages
- Paint rocks, sticks, or leaves.
- Provide hours of tactile play by making your own Play Dough. Its so easy to customize with food coloring, glitter and essential oils for scented dough.
- Sharpie Tie Dye some fabric or a t-shirt.
- Explore your inner artist by creating Paper Plate Llamas and other crafts.
- Make ice cream in a bag. Yum!
- A great family activity is putting together Jigsaw Puzzles. They are great for boosting kids gross and fine motor skills, hand–eye coordination and shape recognition and they promote communication and family bonding.
- Look at old photo albums and share stories about family members your child may not know well.
- Fans of the Mouse will love Disney Pictionary.
- Get physical and practice your spy moves with this fun DIY Hall “Laser” Maze.
- Write a story and create your own book. Benjamin is super into making Flip Books.
- Here are 10 fun activities with Bubbles!
- Create a wash or masking tape track for cars and toy critters.
- Mad Libs! Here’s a fun online version.
- Make musical instruments and put on a concert.
- Spa Day! Treat yourself and the kids to fun spa treatments like foot soaks, pedicures, face masks and maybe a back rub.
- Make a Collage. Use old magazines, ads, etc and create fun masterpieces.
- Create charms, zipper pulls or jewelry by making your own Shrinky Dinks.
- Grab a deck of cards and build a Playing Card Tower. Have a contest to see who can get the tallest building.
Need a “quiet time break”? Me too! During downtime, your kiddos might enjoy one of these favorite podcasts for kids or exciting digital learning experiences.
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