100+ Best Activities for Your Kids & Family
Are your kids bored? Do you want some simple family and kid-friendly ideas? Here are 100+ easy things for your kids to do when they’re bored and to do together as a family. These ideas are for boys, girls, families to do all together, and connect with friends. We are lucky with today’s technology that social distancing does NOT have to equal social isolation. Perfect activities for indoors, outside, and away from home. Use this free 100+ checklist to see how many things you can do to have fun, reconnect with hobbies, exercise, education, and fun with kids, and activities away from home!
****“This post contains affiliate links in banners/ photos/*words. If you use these links, I will get a small commission from your purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”****
Fun
- Have kids stay in touch with family and friends with Video chat/FaceTime/Skype/texts/email/phone.
- Read together.
- Kindle Books- get immediate access to your favorite books. You can get a free Kindle App on your iPad.
Get access to thousands and thousands of different books fiction and non-fiction in different genres including Children’s picture books, business, cozy mysteries, young adults…
- Borrow up to 10 books at a time.
- Discover a new great author, series, or book.
- I save over $100 a year on books. (Results vary.)
- Puzzles are POPULAR, right now! Keep your minds busy with these crossword puzzles and other games for adults and kids.
- Play board/card games. Check out these FAMILY FAVORITES.
- Pet and play with your furry family members. Petting cats and dogs have been shown to reduce stress. Keep them entertained, too.
- Download and organize photos. I bet you have a ton of photos on your phone.)
- Construct a family book where each member contributes.
- Listen to music.
- Take naps.
- *Create a thankful journal.
- Make your own matching game using spelling words, vocabulary words, etc.
- Charades
- Play Simon Says
- Discover “How To” draw tutorials on YouTube.
- Learn “How to” do another skill or hobby.
- Teach yourself Sign Language.
- Create a picnic inside or outside. (Order from a local restaurant to support local businesses.)
- Pull out toys, and games your kids have not seen in a while.
- Play electronic games. Some games can be played with friends. (Call ahead to coordinate a mutual time to play together online.)
- Binge-watch TV shows and movies. (Consider appropriate content for your children.) Use your streaming,*Prime…
- Play BINGO
- Organize toys and kids’ clothes to see what needs to be handed down (given to family members or friends), donated, recycled, or thrown away.
Reconnect with hobbies. Have your family join in.
- Gather photos to create a scrapbook. This is a great activity to do with your family.
- Garden- as it is getting warmer, now is a wonderful time to start planting. Plant a garden, and make a space for your kids to tend. Use flower boxes if you don’t own a garden. Join a community garden.
- Knitting
- Sewing
- Quilting-Create birthday, Christmas, holiday, and special occasions gifts now.
- Sing favorite songs together.
- Dance together
- Play an instrument
- Cook together
- Bake together
- Meditate
- Journaling
- Writing
- Complete puzzles
- Paint by Numbers
- Saduko
- Word Finds
- Woodworking
- Craft jewelry
- Learn magic tricks.
Exercise
- Walking, jogging, running, hiking…
- Riding bikes outside
- Yoga
- Swim (if you have your own pool and live in a warm climate during the cool season). Always supervise and observe safety rules around water. Even in kiddie pools.
- Create an obstacle course.
- Walk your dog.
- Jump rope
- Hula Hoops
- Scooters for kids
- Kick a ball back and forth.
- Shoot hoops if you have a basketball net.
- Roller skate- if you have your own roller skates. On snowy days, I used to roller skate in the basement.
- Do jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups…
- *Skee Ball Tabletop Classic Arcade Game
- Indoor bowling
- Play on Playscape in your backyard
Education and Fun with Young Children
(Some Activities Can be Modified for Older Children)
- Play matching game.FREE MATCHING GAME AND BLANK TEMPLATES to create your own matching games.
- FREE Book Scavenger Hunt
- Use Free Venn Diagrams to categorize books & pictures or use 2 Hula Hoops to create large Venn diagrams to items, stuffed animals…
- Do one of the free Scavenger Hunts. LINK
- Play BINGO
- Camp in your house/backyard
- Play dress-up
- Hide and Go Seek
- Play I Spy.
- *Create with Playdough.
- Draw
- *Paint- Experiment by mixing colors together.
- *Color in a coloring book.
- Build a fort.
- Use building blocks.
- *Put on a puppet show.
- *Hop Scotch
- Go to PBS Kids LINK
- Go to author websites. Young children’s authors such as Eric Carle, Kevin Henkes, Jan Brett…
- Tea Party
- *Fingerplay such as The Itsy Bitsy Spider
- *Learning Puzzles
- *Build with Legos.
- Look at family photos together, and help create a scrapbook.
- Make letters, numbers…in sand/sugar -* Sand Table
- Bath toys (Always supervise to avoid and observe water safety. Keep an eye out for choking hazards. Clean on a regular basis to avoid mold/mildew.)
- * Water TableWater play- experiment with different items to see if they sink or float. Empty the water. Replace it with other items, and create a sensory bin.
- Practice writing their names and other words.
- Tic-Tac-Toe
- Learn and act out *Nursery Rhymes.
- Venn Diagram- Compare and Contrast various items.
- Explore sound. Use pots and pans. Put different levels of water in bowls. Tap the sides with a spoon. Note the different sounds
- Play tag
- Do a craft together.
- Have an ice cream party
- Build a house, rocket… with a large box
- Finger paint
Away from Home Together
(Please observe safety measures before heading out. Learn about and follow the rules at your destination. Rules may vary from place to place.)
- Visit the library together and pick out books or video games.
- Go to the park. Have a picnic.
- Walk and go on an outdoor scavenger hunt.
- Hike on an outdoor trail. Take pictures.
- Ride your bikes on an outdoor trail.
- Pick fruit/vegetables/flowers at a local farm. (Please support local farmers & businesses.)
- Go to a farm and engage in activities.
- Visit an outdoor museum.
- Use the public tennis courts.
Other Relevant Posts
Increase Your Productivity, Now
This Post Can Also Been Seen at:
Inspire Me Monday- By Mostly Blogging
Inspire Me Monday-By Create With Joy
Your Whims Wednesday- By My Girlish Whim10s
I love how you organized this by category. Thanks for the freebies!
Hi Mariah,
Thank you for your wonderful comments! 🙂 You are welcome for the freebies, and I am glad you liked the way I organized this post.
Please use this opportunity to reconnect with important people in your life through technology. We are so lucky to be able to share resources through the internet! 🙂
These are great suggestions! I’ve been able to stay pretty busy, but I know a lot of people are struggling with intense boredom right now!
-Madi xo | http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
Hi Madi,
Thank you for your kind comments! 🙂 I am glad you have been able to stay busy! The lighter side of this situation is that we can genuinely reconnect with the important people in our lives through technology, and the earth is starting to show some beautiful benefits from this.
Great list! This is the largest idea list I’ve seen posted lastely for boredom busters! We homeschool so we are still carrying on with our school lessons but we still get bored because a lot of our extra classes and lessons have been canceled. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for your wonderful comments! 🙂 If you sign up for my newsletter, you will get all the freebie resources I created. The one I made for this post offers a compare and contrast Venn diagram with some different ideas how to use them for older and younger children. There are many ways you can have fun with this.
I LOVE a good list of boredom busters (I actually just posted one with a range of kids activities myself this week! http://www.everythingsfamtastic.com) Though you had a lot more that are great for the whole family and household, thanks!
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for your kind comments! 🙂 I enjoyed your list, too! 🙂 So thanks for adding your link.
The exercise tips are SO essential to fit boredom right now and stay healthy! Thanks!
Hi Holly,
Yes, exercising is an important way to stay healthy. Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Best,
Christina
This activity and information is really awesome. Now I know how I should spent my social distancing days. 🙁
Hi Shristi,
Thank you for your kind comments! 🙂 I hope this helps pass the time. Remember this situation is temporary. Plan what you’re going to do when this is over. Write it down, and put it in a jar. When social isolating is done, starting picking through your jar ideas! 🙂
Best,
Christina
impressive resources you have compiled……..such productive quarantine i will have……no doubt…….
Stay busy! Stay safe!?
These are all great ideas! I’ve noticed I have been way more active now that we are quarantined.
Hi Cyndi,
It’s great that you are more active, now. Keep it up! 🙂 Maybe, this is the perfect time to start some new positive habits! 🙂
Stay healthy!
Best,
Christina
I love the suggested activities for kids. I’ve been running out of ideas and this is very helpful!
Hi Capri,
Enjoy this time together! Read everyday together, play games, learn together…?
This is the chance to get creative! You can sign up to get more educational activities that can be modified for kids of all ages. Stay safe!
Best,
Christina
I have done so many of these already – but there are still so many to do! As our schools are out till at least April 20, I will have to check back here for some more great ideas…
Hi Megan,
Thank you for your comments! 🙂 I am so pleased that my list will help you stay busy. The freebie also has some additional bonus activities for kids. I hope you and your family stay well! 🙂
So many good ideas here to beat boredom! I will have to save this for the next time the kid say they are bored!
Hi Danielle,
Thank you for your comments! 🙂 I am thrilled you will use this list with your kids. The freebie has some additional educational activities for kids!
I taught children for years, so I wanted to help parents through this temporary difficult time. I hope you and your family stay well and busy.
Best,
Christina
These is such a massive ideas that you’ve shared for us. It’s definitely a great help to lessen the boredom at home and try to do some on your list.
Thank you for your comments! 🙂 I am thrilled that this will help you stay busy. Stay well!
Thanks for this list. It is very much needed in these tough times of lockdown. I will try to do some of these.
You are welcome! 🙂 Thank you for your comments. I am going to add home improvement activities. Hardware stores are still open where I am. Stay well.
Wow really need these as m totally stuck at home with nothing to do. Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Thank you for your kind comments! 🙂 You can also write down plans for what you would like to do when this is all done. This too shall pass.
Stay Healthy.
What a great and huge list of what to do when you have to stay at home during these times. I am going back to work soon but I will try some of your recommendations.
I am glad you are going back to work soon! ? This is a great time to do some things that you enjoy, but don’t have time for!?
This is an awesome list! It will definitely help with my 5 stir crazy kids this week! Thank you! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
Wow 5 kids! ? This is a wonderful time to bond, read together, play games, get creative, teach them a chore that is age appropriate. My educational freebies can accommodate different age ranges. Enjoy this time together!?
Best,
Christina
I have already started learning some skills in blogging online. In this critical situation video conferencing with my friends is really a good boredom buster for me.
That’s great!? Blogging and video conferencing are wonderful ways to stay connected.
Hi! It’s an interesting blog.
Thanks for sharing this useful information.
You are welcome! ? This time is a gift.
Stay Busy! Stay Safe!
I am not a teacher or parent, but these ideas are definitely something that I can do as well. Especially organizing my home.
Hi Taylor,
I am so glad this post is helpful! Yes, since you are home anyway, why not take the time to organize and sanitize.
Stay Busy! Stay Safe!?
Love this list of ideas! With two boys at home we need lots of ideas!
Hi Heather,
I am glad that you and your two boys can benefit from this list! 🙂 Enjoy your time together!
Stay busy. Stay safe.