20 fun things to do at home—for free
When kids have free time, sometimes they can get bored. And when they’re bored, they might want to turn to screens, video games, or social media to entertain them. But it’s amazing what they can come up with when screens aren’t an option. You might not even be aware, but odds are good that you’re sitting in an amazing imaginative, creative space right now.
Your home!
It has so many great bits and pieces that can be used for countless games and activities. And the best part? Since you already have these items around your home, all of these play ideas in our list are free! Here are some fun activities that the whole family can take part in.
1. Go on a bear hunt
Do you have an adventurer at home looking to find bears (or other treasure)? Tape two pieces of empty paper towel rolls together and voilà! Homemade binoculars! Hide their teddy bears around your home or backyard for your child to find or let them make their own discoveries.
2. Try blanket tug of war
Grab a blanket, towel, or sheet, then divide up your kids into two teams and see who can pull their way to victory.
3. Create some flashlight fun
Use a flashlight indoors in a dimly lit room and as you slowly zigzag the light around, see if your child can “catch” the beam. Outside, use the flashlight for an awesome game of flashlight tag. Plus, here are 13 other fun activities to play in the dark.
4. Explore icy paleontology
Choose one or more of your kids’ small toys (think toy car, plastic dinosaurs, or Lego pieces) and place them in plastic containers of water. Freeze the containers overnight and give your child a hammer or meat tenderizer to smash out their discoveries.
5. Make believe with a strainer
Who knew that a colander or strainer could take a place of honour in a toy box? Your child can use it as a pretend helmet when fighting fires or as an astronaut walking on the moon.
6. Spin some bubbles
The old dependable salad spinner is not just for mixed greens. Fill the spinner with water and a touch of dish soap, let your kids spin it, and before long they’ll be delighted to have made their own bubble solution. Use items around your home as bubble wands, such as straws, cookie cutters, slotted spoons, or fly swatters.
7. Have ladles of fun with water
Fill a bowl or sink with water and small toys and provide your child with a soup ladle. Can they scoop up the toys and move them into another bowl or a jug?
8. Bake snow goodies
Pack hard snow onto a cookie sheet and use different shapes of cookie cutters to create snow cookies. Move the cookies onto a second tray and use extra buttons or coins to decorate them. A culinary masterpiece!
9. Bounce your stuffies
Place an assortment of stuffies (or balls) on a large towel or sheet and have your kids hold the corners and sides. On “Go!” have the kids shake the sheet up and down and back and forward to give their animals a bouncy ride.
10. Go on laundry basket rides
Skip the detergent and have some good clean fun with a laundry basket. Kids will love pulling their friends or siblings around and around.
11. Have a fashion show
Your kids can recreate Paris Fashion Week right in their own living room. Pull out scarves, hats, costume jewelry, headbands, (inexpensive) sunglasses, your own clothing that you’re willing to give up in the name of fashion, fancy dresses, ties, ribbons, and shoes, and your kids can hit the runway in style.
12. Try pillow case races
Pull out your pillow cases (the old ones you might have stuffed at the back of a linen closet are best!), have your kids climb into one each and on “Go!” see who can outjump each other to the finish line.
13. Create a kitchen band
There are so many instruments in your kitchen just waiting to be played! Pull out the pots, the pans, the measuring spoons, the tupperware, and the bowls. Use a cheese grater and show your kids how to scrape a spoon up and down the side to make a fancy tune or pour some dried beans into containers to make maracas.
14. Make a punching bag
No need to hit the gym to hit the bag! Fill old nylons or mesh laundry bags with inflated balloons or plastic balls and attach them to the ceiling with wall-safe tape. Your kids will love punching the bag and dancing around as it sways in the air.
15. Jump hurdles
Your child can be an Olympian in their own living room or backyard. Set up a series of items of various heights, depending on your child’s size, and get them a-jumping! Use yogurt tubs, cereal or laundry detergent boxes, plastic bowls, or pillows as hurdles and see how high they can go.
16. Do a balance challenge
No need to sign your kids up for gymnastics if you want them to work on their balance. Line up a number of couch cushions and pillows on the floor and challenge your child to walk on the pillows from one end of the line to the other.
17. Create a wind chime hanger
The lowly hanger has more uses than simply hanging clothes. Find objects around your house such as ribbons, old keys, pinecones from the park or backyard, buttons, strips of aluminum foil, and items from your recycling bin, such as old greeting cards or plastic bottles. Work with your child to hang the items from the bottom of a plastic or wire hanger with pieces of string or yarn of different lengths. Have your child take their creation outside and either walk or run with it to hear the various noises the different items make. Or hang it outside and listen to the wind work its magic with the “chimes.”
18. Do a sponge relay race
Find me a kid who doesn’t love playing with water! Divide your kids into two teams and have them stand behind an empty pail or bucket. About 10 feet away from the empty buckets, place two buckets full of water (one for each team). Give the child at the front of each line a sponge. On “Go!” the child will run to the full bucket, dip in their sponge, run back, and squeeze out water from the sponge into the empty bucket. They then hand off the sponge to the next kid on their team who has the same task. Whichever team fills up their bucket first wins. Adjust the size of the pail or amount of water for different age groups.
19. Explore active board games
There’s nothing like a classic game night with the family. Even better when your loved ones can all play games—and get some movement in while they’re at it. There are so many board games out there that get you up and moving. Here’s a list of a few of our all-time favourites.
20. Have a karaoke night or a dance party
Who doesn’t love to dance and sing? The best part about this is that you don’t need much more than yourself, a little space to move around, and a device to play some music. You can DIY a microphone out of a hair brush (who needs the real karaoke set up when you’ve got an imagination?), maybe even dress up, and let your inner rock star be released! Here’s a playlist of 57 awesome family dance party jams to get you started.
Love it! I’m 64 years young & look forward to giving a number of these a go with our grand kids! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome!! Hope you have fun! :)