Ah, the lazy, hazy days of summer! Summer…that idyllic time when your kids have unlimited time to sleep, to play, and to do generally whatever pops into their little heads. The problem is that now, after a couple of months, nothing’s popping into their heads. If your kids are bombarding you with complaints of, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do! Can you take me somewhere?” and your suggestions are being rejected left and right, then you’re in the right place!
The list below contains over 100 ideas of things for kids to do at home, to occupy themselves, with little to no cost. Older children (10+) should be able to do these activities on their own. Younger children may need help or supervision from an older sibling or adult – use your own judgment here. Hopefully, this list will also spark your creativity, allowing you to come up with novel ideas that fit your family and situation perfectly.
Here goes:
- Listen to different genres of music or music from different eras
- Set up a dance party, with colored lights and refreshments
- Curate music playlists for different occasions. Curate lists of your favorite genres of movies, then have a movie marathon with snacks
- Build a “fort” in the living room, using furniture, blankets, etc.
- Get special toppings and have a make-your-own sundae night
- Have a “camp-out” in the backyard or living room
- Go on a bike ride
- Plan a scavenger hunt in the neighborhood, including hiding spots and clues
- Find recipes for popsicles, make them, and then have a taste test
- Find recipes for cookies, make them, and then make up plates to take to neighbors
- Create an obstacle course, then have timed competitions
- Water balloon/ water gun fight
- Play in the sprinkler
- Wash the car
- Set up a lemonade stand
- Use sidewalk chalk to decorate the neighborhood with art or inspiring/ funny quotes
- Plant a garden
- Have a watermelon seed spitting contest
- Splash in puddles after a rain storm
- Make a bird house or feeder
- Design paper boats and see whose can hold the most weight
- Draw
- Color – in children’s or adult coloring books as age appropriate
- Write letters to grandparents, other relatives, or friends
- Decorate a T-shirt with fabric paints or do tie-dye
- Find a recipe for homemade modeling dough and make it
- Find recipes for bubble mix and see which one makes the best bubbles
- Finger painting
- Make a necklace out of beads or pasta (consider dyeing the pasta first)
- Write your autobiography
- Plan a fashion show
- Redecorate or rearrange your bedroom
- Use Stop Motion Studio or some other app to make stop motion animation and then post the videos on-line
- Teach yourself to face paint
- Write a story, play, or screenplay
- Color your hair
- Find new makeup looks on Pinterest and then give yourself a makeover
- Use Hairstyle Makeover or another app to try on new hairstyles, by uploading a photo of yourself
- Come up with an idea for a children’s book and then make it
- Get on YouTube and learn a group dance, like: The Macarena, The Cupid Shuffle, The Electric Slide, Thriller, etc.
- Find designs for different paper airplanes and see which ones fly the best
- Do origami
- Find recipes then try a new food
- Play childhood games, like: hopscotch, freeze tag, hide and seek, capture the flag, red light–green light, Simon says, dodge ball, four square, kickball, Frisbee, or H-O-R-S-E (basketball)
- Make shadow puppets and put on a show
- Set up dominoes and make a video of them falling down
- Have a whipped cream pie fight
- Craft a diorama – a miniature scene inside an old box
- Learn clapping games, like: Concentration, Pat-a-Cake, Miss Mary Mack, or The Cup Game
- Learn string games, like Cat’s Cradle or Jacob’s Ladder
- Pack a picnic and go to the park
- Learn and play classic card games
- Find new ways to style your hair on YouTube and practice
- Learn how to do different kinds of braids
- Play board games
- Watch old home movies or look at family photo albums
- Fly a kite
- Tell scary stories in the dark
- Make s’mores
- Learn American Sign Language
- Learn Morse Code
- Walk the dog
- Train the dog to do new tricks
- Play charades
- Play hangman
- Find and play free online games
- Make a Diet Coke and Mentos eruption
- Jump rope
- Make a time capsule
- Have a make-your-own personal pizza night
- Paint decorative rocks, for use as door-stops or paper weights
- Put together a big jigsaw puzzle
- Play “20 questions”
- Make a fort or car out of a large appliance box
- Speak Pig Latin
- Create a secret code language, then send messages to friends
- Make friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss and seed beads
- Make a papier-mâché piñata
- Plan your dream vacation(s)
- Make your bucket list – all the things you’d like to do before you “kick the bucket”
- Go to the library to get books, then set up a comfy reading spot at home
- Find ideas for and make homemade holiday gifts for friends and relatives
- Make your own costumes and props, then put on a play
- Make your own puppets, then put on a puppet show
- Find recipes and make different kinds of slime
- Listen to an audiobook
- Make homemade greeting cards
- Create your family tree – find templates on-line or craft your own
- Print off your favorite photos, then craft a photo album or scrapbook, or fill a collage frame
- Bake cookies or a cake, then decorate with icing in piping bags
- Plan a play date with a friend
- Find images on-line and use cardboard and Mod Podge to create your own memory game, coasters, or holiday ornaments
- Make a fairy garden
- Use old magazines to make art collages
- Make paper beads out of rolled scrapbooking paper
- Play with Legos
- Make colored sand, then create sand art
- Write a song or poem
- Make your own Mad Libs
- Paint with watercolors
- Make photo booth props, then take silly photos
- Teach yourself magic tricks or card tricks
- Do brainteasers, like: Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and word searches
- Make a homemade slip ‘n’ slide
- Play catch
- Organize an at-home field day, complete with tug of war, races, and long jump
- Practice doing cartwheels, somersaults, and handstands in the yard
- Roller blade
- Do some science experiments – https://mommypoppins.com/kids/50-easy-science-experiments-for-kids-fun-educational-activities-using-household-stuff
- Go geocaching
- Have an English-style tea party
- Make homemade butter, applesauce, or freezer jam
- Make duct tape crafts
- Have a pillow fight
- Do yoga – using on-line videos
- Find a pen pal
- Learn to play checkers or chess
- Teach yourself to knit, crochet, embroider, or sew
- Start learning a foreign language
- Write encouraging notes for others
- Raise money for a charity
- Make candy
- Start a book club
- Write a letter to your favorite celebrity
- Dry or press flowers
- Teach yourself calligraphy, decorative lettering, or chalk board lettering
- Create a superhero and a graphic novel in which she/he can star
- Bake bread
- Write a congress person or representative about something that concerns you
- Draw a floor plan for your ideal house
- Take a bubble bath
- Use SkyView Free or some other astronomy app to identify stars and constellations in the night sky
Article adapted from several website resources:
https://www.care.com/c/stories/3780/101-things-to-do-when-kids-say-im-bored/
https://www.famifi.com/2767/101-non-electric-things-for-kids-to-do-when-theyre-bored
https://familyeguide.com/boredom-busters-110-fun-at-home-activities-for-families-kids-2/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/craft-ideas/how-to/g1389/diy-kids-activities/
https://happyhooligans.ca/fun-things-kids-do-at-home-this-summer/
https://mommypoppins.com/ny-kids/50-indoor-activities-for-a-rainy-day
https://www.mykidstime.com/things-to-do/50-fun-rainy-day-activities-for-kids/
https://thestir.cafemom.com/big_kid/181945/indoor_activities_kids_crafts_winter
