Entertaining children is a challenge in any weather, inside or outside of the home and in any circumstances. However, there are fun activities for kids that can challenge them in a variety of ways and entertain them at the same time. If you are stuck for something to do and need an idea fast, keep this list of activities handy to help you distract children in your care. The list covers different scenarios and environments to ensure there is at least one idea that can help in any given situation.
Outdoor Activities for Kids (Great Summer and Nature Activities for Kids)
If possible, outdoor activity is the best method to distract children, help them to use up some excess energy and gain the benefits of breathing fresh air and being in the sunlight - which provides Vitamin D. Children who spend more time outside are less likely to be stressed in school and less likely to suffer from illness.
1. Scooters
Scooters are a fun activity that help children work on motor skills at the same time. Pack up the kids and scooters and take them to the park or to ride scooters on a smooth trail with pretty scenery. Even if you find an area with a flat sidewalk, you can enjoy the walk and everyone gets exercise and fresh air.
2. Swing sets
A swingset provides children challenges in activities and motor skill building progress as well. There are numerous benefits to a swingset, including the fact that several children can play at the same time and the different activities can be a way to keep kids entertained for long periods.
Nature Activities for Kids
3. Create a Scavenger Hunt
Different scavenger hunts can be created to show children varieties of plants, bugs or simply challenge their ability to find items that start with certain letters. They can be done at the park, in the backyard or while driving to a fun destination. With the flexibility of this activity, it is a great idea to have a notebook and pens handy to create a scavenger hunt list anywhere and at any time.
4. Go on a Hike
Spending time in nature allows children to learn about trees, plants and animals. It gives everyone a break from technology and the same games and activities. A hike is a great way to connect with nature.
5. Start a Garden
This is another way to learn about plants and get dirty. This allows children to take pride in taking care of living things and seeing them grow as a result.
6. Watch the Clouds
Sometimes a fun activity that encourages creativity and just enjoying the moment at hand is in order. If that is the case, spending time on a blanket or the warm grass looking at the clouds is the best option.
7. Go Swimming
Exercise is good for everyone. Swimming on a warm day cools everyone down and helps use up energy so more relaxed activities can be pursued later in the day.
8. Decorate the Sidewalk
This can be done with chalk or different types of washable paint. It can be used to practice writing skills and also to create scenes for stories or other entertainment purposes.
9. Look at the Stars
While this one has to be done at night, it can create a unique break in your routine. Encourage your children to see the different constellations and make up new ones, creating stories for each one they see. This opens up conversation, allows children to start learning about the stars and developing a love of astronomy and even encourages creativity.
10. Frisbee Tic Tac Toe
Using a cheap shower curtain to create a board and several frisbees, you can try to win by landing frisbees of a specific color in a row on the board. This can be done from different distances and using different throws.
11. Mentos Explosions
This is probably best for outside, but it is a fun science experiment. Using different types of soda, drop in a Mentos and compare the height of the explosion for each soda. This can be done with the children predicting which one will shoot the highest and other potential results of the experiment.
Indoor Activities for Kids (Great Winter and Rainy Days Activities for Kids)
A lot of time is spent indoors, especially when it's a rainy day or during a cold winter. If you are stuck inside and need something to grab the kids' attention and keep them from complaining of boredom or hunger, then try some of the activities below to show them that life goes on even when you are stuck at home or the babysitter's house.
Science Activities for Kids
12. Make Slime
There are many different ways to make slime. Find recipes that involve items you have in your home already, and get to work.
13. Build with Legos
Legos can be used to create scenes, creatures or tracks for cars or trains. Come up with different challenges to complete using the legos.
14. Make Foam Dough
This is a fun activity with shaving cream and corn starch. Mixed together, a sort of dough is formed. It is fun to see the reaction of the two ingredients mixed together, it can show the kids the potential of mixing things to create something new and it is a fun diversion for a period of time.
15. Lemon Volcanos
Educational and fun at the same time, a lemon volcano is different and fun. Google simple tutorials for this and have them on hand when you need them.
16. Alphabet Bingo
Bingo boards with only letters can be made and used to compete for the first bingo or the best score. This can also be used for letter sounds and words with different endings for older children.
17. Parking Lot Number Fun
Using a cardboard box, create spaces and number them. Mark matchbox cars with matching numbers, then mix up the cars and encourage the children to match up the car with its space in the "parking lot."
18. Build a Cup Tower
Fine motor skills and spatial awareness are great learning experiences that go with cup towers. Kids have fun building them and then knocking them down afterward.
19. Create Drums with Old Balloons and Cans
Stretch the balloons over the cans. The tension will create a great surface that kids can use to make their own music. This educates in music creation and helps to show the children the potential of thinking outside the box.
20. See What You Can Build Using Straws:
Kids love straws, to drink from and play with. You can build globes, cars or any other type of structure. Let the kids use their imaginations and compete for the best creation.
Rainy Day Activities for Kids
21. Marble Races
Cutting pool noodles in half creates great marble raceways. They are cheap and can be stored away for the future.
22. Puppet Show
This can be done to play out familiar stories, or the kids can write a story to play out with the puppets they create on the stage they create.
23. Write a Book
This can be done together or separately.
24. Mop the floor, with your socks
This is a fun alternative when everyone is restless and that floor is getting too dirty to look at anymore.
25. Build a Fort
This is a fun activity anytime.
26. Watch a Movie
With a snack, this is a great downtime activity.
27. Make Masks for Each Other
Give each child a theme and see what they create and for who.
28. Write a Letter to Family Members or Friends
This is a helpful handwriting activity, and family members love getting mail.
Team Building Activities
29. Write a Poem Together
Each person can contribute a line or they can brainstorm ideas and write it, whichever they prefer.
30. Come Up With Ideas for a Board Game
This is a fun way to keep the kids busy for awhile. They can work together to create the game and then they can play together.
31. Make a Play Doh Village
Each person should be given a different building or area to create with their play doh.
32. Complete a Photo Shoot
Each person has a job, like taking the pictures or creating the outfits. Make time for the completed project to be shared with loved ones.
33. Create a Maze and Help Each Other Through, Blindfolded
With one person blindfolded, encourage the rest of the group to help them get from one side of maze to the other. They can not simply lead them by the hand.
34. Define a Space and Have Everyone Fit Into It Together
Use tape or string and outline a space in a room. Encourage the entire group to fit into that area however they can.
35. Create a "Minefield" and Make the Group Work Together to Cross
With this activity, the minefield needs to be crossed as a group with no one stepping on a 'mine.' The mines can be labeled papers or objects that blend into the flooring. If a person steps on a 'mine,' the entire group has to start over.
Fun Ideas that Work Anywhere
36. Blow Bubbles
Everyone likes bubbles.
37. Learn a New Dance (or make one up)
Different music encourages different dances. Learning dances from different cultures is fun, and making up a new dance usually involves silliness and laughter. You can't go wrong.
38. Have a Picnic (or a tea party)
Kids love this one until a certain age. Still, older kids tend to humor younger ones so it could still work.
39. Go outside and fly a kite
Another fun activity that gets people moving and away from technology. Kites are pretty and the wind is fun to see move the kite way up high.
40. Learn a New Skill
Something simple is best, but sign language or another language can be great options for older children who like to learn and don't want to sit and do nothing during their down time.
41. Bake treats for family or friends
Fun in the kitchen is a great time and easy to do. The cleanup can be rough, but it is usually worth it.
42. Create a lemonade stand
This can be a chance to learn about business or just a chance to get out and see if they can talk to people and share cold lemonade on a hot day.
43. Make a Time Capsule
This can be a fun activity to create something to open again at a specified time - the end of the summer or the following year when school lets out. The hard part is putting it somewhere you can find it later. You can always bury it in the backyard.
44. Make Jewelry Out of Beads of Recyclables
Jewelry is popular with any child, and it can be a gift for an upcoming holiday as well.
45. Play Simon Says
This game does not require any materials and is very easy to learn.
46. Make up a Language and Write Messages to One Another
This is a fun activity that can be revisited on another day where boredom sets in. It encourages creativity and lets everyone laugh about funny sounds.
47. Create a New Pet Out of Paper or Decorate a Rock Pet
This can be based on a real creature, or they can get extra points if they make up something totally new.
48. Make a Home for a Fairy
As long as it involves glitter, it is fun for the kids and will make a great 'home' for a fairy. You can even think of names for the fairy that might come to live there.
49. Learn About a Historical Figure or Family Member
If this activity is done with your own children, now is a great time to teach them something about a family member. If not, any historical figure who has interesting facts about them to share will be a great conversation starter.
50. Create Paper Airplanes and Compete
With this, you can see who has the best throw, the most accurate flight or the longest flight. You can have the starting point at different distances or heights and have the kids predict where the airplane might go.
All of these fun activities can be adjusted for children of different ages and for one child versus a small group. You can be sure to entertain children for an afternoon - or several - with the activities listed above. Give yourself the chance to cut down on hearing "I'm bored." Everyone will be happier!
