As a busy mom, you’re no stranger to the challenge of keeping your kids entertained day in and day out. We understand that finding activities that are both fun and educational can be hard work, which is why we’ve assembled this list of over 50 at-home activities to keep your little ones learning and growing while having a blast! From crafts to science experiments to games they can play together, these ideas are sure to help you manage their energy with an encouraging tone of voice. So let’s take some time out from our hectic days and dive into an adventure full of creativity and exploration!
Indoor Activities for Kids
Make a craft–Grab some paper, glue, glitter, and any other supplies you have on hand to let your kids express their creativity. From making a collage to designing a robot out of recycled materials, there are plenty of craft options available for them to enjoy!
- Complete Creativity Kit: This all-in-one arts and crafts set is packed with essential tools and materials like construction paper, pipe cleaners and pompoms for countless projects, perfect for inspiring young artists.
- Inspiration for All Ages: Our craft supplies set suitable for various age groups and skill levels, making it a valuable tool for multi-age learning environments. Great for deleoping creativeness, no matter of school projects or home school.
Play a game–Engage the whole family in an exciting round of charades or our family’s current favorite, SKYJO!
- Your goal: try to collect as few points as possible over several rounds of play as quickly as possible by skilfully uncovering, exchanging and collecting playing cards, as few points as possible. But this can only be done as long as a player has not revealed all their cards, otherwise the round of game ends. So be careful, keep an eye on the game and the players
- Great fun for your friends and family. Skyjo is a fun card game that is great fun for children and even large game friends (adults). The card game is very suitable for short games in between and is also an enrichment for a sociable and beautiful game evening.
- FAMILY PICK AND PASS CARD GAME: Sushi Go! Is a fun and easy to learn card game that will become a classic in your family, leaving you hungry for more!
- QUICK PLAY THAT IS EASY TO LEARN: Learn how to play in just 1 round and plays in 15 minutes!
Toddler dot markers–This fun and simple activity is perfect for younger kids. Provide a collection of dot markers in different colors, along with some blank paper, and let them create their own art!
- 【Vibrant Color Range】With a set of 8 vibrant colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and brown, our Soucolor Dot Markers provide endless possibilities for young artists to create beautiful works of art. Whether they’re working on a coloring book or creating their own masterpieces, these markers are perfect for adding dots of color and transforming plain paper into a vibrant canvas, making art time an explosion of color and fun for toddlers and preschool children.
- 【Mess-free and Washable】The water-based formula also makes these toddler markers easy to wash off hands, clothes, and surfaces, ensuring quick clean-up and worry-free crafting sessions without the stress of permanent stains. Whether it’s for home or classroom art projects, these dot paints are an essential tool for toddlers’ arts and crafts. The dot design allows for controlled painting and prevents color bleeding. Kids will love the fun, mess-free way to create colorful masterpieces.
- Press, Kindrell Land (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Make a bucket list–Brainstorm together and come up with a list of things you’d like to do as a family. It could be anything from visiting the zoo to baking cookies, and it’s sure to give you plenty of ideas for activities you can all do together.
Play kinetic sand, playdough, or slime–These materials are great for encouraging your kids to explore with their senses. From squishing and squeezing the dough to creating shapes with sand, they’re sure to have a blast!
- ONE & ONLY KINETIC SAND: The original magical moving play sand that kids love. So satisfying to touch – it magically sticks together for easy shaping & cleanup. Never dries out so kids can play again & again
- 2LBS COLORED SAND & 10 TOOLS: Unlock a world of mesmerizing sand art and amazing effects with Pink, Yellow & Teal sand, 10 molds and tools, & an exclusive satisfying squisher tool for limitless creations
Read: Easy Homemade Playdough
Start an indoor garden–Help your kids get up close and personal with nature by planting a few seeds in some soil and watching them grow.
Have a push up contest–See who can do the most push ups in a minute and make it an ongoing competition for some friendly family fun!
Tell each other jokes–This is a great way to bond and share some laughs. Have your kids come up with their own jokes or recite their favorite ones from books or movies. Our kids got this book of jokes from their grandma a few weeks ago, and they’ve LOVED it!
- Carole P. Roman (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Play sports indoors–Break out the foam balls and bats and have a game of indoor baseball or volleyball in the living room.
Eat breakfast in bed–Surprise your little ones by setting up a makeshift picnic in the living room for breakfast.
Start a journal–Encourage your kids to write down their thoughts and feelings in a journal. This is an excellent way for them to explore their emotions and gain insight into themselves.
- Press, Modern Kid (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- DAILY INTERACTIVE JOURNAL: This fun growth mindset workbook for kids is a 5-minute daily practice for children age 6-11 to express their feelings and develop a growth mindset.
- EMOTIONAL HEALTH: Big Life Journal daily journal with prompts provides a safe space for children to digest their day, find the good and not so good things, and reflect on things they can improve.
Create a dance–Put on some music and challenge your kids to come up with their own creative moves.
Make a marshmallow catapult–See who can launch a marshmallow the furthest with this fun engineering activity.
Knit a hat or scarf–If you already know how to knit, teach your kids the basics and watch as they create their own hats or scarves.
- Lightweight & Durable: Our knitting loom is made of durable ABS plastic, it has smooth edges and solid pegs, lightweight and skin-friendly.
- Including: This kitting loom kit includes 4 different size of knitting looms (5/7/9/11 inches diameter), 1 hook, 1 yarn needle and 4 different size of pompom maker.
Learn a magic trick–There are plenty of tutorials online that will teach your kids some classic card tricks.
Make ice cream–This tasty treat is easy to make using a few simple ingredients and an ice cream maker.
Write a movie script--Challenge your kids to write a movie script together. They could even film it and put on their own show!
Learn to play an instrument–Dive into the world of music by teaching your kids how to play an instrument. Our kids just started learning how to play the ukulele and they’ve really enjoyed picking out tunes. We have this exact ukulele!
- SELECTED MATERIAL: Traditional soprano ukulele with selected mahogany body and neck, purple heart wood fingerboard and bridge, four Aquila Strings Installed (Best Ukulele Strings).
- POPULAR DESIGN: Soprano size ukulele matt finishing with rosewood arm-rest design, ukulele round edges armrest comfort players arm in long-time ukulele exercise.
Learn to use chopsticks–Practice using chopsticks with a bowl of noodles or rice to help your kids master the skill.
Have a karaoke night–Turn up the music and let your kids sing their hearts out to their favorite tunes.
- 【2 Packs Microphone】The portable karaoke microphone, sing with your friends or family! It will be an awesome Bluetooth speaker If you want to enjoy music. Even more surprising is that it also can be used as an FM Radio and Voice Changer. Perfect for KTV singing, gathering singing, family singing, travel singing, car stereo, instrument recording, interviews and live, etc.
- 【Bluetooth 5.0】After turn on the Bluetooth function, When you turn on the microphone, the microphone will automatically connect. Instant pairing, auto reconnection, improved connection stability and improved battery performance. The latest Bluetooth 5.0 with TWS technology on the microphone, provides faster pairing, stable connection and signal transmission (50ft no obstacle range). Powerful Bluetooth 5.0 chip that perfectly matches tablets, laptops, iOS, and Android smartphones!
Take an online cooking class–Learn a variety of cooking techniques and recipes with an online cooking class.
Meditate–Introduce your children to the world of mindfulness with some calming meditation exercises.
Have a tea party–Gather around the kitchen table and sip on some tea while catching up with each other.
Play freeze dance–Turn on some music and challenge your kids to freeze when the music stops.
Read a book out loud together–Select a book and take turns reading it out loud as you explore the story together.
Learn origami–Fold paper into a variety of shapes and figures with this fun craft activity.
- Dover Publications-Easy Origami
- John Montroll (Author)
Create a family mixtape–Compile some of your favorite songs into a playlist and listen to it together.
Play I spy–Take turns finding objects and giving clues to help the other person guess what it is.
Play floor is lava–Jump from couch to chair and avoid touching the “lava” (aka the floor) for a fun game. While you don’t really need to have the game for this, we do, and I find that it helps my kids to have some ground rules!
- ENDLESS GAMES PRESENTS: The Floor is Lava! is a family board game that promotes physical activity, an active imagination, and engaging excitement for kids and adults.
- ACTIVE FUN: Turn every floor into an exciting “lava jumping” adventure with The Floor is Lava! Get your child up off the couch or away from video games with this fun interactive game!
Make a bird feeder–Let your kids get creative by making their own bird feeder out of recycled materials.
Learn a new language–Use the time indoors to explore a new language together.
Write a story or poem–Challenge your kids to write a story or poem together.
Plan a vacation–Start planning your next vacation together and make a list of all the places you’d like to visit.
Paint with watercolors–Get out the paper and paints for some colorful fun.
Play cards–Enjoy a game of Go Fish or Memory with your kids. Need ideas for fun card games? Read: Kids Must Learn Card Games List
Stay up late–Stay up late and watch a movie together or just enjoy each other’s company.
Make a terrarium–Create a mini garden in a jar with your kids and watch it grow.
- Terrarium Kit For Kids: Our terrarium science kit for kids includes light-up terrarium jar, Micro-USB charging cable, vermiculite, blue sand, river rocks, wheatgrass, chia seeds, 6 small dinosaurs (random styles), volcanic, removable stickers, spray bottlea, wooden stick
- Education & Science: When children pour the first bit of sand into a jar to build a plant terrarium kit, until they see the grass peeking out, every step is an experience to remember, this helps children develop observation ability and scientific thinking
Make a family tree with your kids–Draw a family tree with your kids and share stories about their ancestors.
Create your own car roads with tape–Draw roads on the floor with masking or painter’s tape and use toy cars to explore. I typically use blue painters tape, but my youngest son would love this road tape!
- Build-N-Play Fun: A kid’s imagination is their greatest source of fun; PlayTape is perfect for building instant toy roads, highways, & racetracks on any flat surface, anytime, anywhere. Compatible with your existing toy cars & trucks.
- The Real Thing: PlayTape is the original road tape; PlayTape roads are simple to use and perfectly sized for a young child to handle with ease, and yet engineered to exacting specifications; Get the original road tape – PlayTape.
Tie dye t-shirts–Have some messy fun with your kids and tie dye some t-shirts.
- Everything You Need Included To Create Your Own Tie-Dye Fashion Artwork. Each Box includes: 18 Large Bottles(60ml) + 3 Cotton White T-Shirt(Size:Medium, Large, X-Large). It also comes with 10 pair of Disposable Gloves, 120 Rubber Band, 2 Disposable Tablecloth(31.5*31.5inch), 1 funnel. Get Meland tie dye kit to start your endless possibilities of your unique clothing creation. An imaginative and creative tie dye project for all ages from kids, girls,boys, beginners to adults.
- Natural Material to Keep Bright and Permanent Color After Repeated Washing. Meland tie dye set used environmentally and friendly natural material which is conducive to the pigmentation of the product, so that the craft creations would not fade or color-mix during use or after multiple washing. Tie dye it all from t-shirts to socks and to tote bags or shoes and from blank to swank.
Call your grandma to chat–Call your grandma and have a chat with your kids for some quality family time.
Learn calligraphy–Introduce your kids to the art of calligraphy with some simple exercises.
- Winters, Eleanor (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Do a spa day–Give your kids some pampering with a homemade face mask or a relaxing foot soak. We did this as a family right before Christmas and our kids thought it was the coolest thing! We rubbed their feet, played soft music, and did these animal face masks.
- ❤️ FEEL SPOTLESS: The fun Cheetah Mask moisturizes and lifts the skin. It contains Collagen and Fruit extract that helps seal moisture for a radiant glow and youthful appearance. The Cheetah mask makes the skin feel smoother and softer. The Llama Mask contains Lavender and Protein extract to calm and tone irritated skin.
- 🧡 BOTANICAL EXTRACTS: The Unicorn and Panda Mask contain botanical extracts, which improve the skin’s suppleness to reduce the appearance and signs of aging. The Unicorn Mask contains Alaska Glacier Water, which helps balance pH levels in your skin. The Panda Mask contains herbal essence, which firms the skin for a refreshed feel and appearance.
Create an indoor obstacle course–Challenge your kids to an obstacle course with objects around your home.
Clean out your closets–Get rid of some clutter by having your kids help you clean out your closets.
Color–Have some coloring fun with your kids and spend time creating beautiful works of art.
Set up dominos and knock them over–Let your kids get creative by setting up dominos and knocking them down.
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: Dominoes set for adults includes 28 tiles. Domino tiles are classic black dotted ivory color dominoes with spin rivet and brown wood case. Each classic games tiles is numbered on a standard system, marked blank or with 1-6 recessed dots on both ends as is typical in a classic board games
- HIGHEST QUALITY: The dominos set double 6 features durable and sturdy tiles with indented and well-painted dots that won’t fade any time soon so you can use them for years to come. Every double six dominoes tiles dot has high-quality eco paint. Quality melamine dominoes
Organize school papers/art–Help your kids organize their school papers and artwork for easy access.
Teach your pet a new trick–Teach your pet a new trick and reward them with treats.
Take a bubble bath–Have a fun bubble bath with your kids and use some of their favorite scented soaps.
Wash your toys in the bathtub–Let your kids get creative by washing their toys in the bathtub.
Make a family recipe book–Gather your favorite family recipes and make a recipe book together.
Cook a dinner as a family–Prepare a special meal with your family and enjoy it together.
Do a crossword puzzle or maze–Have some brain-teasing fun with crossword puzzles or mazes.
Have a no screens day–Take a break from screens and get out the board games or books.
Create a family newsletter–Write up a family newsletter with your kids and mail it out to family and friends.
Have a pajama day–Have a cozy day in your PJs and watch some funny movies.
Go on a bear hunt–Hide a stuffed bear around the house and take turns finding it. Our kids did this in their preschool class, and we’ve done it a few times here at home too! Its lots of fun for those toddlers/preschoolers with tons of energy!
Have an indoor picnic–Gather up some blankets and have a picnic inside your home.
Make your own “at-home” bowling alley–Draw a bowling alley on the floor with chalk or painters tape and use empty water bottles as pins.
Build a model airplane or car–Gather up some cardboard and make a model airplane or car together.
- Iconic Design: Capture the essence of the legendary 1968 Shelby GT-500 with its striking lime gold paint, reminiscent of the iconic car driven by Steve McQueen in “Bullitt.” This meticulously crafted model pays homage to a timeless classic that’s sure to turn heads.
- High-Quality Reproduction: Crafted with over 80 parts and featuring the classic Cobra insignia, this 1:25 scale die-cast replica brings the essence of the Shelby GT-500 to life with remarkable attention to detail. It’s a must-have for any discerning model car enthusiast who appreciates authenticity and quality.
Write your own riddles–Create your own riddles and have your kids guess the answers.
Write letters to someone far away–Writing letters is a great way for your kids to stay connected with loved ones who are far away.
Make friendship bracelets–Gather up some thread and beads to make friendship bracelets with your kids.
- This book contains over 25 colorful beading designs
- Publisher: Design Originals
- PERFECT BRACELET MAKING KIT: All you need included,about 4600 pcs flat polymer clay beads and 500 pcs charms kit( contains letter beads, number beads, heart beads, gold beads, spacer beads, clay beads charms, lobster clasp, etc.),1 rolls of stretchy strings, a scissors, 1 plastic tweezers ,This complete, expansive jewelry making kit is filled with endless possibilities to be imaginative, to meet all your needs for bracelet making & jewelry making.
- PREMIUM QUALITY-SAFE TO USE:The diameter of clay heishi beads is 6mm with a 2mm hole and the thickness is 1mm.we stand by our materials, the premium polymer clay beads are handmade with soft clay, so they are safe, eco-friendly, waterproof, skin-friendly and can be worn every day without fading quickly. All materials provided are completely safe and kid-friendly for ages 6+.
Make shadow puppets–Have some fun with your kids by making shadow puppets on the wall.
Binge watch a tv show–Grab some snacks and watch a favorite show together as a family.
Bake cookies or cupcakes–Bake some delicious treats with your kids and enjoy a tasty reward.
Do an at home escape room–Set up a fun and challenging escape room for your kids. I love this one!
- Lyman, Paige Ellsworth (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Make your own musical instruments–Craft your own musical instruments with items around your home and have a mini-concert.
Make your own pizza night–Gather some ingredients and let your kids make their own pizzas.
Make marshmallow and toothpick buildings–Gather up some marshmallows and toothpicks to make unique buildings with your kids.
Take pictures–Have some fun photographing your kids and create a family album.
Have a Lego challenge–Set up a Lego challenge and see what unique creations your kids come up with.
Play video games together–Jump into a game together and have some friendly competition.
Create your own art gallery–Display some of your kids’ artwork around the house for a unique art gallery.
Write a letter to your future self–Have your kids write a letter to their future self and open it up in a year or two.
Make a fun breakfast–Start the day off right with a tasty and fun breakfast.
Play mad libs–Gather up some paper and pencils and let your kids play mad libs.
- Price, Roger (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- DeGennaro, Gabriella (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Make an indoor obstacle course–Set up an obstacle course with furniture and other items around the house.
Listen to an audiobook–Snuggle up with your kids and listen to a fun audiobook together.
Play would you rather?–Have your kids ask each other would you rather questions to get their minds thinking.
Do an indoor snowball fight with socks–Have your kids grab some socks and have a fun indoor snowball fight.
Make a fort–Grab some pillows, blankets and chairs to make a cozy fort together.
Play charades–Let your kids act out different words and guess what they are.
- EASY TO PLAY: Explaining how to play charades only takes a few minutes making it a great game to play with friends and extended family. It’s fun to act out the charades and we like to think of it as “laugh-therapy” in a box.
- FAMILY FAVORITE: The charades suggestions will have kids, teenagers, college students and adults alike having a blast playing together. Party Charades is the perfect ice breaker for your next family game night or party!
Watch a movie–Grab some popcorn and watch a movie together as a family.
Play pretend games–Encourage your kids to use their imaginations and play pretend games.
Do a jigsaw puzzle–Gather up a jigsaw puzzle and have your kids work together to complete it. We are currently working on this one!
- Minifigures Are The Heart Of The Lego Brand: The Minifigure—The Humble Yellow Character Found In Lego Creations—Has Become A Global Icon. In This Puzzle, Minifigures Get Their Starring Role
- Unique Opportunity For Lego Fun: If You Love Both Lego Minifigures And Puzzles, Don’T Miss This Opportunity To Combine The Two
Do a science experiment–Grab some materials and do a fun science experiment together.
Have a pillow case sack race–Have your kids race each other with pillow cases over their legs for a fun twist on the classic sack race.
Play limbo–Play a classic game of limbo with your kids and have some fun.
Tape up crepe paper or yarn to make lasers in a ninja training course–Grab some crepe paper or yarn to create a fun obstacle course for your kids. They can pretend they’re ninjas while they go through it.
Do a flash light scavenger hut–Gather up some flashlights and have your kids search for items around the house.
Make paper airplanes--Craft some paper airplanes and have a flying competition.
Make a sensory bin–Fill a bin with items like rice, beans or shaving cream for your kids to explore. You can also snag something like this. I bought this sensory bin for our youngest son and he LOVES it!
- CONSTRUCTION TOYS FOR 3+: Dig, build, and learn new sensory skills – one work zone at a time! This ultimate sensory bin is filled with 2.5 lb of easy-to-mold sensory sand, sensory toys, and more! Just add imagination for hours of hands-on play
- SENSORY BIN: Sensory bins are great toddler outdoor toys for boys and girls! Each sensory bin allow kids to discover and imagine while engaging their senses. Place the sensory bin and 21 piece construction toys for 3+ year old boys and girls set on a towel for less mess
Do a scavenger hunt–Create a scavenger hunt for your kids and have them search around the house.
Blow up a balloon and don’t let it touch the ground or play balloon volleyball–Grab some balloons and create a fun game with them.
Write a thank you note to someone in your life–Encourage your kids to write a thank you note to someone special in their lives.
Do yoga–Do a fun yoga practice with your kids to get them moving.
Give each other makeovers–Grab some face paint and give each other silly makeovers.
Play freeze dance–Grab some speakers and have a fun game of freeze dance.
We hope this list of encouraging activities is helpful for busy moms trying to keep their kids entertained. From crafts to games, these activities are sure to keep your little ones occupied for hours. Have fun!
