40 Activities for Kids at Home When School is Canceled!

40 Activities for Kids at Home When School is Canceled!

activities for kids at home

Well, I don’t know about you, but ever since the virus hit the U.S., I’ve been feeling more of a pull to entertain the kiddos at home.

I’m not panicking (yet), nor am I stockpiling TP (I might regret that one, lol), because I feel really lucky that we are all in good health and regularly take immunity building supplements.

However, I am taking certain precautions, such as avoiding indoor playspaces and other activities we used to enjoy that involved being around a larger number of other people.

Instead, we’ve amped up the creative projects at home, added a few things to our backyard toys, and have been enjoying a season of togetherness and hibernation.

So, I thought I would share some of the indoor activities, games and things that we all enjoy here and might help make your time at home more fun, too – coronavirus or not.

Easy Home Activities for Kids:

I’m breaking this list by activity type. Some refer to certain games or products we like that I have linked and these are affiliate links. Feel free to use alternates that you already have whenever possible.

The name of the game is fun, easy, and affordable – you feel me?

via GIPHY

Easy Indoor Activities:

activities for kids at home

  • Color – My kids love coloring, especially when I print coloring pages off the internet. Not sure why that’s better than books?! Also, these Silly Scent crayons are less messy than regular crayons (score!)
  • Play-Doh – Truth time: I hate play-doh, unless it’s homemade. Homemade play-doh smells better and sticks less to your fingers. Add cookie cutters and other things to make the activity last.
  • Kinetic Sand – Less messy than play-doh and kids love it just as much!
  • Crafts – Grab some craft boxes or craft kids if you’re not super creative. Michael’s always has a ton of craft kits, too, that are super affordable. Or, look up a kids craft blog and look for ideas!
  • Make a Movie – Have kids work together, grab all the costumes they have, and put together a show. Film them and then play it back for your superstars to enjoy!
  • Fort Building – Gather extra pillows, blankets and more and let kids build forts. It’s amazing how simple reading or playing a game is much more fun in a fort.
  • Hide ‘n Seek – Such a lovely, quiet game. Sometimes we all need that!
  • Lego Time – I bet you have a bunch of Legos gathering dust. Drag them out and get everyone in on the fun. Watch the new Lego show for inspiration!
  • Cup Tower – Have a bag of those solo disposable cups? They are so fun to build big tall cup tower with that kids can crash through! This activity will literally keep them busy for hours.
  • Floor is Lava – The floor is lava! Kids have to stay on top of couches and pillows – no touching the floor! Add some fun with a lava monster trying to get them!
  • Old Toys – Somewhere in your house are the forgotten toys, the trains that nobody plays with, the books nobody is reading, the old cars they stopped playing with. Start looking for the old toys and bring them out!
  • Trade Toys – Have any friends with kids, too? Consider trading toys for a few days to revive your collection (just make sure they aren’t sick!)
  • Dance Party – Put on Kidz Bop or Just Dance videos and have your own dance party! We do this almost every night and it makes for a very calm bath and bedtime.
  • Bake Something – Nothing keeps kids entertained more than the possibility of eating a treat! Work together to make fruit kabobs, chocolate chip cookies, a special popcorn mix or another fun treat and then enjoy it together!
  • Make Slime – Listen, not my favorite. Currently, we are a no slime home, but we have done our fair share of slime making and kids LOVE it!
  • Dot PaintDot paint markers are so affordable and you can print a ton of free dot paint printables online that kids absolutely love doing!

Indoor Board Games For Kids At Home:

There are SO many great games to choose from. These are our favorites, but if you click on these, you’ll see a lot more options suggested on Amazon, too – so find what works for you!

  • Silly Street – This fun game helps get the wiggles out, too, and works for a variety of ages
  • Hoot, Owl, Hoot – A collaborative game that kids work together to bring the owls home
  • Dragon Snacks – Even my toddler loves this one and it is so cute to hear the kids talk to the dragon
  • Candyland – A classic, because it’s great.
  • Pretty, Pretty Princess – Just picked this up and all my kids love it (even the boys!)
  • Twister – For older kids, this one is still SO much fun!

Indoor Learning Games:

activities for kids at home

School canceled? Keep the learning alive with these games!

  • Muffin Match Up Game – The kids love this! The little tongs are great for moving the muffins.
  • Drill STEM Toy Playset – There are a lot of options for this and they are so fun. The putting in and removing of the screws is excellent for building fine motor skills. I am getting my daughter this one, too.
  • Gears Playset150 gears to get creative with. Kids often need a little help with how to do this at first, but once they figure it out – it’s very entertaining.
  • Magnet Building Tiles100 piece set for tons of building and fun!
  • ABC Mouse – A super affordable learning program that helps with early learning skills
  • Marble Run Playset – Building a set that allows the marble to roll freely takes a lot of trial and error and creativity!
  • Play Osmo – I’ve written three reviews on Play Osmo tablet games and they are still fan favorites around here. I wrote about Monster Osmo, Detective Agency Osmo, and Coding Jam or you can find all the Play Osmo games on Amazon.
  • Make a Book – Buy blank books and let kids create their own stories to practice the flow of a narrative and their writing skills. Much more fun than just writing random letters on repeat!
  • Monkey Balance Math Game – So cute and really fun to see them figure it out.

Outdoor Toys & Games:

activities for kids at home

Our kids love playing outside and come up with all kinds of games! Don’t discount the fun they can have just by going outside (weather permitting). We try to get them outside every day that we can, even if it’s just a short period of time when it’s warm enough. Here are the toys they really love playing with:

  • Bubble Machine – Seriously, so simple. So fun. Even just regular bubbles are always a hit.
  • Thomas Train Race Track – We’ve had this Thomas the Train Race Track for years and they still love.
  • Grocery Cart – They create little stores out there and love it
  • Scooters – Work better in smaller spaces than bikes
  • Push Car – They take turns pushing each other in this (even the bigger kids who barely fit)
  • Balls – They have so many bouncy balls and love playing with them
  • Water Table – Hours of fun! Can put a dash of dish soap and let them have soapy fun, too!
  • Chalk – So much fun. Seriously. Always surprises me.
  • Step 2 Clubhouse Climber – We have this one and it’s been worth every penny!
  • Soft Floor Squares – We put these at the bottom of slides and underneath areas where they might fall, because our concrete is not as forgiving. They also love to play with them and build boxes with them, etc.

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I hope some of these ideas spark creativity and help all of you enjoy your extended time together at home!

Whether you’re just needing to take a break from people (guilty!), having a snow day, or are quarantining, these ideas will give you lots to do to not just pass the time, but make memories.

If your schools are closed, look at this as an opportunity to do some fun activities with your kids and let their imagination run wild!

Here are some more ideas that might help you, too:

I’d love to hear your own favorite ideas for activities at home in the comments below!

Have a fabulous day,

E

activities for kids at home

 

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