20 free activities to do at home with the kids

So, the holidays are upon us!  Days out can be expensive (and I am sure our purses can feel lighter!) you’ve seen every film at the cinema and you’ve even visited Macdonald’s more times that you can count!

I sometimes struggle to think of free activities to do at home so I decided to compile a list and share it over on The Willow Tree.  Hopefully we can all make use of some of the fun things to do on here during the summer!

-Bring the cinema to you.  Search through your DVD’s, latest movies on Sky or Virgin and turn your lounge into a cinema.  Get the duvets down, grab bowls of sweets and popcorn and shut the blinds!  The kids will love it.

–Get inventive in the kitchen.  If you have the correct ingredients, get cooking and make something fun!  If you don’t, just get mixing with random ingredients and make a ‘Troll’s pie or ‘Fairy’ cakes.  Missy loves to just mix flour with water  and I’ll give her some food colouring and sugar and she just makes her own concoction!

-Play hide and seek.  The thought of this game, for me is exhausting(!)but when I am into it, there’s no finding me!!

-Get the board games out.  Take it in turns to pick one each and have a little competition as to who can win the most games.  We have Games Night every Friday and it’s a lovely time to get some quality family time in.

-Involve technology.  If you have an Alexa or Google, play some of the games on offer such as guess the animal or take part in a children’s quiz.  Or, download some family games on to your phone such as Head’s up!

-Play some music and get dancing!  Get the kids to make up a dance or a show.  Play musical statues or bumps.

-Make an assault course around the house.  Use pillows the children can jump on, crawl under tables or use props to create ladders, leap pads or slides!

-Make a den!  (I used to LOVE doing this by myself as a kid!) Get some towels or sheets and use your sofa or dining table to make a den!  You’ll find that the kids will no doubt want to eat their lunch in there!

– Have a costume parade!  Costumes can be worn all year round. It doesn’t have to be Halloween or St. Paddy’s Day for your child to dress like a ghost or a leprechaun in green tights and a brown cloak! Playing with costumes fosters imagination and allows kids to explore themselves. It encourages creative thinking, improves communication, and develops fine motor skills. Best of all, it’s a great bonding activity that all family members can participate in and enjoy.

-Speaking of lunch, get them involved in making their lunch and maybe get them to clear up too! (They might actually enjoy it!) Get them to build their own sandwiches or burgers!  Kids love to have control and they may surprise you and include the tomato!

-If the weather is kind, create your own sports day in the garden.  Get whatever props you can use (tennis rackets, cricket bats, footballs) and get inventive with races and mini games

-Make a scrap-book of their recent day out or holiday.  If you have some photos printed, they can use these to make a memory book and stick in any memorabilia from their time their!

-Hide the object.  My kids love this game.  We actually have the ‘Hide Peppa Pig’ game and when hidden she grunts and snorts to lead to where she it.  If you don’t have Peppa, then use any object!  You could start with a large object and each round, get the object to become smaller and smaller making the game harder as you move along.

-Organise a treasure hunt with clues around the home.  Include sweets or treats if you have them!

-Get the arts and crafts out and make a family poster or picture by sticking several pieces of plain A4 Paper together to make it more exciting!  If you have a family event or celebration coming up, get them to make their own cards or banner

-Make a model ‘aircraft’ or ‘spaceship’ using old cereal boxes, toilet rolls and milk bottles.  If you have paints, get them to paint it too!

-Set up some toys in each of your children’s bedrooms.  It is nice to have some quiet play and if you have been spending a lot of time in the family area, they will be more likely to play independently in the rooms after, especially if their toys are out ready and waiting

-Go Geocaching. This is such a fun activity and whilst you cannot actually do it at home, you can do it within walking distance of you home, more likely your nearest park.  Download the app and follow the clues to find the hidden box where you can sign your name and leave a small item for the next person!

-Have a costume parade with all the children’s dress up’s or have a fashion show!  You could even get the kids to dress and make you up (fun huh?!)

-Make homemade play dough using water, flour and salt.  if you have food colouring, get the kids to mix up the colours!

-Finally, one of the last free activities to do with the kids on my list is to create a time capsule.  Get your children to write a letter, include a photo and maybe a little teddy or toy and bury it in the garden!  Don’t forget where you’ve buried it!

Anymore free activities to add to the list?!