Activities For Kids – Screen-Free, Fun Ideas For Kids

Tired of watching the kids spend hours upon hours in front of the TV? Want less zombie-kid and more adventure-kid? No problem! Get your kids to ditch the x-box with these fun, entertaining and low-maintenance activities.

And if you’re limited to activities within your home – don’t panic. As much as your mind probably goes blank when your kids holler ‘Mum! I’m bored!’ there’s actually plenty of things for them to do at home.

Activities For Kids #1: Painting

Whether it’s finger painting (the most fun), painting by numbers, folk painting or water painting, kids absolutely love splattering colours onto paper. Pick up some supplies from your local art store as well as a few how-to books and watch the kids be entertained for hours.

Activities For Kids #2: Teach them something new

We’ve all heard the old saying ‘give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.’ The same rings true for entertaining your kids. If you teach them a new skill like baking cupcakes and pizzas, knitting, crocheting or tie dying, they’ll be entertained for hours (if not days). They’ll love developing a new ability and you’ll love the peace and quiet you get while they’re distracted.

Activities For Kids #3: Build a fort

Your mission should you choose to accept it: to build one incredible, inspirational fort using only the couch cushions! Building a fort made out of cushions is almost a rite of passage for kids; so let them go wild with making capes, pretend swords and forts for half a day. And best of all, you can offer the fastest cleanup crew with a treat so you don’t have to tidy up!

Activities For Kids #4: Creative writing

Whether your kid prefers comics and anime, magazines or novels, there is always an opportunity for your little one to release their creative juices and develop their own fictional masterpiece. If they’re struggling to come up with a topic, give them a starter like: ‘There once was a princess with a really big nose.’ and ask them to create a story based on what you’ve told them.

Activities For Kids #5: Board games

“Oh, Mum ” but board games are so retro!” Hmm, retro or not, a good board game is a surefire to keep the kids entertained for hours. Hungry Hungry Hippo? Monopoly? UNO? If your kids haven’t experienced these games yet they will absolutely love them. Just make sure you’re around to referee any disputes and keep the snacks coming but otherwise, this one is a no-brainer.

Activities For Kids #6: Scavenger hunts

With a little quick thinking and preparation, a good, old-fashioned scavenger hunt can be the highlight of your kids weekend and/or holidays. Enlist the help of your partner to write the clues and make sure you have fun with it! Offer a prize for the team that wins, or if you have one child, even better ” they get a prize no matter what!

Activities For Kids #7: DIY vegetable gardens

We all know how much kids love getting dirty. Well, why not give them permission to get down and muddy by building their own vegetable garden? Give them a quick debrief and some guidelines, then hang around to be on hand if they need any help. The best part? The fun is ongoing as they watch their vegetables grow then get a chance to eat them!

Activities For Kids #8: Get out of the house

And lastly, if possible make sure that you get your kids (and you!) out of the house every now and then too. Most kids suffer from restlessness when they’re cooped up for too long, so schedule in some play dates, trips to the museum and zoo, rock-climbing, go-karting, ice-skating, bowling, laser tag and beach days.

Kids love having fun and a lot of the time are able to entertain themselves. But if your kids are having one of ‘those’ days, just pull out one of these fun activities and get ready to prepare your ‘Best Mum in the World Award’ speech.