✕
☰

Keep Your Kids Busy ... and Maintain Your Sanity!

by

I truly believe that boredom can be a gift for our kids because it forces them to get creative—and get along. It never hurts to put a few fun suggestions in front of them to get them started. Some of the following ideas kids can do on their own, and some you’ll want to get involved in.

Lego Masters

Break out the Legos because kids of all ages can get in on this one. Start by taking turns tossing out ideas for things to build. If you’re stuck, you can find great ideas on printable Lego cards online. For example, you might tell the kids to build a refrigerator, then everyone tries their best to build one. Everyone’s creation will be different, so it’s not really a competition, but it’s fun seeing what everyone comes up with! After you’re done building, pop some popcorn and turn on Lego Masters (Hulu).

Art Show

Kids love to draw and color! I have tons of artwork on my fridge, but how about really showcasing their special artwork of the day? All you need is a long piece of thin rope or yarn strung from one end of a room to another. Hang finished pictures using clothespins, pretend you’re having a grand gala opening, serve some snacks, and you have an art show! Bonus activity: Get some canvases, paint and a variety of paintbrushes, so the kids can create art to hang on your wall that can be switched out with other pieces they’ve created.

Restaurant

I loooove when my kids play restaurant because I get to be the diner sitting at the table reading my book while they serve me different foods and drinks! They get to play waiters, hostesses, managers and cooks (depending on age and what they are making, of course). What a great opportunity to do some cooking and baking with them as well!

Play-dough

This one just takes a few minutes of your help, and then the kids can take off on their own, creating for hours. You could always just buy the stuff, but here’s a simple recipe, as well. Pair with a rolling pin and cookies cutters for even more fun!

Mix all ingredients, except food coloring, on low heat in a pan. Once the consistency is that of play-dough, take pan off heat, let cool, then add food coloring a few drops at a time. Knead until the color is all mixed. Grab some cookie cutters and other kitchen items and let the fun begin! Store in air-tight containers or baggies.

Write and illustrate a story

Kids are full of stories, but some aren’t old enough to write them down. That’s where you come in! Have each kid tell you a story that’s been running around in his mind, and you can either write it out or type it. Then have your child illustrate it! If you’re creating the story on the computer, you can go to free photo sites like Pixabay to grab images for the story!

Scavenger hunt

Take out a piece of paper and write down different items in the house. If you have two teams doing the scavenging, write the same items down on another piece of paper. Ideas include a winter glove, a cotton swab, a doll shoe, a pie pan, etc. Send the teams off, and whoever gets back with the most items from the list first wins a prize. 

Play with your food

Break out the mini marshmallows and spaghetti noodles and have the kids construct creations like houses, bridges, towers and more! If you have rice around (and you should right now!), put a bag into a large baking pan and let the kids play around in it on the kitchen floor. Excess can be vacuumed up, and the rest can be put into a bag to play with later.

Perler beads

You may know them as those things that go crunch when you vacuum, but kids recognize them as hours of fun! Using flat, plastic shapes with spikes, kids can create all sorts of things by placing Perler beads in different patterns. You can turn creations into necklaces, magnets, cool things to put inside school binders! Once the beads are in place, you’ll need to place parchment paper over them and iron on low until the beads melt together. Flip it over and do the other side, then they are stuck together and ready to go!

Salon

This is another one of my favorites because I usually can get a 5-minute back or neck massage while playing this. It’s also a blast to have the kids do my makeup, wipe it all off and start again. Then I get to do their makeup or, for my boys, tattoos on their arms using washable markers. Then it’s time for a bubble bath for the kids to wash off makeup—and germs, for the parenting win!

Marco Polo

No, I’m not talking about the swimming pool game! I’m talking about the smartphone app that lets you leave video messages for friends and family. Depending on the ages of your children, let them make all the video messages they want for their friends and especially for grandparents! My own dad and grandma love to see what we’re up to each day indoors and in our backyard.

Kerrie McLoughlin doesn’t really mind being safely tucked inside with her five kids and does all the things on this list! Check up on her at TheKerrieShow.com.

Back to topbutton