These boredom busters are great activities for kids to do at home! If your kiddos are on an extended break from school, then try one of these fun ideas so you don’t hear…
“Mom, I’m bored.”
It’s 8:30am and your kids just got out of bed 15 minutes ago and they’re already complaining of boredom. Welcome to Motherhood when school is out, your kids are stuck at home, and you’re just trying to get some work done.
As a work from home Mama (here’s what I do besides blogging!), this scenario is all to familiar.
Trying to wear your Mom hat and your Work hat at the same time can be exhausting… after all you only have ONE head… though sometimes when you’ve asked your kids to do something for the 3,216th time and it’s STILL not done, they’d swear you were actually a three-headed monster. 🙂
So, I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way… a few fun activities for kids to do at home to beat boredom.
Some of these activities kids can do by themselves… can you say work deadline and desperate Mom? And others require a bit more participation on your part.
And don’t be afraid to teach your kids a valuable lesson while they’re stuck at home and implement a chore chart. Even though my kids are just 10 and 7 years old, I’m not shy about telling them that we can’t always do what we WANT to do with our time… most of the time we have to do what we NEED to do.
But on to the fun stuff…
*This post contains affiliate links which means if you click a link and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Here are some great EASY activities for kids to do at home:
Fun Activities for Kids to Do at Home to Beat Boredom
Easy Arts and Crafts Projects for Kids to Do at Home
3 Marker Challenge
This is one of my girls’ favorite activities for kids to do at home! My youngest discovered the “3 Marker Challenge” on YouTube, and she LOVES doing this when she’s bored at home.
Here’s how to play the 3 Marker Challenge:
- Gather up a bunch of markers… the more color variety the better.
- Each person closes their eyes and draws out 3 markers.
- Then, each person colors their coloring sheet using ONLY those 3 colors.
And that’s it! Sounds simple because it is simple! My kids LOVE doing this as an impromptu game when they’re bored at home.
To make it even more fun, you could print off 10-15 coloring pages and have your kids close their eyes and pick a page to color too.
Edible Finger Paint
This fun and easy activity was actually the brainchild of my youngest daughter, so it’s kid-invented and kid-approved.
Go HERE for the easy 2 ingredient Edible Finger Paint, perfect for at home activities for toddlers!
Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough
If your kids love playing with their food, then try this Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough from ConservaMom! This fun activity for kids uses basic pantry supplies that you probably already have on hand… so no need to run to the grocery store!
Potato Stamp Painting
Yes, this is probably one of the oldest mom tricks in the book, but you ALSO probably have potatoes in your pantry right now… so it’s a perfect craft for your bored kids to do at home!
Just grab a potato, cut it in half, and use a paring knife to cut a shape out of the cut portion. Then let your kids dip the potato stamp in paint and make a masterpiece!
Coffee Filter Crafts
If you can spare a few coffee filters, then try an easy craft project with them. You can color on coffee filters with markers, fold them into pie shapes, and then cut designs in them to make cool colored snowflakes.
Or, check out this adorable Coffee Filter Rainbow Craft from Darcy and Brian:
DIY Silly Putty
This DIY Silly Putty from Made with Happy is another great activity for kids to do at home. You can make this easy putty using just 3 common household ingredients!
Painted Rocks
Got rocks around your house? Got paint? Then you’ve got an easy and fun craft for your kiddos to do at home!
Check out these awesome watermelon painted rocks from Projects with Kids for inspiration:
YouTube Activities
Yes, YouTube! I know that some parents may be looking for activities for kids that don’t involve electronics… but YouTube is a GREAT source for fun ideas for kids.
My 8 year old LOVES to search for easy crafts to make on YouTube. Then she just sets up her tablet at her desk and follows along with her favorite YouTubers.
Her absolute FAVORITE videos are the ones that involve drawing a picture with Sharpie markers first, and then painting the picture with watercolor paints. Some of her cutest artwork has come from YouTube tutorials that are made specifically for kids.
She also watches kids’ workout videos on YouTube, which are a GREAT way to get your kids moving and grooving while they’re stuck at home.
Don’t be afraid to turn on YouTube for Kids, because you can find a lot of great videos that are interactive and PERFECT to keep kids entertained. And, you can get some work done while your little ones are occupied, too!
Games for Kids to Play at Home with Basic Supplies
Roll and Cover Dice Games
If you’ve got a printer and a few dice, then you can sneak in a little math practice for your kiddos with one of these FREE printable dice games!
These roll and cover dice games are great for preschoolers through elementary-aged kids to practice number recognition and addition!
Laundry Ball
Yup, when we’re on Day 3 of a school break and my kids are already bored, we get creative with whatever we can find laying around the house…
Like a laundry basket!
As simple as it sounds, my girls love setting up a few laundry baskets on the floor and using them as makeshift goals. They use a soft foam ball (that I let them throw in the house!) and try to make “baskets”, moving farther and farther away from the goals.
You can also blow up balloons and use an empty paper towel roll to try and bat the balloon into the laundry basket. And yes, it’s not lost on me that they have a room full of toys and they want to play with a laundry basket. 🙂
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
Just because your kids are stuck at home, doesn’t mean that you can’t take a walk around the neighborhood together, right?
Get out and enjoy a little fresh air without having to pile in the car! Take a walk around your neighborhood with one of these FREE printable neighborhood scavenger hunts. My kids LOVE doing this!
A neighborhood scavenger hunt is a great way to turn a plain old walk into a fun activity for when you don’t want to drive anywhere!
Feed the Shark Math Game
Just because your kids aren’t at school, doesn’t mean that they can’t be learning! Print out this cute Feed the Shark Math Activity from The Keele Deal and turn snack time into game time AND math time.
The Classic Kids’ Games – Oldies but Goodies!
There’s a reason why these games are still around… they’re super easy to play and great for passing time!
- Charades
- Hide and Seek
- Duck Duck Goose
- Simon Says
- Musical Chairs
- Hot Potato
More Boredom Busters for Kids
Make a Blanket Fort
Blanket forts are another great way to keep kids entertained when they’re stuck at home. Grab a bunch of lightweight blankets or sheets, some clothespins, and a few chairs and you’ll have an awesome fort in no time!
If your kids are a little bit older, they can also make their own fort to take up some more time! Because that’s what it’s all about, right?! Making the hours go by a little bit faster. 🙂
Pretty Providence has some great blanket fort ideas here!
20 Questions… or 100!
If you’re stuck at home with kids, the main priority is probably finding ways to keep them entertained… and taking up the most amount of time with minimal effort, right?!
I recently created these 100 Questions to Ask Kids cards, and we’ve started using them as dinner table conversation starters…. Not kidding, the VERY FIRST card that my youngest drew out led to a 15 minute conversation… A conversation that we otherwise would not have had.
If you’re stuck at home with kids, then use that time to get to know them a little better… Sit around the dinner table together, and talk long after dinner is actually done. You should be thankful for that time, not inconvenienced by it.
Movie and PJ Day
I’m a HUGE fan of a PJ Day, and I’ve passed that on to my kids! I do a weekly Sunday night girls’ movie with just me and my two daughters, because my husband has to go to bed early. It’s one of the easiest ways to get a little mommy and me time in, and my girls LOVE that they get me all to themselves.
The popcorn and movie candy are just a bonus… at least that’s what I tell myself!
By the way, go HERE for 13 Easy and Fun Ways to Make Your Child Feel Loved and Valued!
Make Slime
Minus the mess! I recently ordered this slime kit from Amazon for a fun activity for my girls to do at home, and I absolutely LOVE it! It comes with a bunch of little vials of glitter and confetti shapes, and the slime comes already made in individual containers so there is NO mess!
My girls played with this slime kit for 6 hours straight! So it’s a perfect idea to add to your list of fun activities for kids to do at home! And at under $20 for a full day’s worth of fun… it’s a great deal! I’m even ordering another kit for my daughter’s upcoming birthday slumber party. 🙂
Hope these easy activity ideas are making your kids’ extended stay at home feel a little more manageable!
I’d LOVE to hear about what YOUR kids like to do on school breaks! Leave me a comment down below!
And happy (not so empty) nesting!
Leave A Reply!