Finding fun games and activities to entertain your kids can be a bit of a challenge. However, it’s achievable as long as you know which games to choose.
That’s why we’ve come up with the ultimate list to help you entertain your kids when they’re bored. Whether you’re stuck inside on a rainy day or going out for some fresh air and vitamin D, you’ll find something entertaining to do on this list. So, get ready for the fun to begin!
1. Start a Hide and Seek Game
One of the best ways you can make bored kids less bored is to play hide and seek with them. Honestly, I’ve yet to find a kid that dislikes playing hide and seek. And to keep things super fun, you can introduce new versions of the game as you go along.
For instance, there’s hide and seek in the dark. You also have Sardines and Ghost in the Graveyard. Just keep adding twists and turns to the game each time you play, and the kids will never get bored again.
2. Put on a Puppet Show
You can make a whole affair out of this fun little activity. Get a couple of old socks and have your kids create their own sock puppets. Give them googly eyes, paints, glitter—the whole shebang.
Then, make them come up with a story for the puppet show. Once everything is all set, have the entire family act out the story by moving the sock puppets from behind a couch or table.
3. Solve a Puzzle
If you want a long-term project for your child, then solving a puzzle together will be utter perfection. Simply pick one that isn’t too challenging, and start assembling it with your kid. Not only will it teach your kid patience, but it’ll also make the time go by in a jiffy.
And remember, you don’t have to finish it in one sitting. Leave it on the table and come back to it whenever your kid starts getting restless again.
4. Host Family Game Night
What better way to have fun than to host a family game night? You can play Pictionary, Charades, or any other board game your family loves and make a whole competition. Give the winning team a prize or make the losers responsible for a certain chore till the next game night.
Truly, reward or punishment, the spirits will be high, and the entire family will be incredibly involved and invested. And most importantly, everyone will have the time of their lives.
5. Have a Scavenger Hunt
Another fun activity to do when kids are bored is to go on a scavenger hunt. You can make it easy or complicated, depending on your child’s age. On your part, all you need to do is hide a few items around the house, hand your kids a map, and let them run loose.
You can also have a nature scavenger hunt, where you tell your kids to collect things in nature like rocks, leaves, branches, etc. Just make sure to keep an eye on your kids if you’re playing the game outdoors to prevent any unfortunate accidents.
6. Set an Obstacle Course
Create an outdoor or indoor obstacle course and see which of your kids can clear it fastest. Use chairs, hula hoops, boxes, cushions, and even some rope. You can also designate some areas to be unwalkable, where the kids will have to jump on objects to get to the next hurdle.
And to really make it fun, make certain pit stops in the obstacle course out of other games. For instance, make your kids blow out a candle using their noses or place a bucket filled with sand and have the kids dig through it to find a certain object. The kids will race through the house trying to finish the challenges, and you’ll get a few peaceful minutes to yourself.
7. Go on a Picnic
If your kids are in need of some fresh air, but it’s too hot for running around, then go on a picnic. It doesn’t have to be in a park; you can throw it in your backyard if you don’t want to go too far.
Just choose a theme and make some tasty snacks and drinks for the kids. For example, you can throw a tea-party-themed picnic, where you all have to dress in your finery and eat delicious cakes.
There are also Halloween-themed picnics, circus picnics, princess picnics; the list goes on. And of course, if the weather doesn’t permit it, move the picnic indoors and have a living room picnic. The kids will have so much fun dressing up and coming up with their own fun themes.
8. Throw a Dance Party
If you want to use up your kid’s energy and have them ready for bed, then put on some upbeat music and throw yourself a party. Make a move and ask them to follow you. You can also make it a competition and see which one can dance the longest or make the goofiest dance move.
After a while, the kids will be exhausted and ready to fall asleep (though some seem to wake up more).
9. Create a Vision Board
If you’re looking for an activity that’s not quite so boisterous, why don’t you try making a vision board?
See what your kids wish to become or accomplish in their future and ask them to write it down. It doesn’t have to be anything too big like their future careers. They can write things like “I wish to bake a cake” or “I wish to read the Harry Potter books by the end of the summer.”
Once they’re done wiring down their wishes, get some old magazines and cut out pictures that represent those aspirations. The kids can also draw pictures or print them off the internet. The process will kill a few hours and get the kids’ creative juices flowing.
10. Go on a Bike Ride
What better thing to do when the kids are bored than to go on a bike ride throughout the neighborhood?
Not only will it kill the boredom, but your kids will also get much-needed exercise. They can also play Simon Says, or I Spy as they ride to make it more fun. But make sure they strap on their helmets before they set off.
11. Draw/Color
Drawing and coloring is a great idea to kill some hours. In case you didn’t know, these creative activities are great for developing children’s fine motor skills. Moreover, they teach children how to enjoy their time on their own without the need for constant adult interaction.
And don’t worry if your child isn’t the greatest drawer. You can just download free printables off the internet and have your child color them in. If you want, you can also download some adult-coloring books and spend quality time with your kid.
12. Play Musical Chairs
Want a fun game for your kids that requires minimum participation on your part? If so, get some chairs, set them in a circle, and play theme-park music.
Fortunately, you can play this game both outdoors and indoors, and best of all, both younger and older children will absolutely enjoy it. Its only downside is that you need a few children to make it exciting. So, if you’ve only got one or two kids, try to invite their friends or the neighbor’s kids.
13. Whip Out the Jump Ropes
Remember playing with your jump rope for hours on end when you were a kid? Well, kids nowadays still enjoy jump ropes as much as we did when we were small.
You can hand your children some ropes and have them see who can do the most consecutive jumps. You can also play like this: one kid jumps in a particular way, the following kids imitate them, then add their own special jump. And, of course, if you’ve got three kids or more, then Double Dutch is one heck of a way to pass an afternoon.
14. Blow Bubbles
While automatic bubble blowers are available nowadays, nothing beats the fun of making bubbles the old-fashioned way.
So get a couple of drops of dish soap, mix it with some water, and use whatever you have lying around to make bubbles. Straws are the most dependable, though I’ve found that a toilet paper roll will also come in handy.
You can make colored bubbles by adding food coloring to your bubble mixture. And for cool bubbles, add highlighter ink, turn on a black light, and blow the most awesome glow-in-the-dark bubbles.
15. Build a Masterpiece
If your child likes to play Minecraft, they’ll certainly have fun making buildings and cities out of Legos. First, they can start small, only making a simple house or a car. Then, as they progress, they can build their own city and fill it with residents using their stuffed animals and figurines.
Nevertheless, if Legos are too pricey, you can build something simple like a birdhouse together. Not only will the shared activity make you two bond, but you’ll also have something to remember the day by at the end.
16. Make a Flipbook
In case you want to take your kid’s artistic skills to the next level and beat boredom at the same time, a flipbook will be the thing to go with.
Ask your kid to choose an object or person to draw, then to keep drawing the same thing over and over again, but slightly differently. Once they’re done, put together the paper and start flipping through it. Your kid has now created their own cartoon that they can watch whenever they want.
17. Write a Story
It’s no secret that children love coming up with stories. So, why not make it an activity? Get your child to weave the incidents of their week into a story. They can also write whatever their imagination tells them to without any limits.
Once they flesh out their story, have them illustrate it or act it out. They can even make their own characters by drawing them on rocks or paper plates.
This is such a fun way to encourage writing and reading in your kids, and you’ll also gain some insight into their tiny little heads. To top it off, your kids will end up with a keepsake that they can look upon fondly once they grow up.
18. Do Science Experiments
Are you looking for some fun activities that’ll also increase your child’s well of knowledge? If so, why don’t you try doing science experiments together? There are a plethora of experiments that you can use to explain scientific ideas to your kids in a simple and fun way.
For instance, you can use a magnifying glass or aluminum foil to show how it can collect and strengthen sun rays. You can also use ground-up eggshells, flour, and food coloring to make sidewalk chalk, as eggshells contain calcium, just like regular chalk.
The options are endless, and you can find experiments suitable for all age groups with a quick look on the internet.
19. Escape a Tape Maze
Another great idea to get kids moving is to have them escape a maze made out of masking tape. Just stick some tape onto your floor in the shape of a maze and count the minutes till each child escapes. The fastest one to find their way out will be the winner.
You can also use the maze as a track for toy cars, in which your kids can chase and bump into each other.
20. Make Friendship Bracelets
Making friendship bracelets is one more activity that bored kids love to do. Thankfully, you can find numerous tutorials that you can follow to get the best results.
So, get some colorful string, beads, and baubles, and set about making the coolest bracelets ever. You can make simple ones using a string and some beads, and you can take it to another level and weave the colorful strings together to create store-quality bracelets.
21. Build an At-Home Movie Theater
With how crazy expensive movie theaters are getting nowadays, why not make your own at home?
Invest in a projector and screen and set them up in your living room. Then, have the kids choose the movie for the night, and don’t forget to place some pillows, beanbags, and popcorn for the ultimate viewing experience.
If you want, you can make an outdoor theater in your backyard. And if you don’t have a screen, then simply get a big white bed sheet and hang it up in your yard. Place a black sheet behind it to get a clearer image, and settle down to enjoy the movie!!
22. Make Math Cue Cards
If you’re looking to improve your kid’s math skills over the summer, then make math cue cards together.
You can write simple equations using addition and subtraction, but honestly, these cue cards are the best thing to memorize the multiplication table and complicated formulas.
As your kid makes and studies each card, they’ll eventually get better grades in math than they ever did, and they’ll have fun doing it.
23. Learn Magic Tricks
Whenever your kids are bored, show them a magic trick and teach them how to do it. Start simple, showing them the rubber pencil trick and the spoon-bending illusion. Then, progress to coin and card tricks. Finally, demonstrate the more challenging tricks that require lots and lots of practice.
By the end of the season, have the kids put on a magic show and prepare to be amazed.
24. Make a Fairy Garden
Another fun project that’ll entertain the whole family is making a fairy garden out of old terracotta pots.
Have your kid paint rocks and make fairy-sized houses and furniture out of ripped-out cardboard boxes and popsicle sticks. Once everything is ready, transfer some small flowers and succulents into the pot, and add the little fairies. The kids will absolutely adore the final creation!
25. Learn a New Language
Learning and practicing a new language can be seriously fun if you know how to make it so.
For instance, for each new word that your kid learns, they have to act it out and get the object corresponding to it. You can also cook dishes from the cultures that speak that language and have your kid rattle off the ingredients as they would say them.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve found some fun things to occupy your child during their downtime. If you did, write each one you like on a small slip of paper and place them in what we’ll call “a boredom jar.” Each time your children tell you they’re bored, whip out the jar and have them reach in to find out their new game or activity.