Keeping kids busy with productive and budget friendly activities can be quite challenging. Below are 7 ways that won’t cost a fortune and can be used any day of the week. They will ensure that your kids don’t go stir crazy and that everyone can have a little fun.
Indoor Camp Out
What kid doesn’t love to pretend play and make their dreams come true? What they would love even more is actually bringing their imagination to life. Bringing the camping inside is just the fun they may be looking for.
For this activity you will need a tent. You can use a real one make your own from sheets. Pretend to light a fire and eat snacks in the tent. You could also make indoor s’mores very easily in your microwave and they are just as yummy! Be sure to get the sleeping bags and ghost stories ready for a fun night under the ‘stars’.
Indoor Obstacle course
Sometimes it’s just simply too cold or rainy to get out of the house. Bad weather or not, kids need to be able to have the space to release all of the energy they have. Creating an obstacle course in your home is fun for everyone.
Try making the string laser course like you see in the movies for your kids. All you really will need is lots of string to create the course and then your kids can collect the objects you already have at home and put them in baskets at either end of the course. Another fun idea is this Spy Code Escape Room Game.
Give Them Lots of Coloring Room
Kids of all ages enjoy coloring. Depending on the age, the activity can go pretty quickly before they are bored again. A way to switch up just plain old coloring is to buy a big role of plain white paper. Use the wrapping paper and spread it out on the floor or across a table. This can be really cool for kids because they can just keep pulling the paper whenever they need more space to draw.
Have A BBQ With Friends
Your kids want to be social and are usually begging to go hang out with their friends. Take this as an opportunity to throw a backyard party. Tell everyone you invite to bring the sides and drinks and you as the host will be responsible for grilling the main event.
Between great food and great friends, it is sure to be a wonderful gathering. With the kids so hyped up be sure to tell them beforehand the dangers of being near an outdoor grill and take the proper precautions regarding gas smoker safety.
A Day of Volunteering
An awesome way to give kids some perspective on how others live is to have them give back in some capacity. It teaches kids to have empathy and care for others around them as well has having gratitude for what they have in life.
There are many ways to give back that kids may be able to participate in. Great places to start volunteering are your local soup kitchen, animal shelters, or spending the day cleaning up trash at your local park.
Sensory Bins
Young toddlers to school ages children love to play with sensory bins. Sensory bins can be fairly messy so be sure to work on a sheet or outdoors where it is okay for you and the kids to get a little dirty. Make shimmer snow made from baking soda and glitter. Try a colored rice bin with plain rice and food coloring. If you want to avoid the mess altogether fill a bin with cotton balls and simply add kitchen utensils and measuring cups and the kids will have a blast. Water beads are another thing you can add to a sensory tub.
Make Your Own T-Shirts
Let’s be real, kids will practically draw all over the house if you let them. Foster their creativity skills and design your own t-shirts at home. It doesn’t take much to get this done and can be made on new or old shirts.
Use any type of art medium your child likes such as crayons, markers, or even let them paint on their shirt. Make sure to hand wash and dry your shirts so that your kids can cherish their creations for years to come.
Photo Credit: Mojitos and Munchkins
