87 Fun Things to Do at Home to Avoid Cabin Fever

One way is to use this time to give back. Buy some items with the intention of donating them to an organization that accepts donations for families in need. From there, you can use this time during the summer to wrap them up and donate them once December rolls back around. During the wrapping, you can use this opportunity to be thinking of the joy your purchase will bring to a little girl or boy.

30 Fun Things to Do at Home

I’m BORED! As a parent, those two words you’ve probably heard so many times at this point. And for many parents, they consider hearing those words as part of the duty of raising a child.

The problem though is what happens afterwards. Many parents decide instead of spending time with their children, they tell them to watch TV or play video games. It’s understandable, but constant reliance on technology results in a distant relationship between parent and child.

I believe we can all be more creative than that.

To start, I barred that phrase from my house. Whenever someone said they were bored, I gave them two options:

First, there is always work that can be done. Secondly, find some fun things to do at home.

There are always creative and fun things to do with family. You just need to put some thought and imagination into your day. Whether it’s raining, snowing, or sunny, there are tonnes of options to consider.

The list of enjoyable things you can do is inexhaustible when you look at it. For now though, here are 30 fun activities to do at home. Some of the family activities at home are best done at appropriate times of the year too. Enjoy!

30 Fun Things To Do At Home With Family

1. Have a Costume Night

Generally, the only time we can get away with putting on costumes is on Halloween. But just because costumes are fitting during that time doesn’t mean you can only wear costumes for that one night. After all, thinking of a costume design, designing it and wearing it is a lot of fun!

With that in mind, having a costume party can be thrilling to have.

Host an evening where everyone has to dress up in a costume. (Some costume ideas here!) Eat your dinner that evening all dressed up too. Afterwards, play games and just have a party. You can even make it a “themed” costume party by choosing a time-era or stick with movie characters. Shape it to meet your interests and needs.

2. Throw an Indoor Picnic

One of the most fun indoor activities at home is having a picnic at home.

Set out a picnic blanket and basket of food and eat your dinner (or lunch) as though you were having a picnic. Just having variety in your family life brings you closer together as a family unit. Events like this are often the catalyst for a fun-filled evening or afternoon.

3. Have a Christmas Party (*In the Summer)

There is Christmas in July so it’s still very fitting. Set up some Christmas decorations and have a Christmas celebration during the summer. This can also be one of the fun things to do at home with family and friends!

There are several avenues you can go about this event.

One way is to use this time to give back. Buy some items with the intention of donating them to an organization that accepts donations for families in need. From there, you can use this time during the summer to wrap them up and donate them once December rolls back around. During the wrapping, you can use this opportunity to be thinking of the joy your purchase will bring to a little girl or boy.

Overall, this serves to make your family mindful of others. Everyone in the family will be excited when Christmas comes and they can donate the gifts that you wrapped in the summer.

Another angle is to consider the hundreds of Christmas movies available. Whether you’re with someone or by yourself, it still is one of those fun things to do by yourself (or with others) at home that can make you smile. Find some of the Christmas movies you like online, and set up a simple playlist for a Christmas movie marathon. From there, you just need to get a nice warm cup of hot chocolate and sit back and enjoy.

4. Host an International Dinner Night

This is one of the activities I do with my family a lot. The idea is simple. Pick out a country you would like to learn more about and are interested in and do some research on it. Find cuisine that is unique to that country, and maybe find some music from a band in that country too. For example, you could choose Mexico. You could then serve tacos, enchiladas, and Arroz con Pollo and set the mood with some Mexican music. The idea is to create an environment where it feels like you’re dining in that country you’re interested in.

With that in mind, anything to make it feel more like you’re there will help. The family can look for clothing that is worn in the country and wear it to dinner. Going off the Mexican idea, family members could wear sombreros or if you’re lucky you could find huipils or charros.

To ensure everyone is doing their own research, each family member would be responsible to bring one fact about the country to share at dinner time too. You can also look into what sort of decorations are being used to make your house atmospheric for the area too.

Overall, this is bound to bring some fun things at home.

5. Film a “Newscast”

The technology that exists today is awesome and allows people to do a number of fun ideas at home. Case and point, smartphones come equipped to make videos and that can be used to film a “newscast”.

Set up and make a newscast of events that are going on locally or events that are taking place in your family circle. The idea is to keep it simple and memorable for everyone.

Once everyone is prepared to share what they know on a certain topic, begin filming. Even though these events are things you may already be aware of, this particular activity is fun and will also help everyone learn to speak in public.

Doing this at home is an unusual way to interact as a family, but it allows everyone’s voice to be heard and to have open communication. It’s a quirky way to being closer as a family unit.

6. Have an Indoor/Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Everyone loves hunting for hidden things and thus another one of those fun ideas for home is born. Type up a list of things that need to be found and give everyone a list. The things can be inside your home or even outdoors around the yard. Put a time limit on how long they have to locate the articles.

Be creative with this as well. You can put some things in the form of clues, so everyone has to figure out what the object is. This is on top of hiding the objects as well. To provide some incentive – and competition – have a small prize for the winner.

7. Learn to Do Nail Art

What are the fun things to do at home you may be asking? How about nail art? Nail art is the “in” thing right now. You see people with their fancy nails everywhere. Some even post their results on social media.

With some patience, you can learn to do this at home and reach that same skill level. Spend time practicing this. You can find kits and tools for this at department stores and drug stores so it’s cheap to get into this.

The overall process is relaxing as well. After all, you’re just sitting around painting nails and compare the outcomes. Plus the paint is easy to wash off so if you’re not keen on the results, or you don’t want to walk around with painted nails in public, you can clean them up easily.

8. Plant Seedlings

Ever wanted to have a garden in your own home or outside? This activity is perfect for making those desires a reality. Planting seedlings and watching their growth is rewarding, as well as educational. You would need to do a bit of research as to what would be the best time to plant but from there you can let the fun begin.

The time frame fluctuates between various types of plants as well. Most plants take 3-15 weeks to mature to a level to be transplanted into a garden. You would want to know what type of plants you are planting and the time needed as well. The whole process of preparing a garden, getting the materials, and planting the seedlings is joyous and rewarding in multiple ways.

It brings great joy to watch them develop and bloom once they are transplanted into a garden for one. The other is the fact if you’re planting vegetables or beans, you can harvest them and enjoy them in a home-grown meal! Even flowers can be appealing and their aromas can be a delight to smell and experience.

9. Host a Themed Movie Night

You have thousands of movies to pick from amongst your collection of DVDs, Blu Rays, and through streaming services. Pick a genre that your family would enjoy and pick out a variety of movies from that where you can sit and binge. Plan for a whole evening of back-to-back viewing of the movies.

Once that’s all sorted, make sure you have plenty of popcorn and snacks on hand! If you want to be really creative, find props that go with the movie and set them out as well. You can even make a dessert that matches the movie theme.

10. Play Games

Board games are an excellent way to have fun at home and over the past few decades, they’ve exploded. While you still have childhood classics like Monopoly, Mouse Trap, Trouble, Sorry, and Clue, there are many others. Some of our personal favorites include Ticket to Ride, Catan, Sequence, and Risk. These provide hours of entertainment

These are just a few of the many varieties out there too. Go to a local game store and see what appeals to the taste of your family. The great thing about board games is that you are able to interact with everyone while playing. Let the games begin!

11. Film a Cooking Show

Have you ever watched cooking shows on TV? Cooking is a hot topic as well as helpful skill to have regardless of age. In fact, cooking shows are so popular these days that there are networks that only broadcast shows about cooking.

Pick out a recipe you would like to try out that would take a while to do. From cakes to pies, casseroles, and breads, there are a lot of options. Pretend you are hosting your own cooking show and video it. Make sure the whole family participates, in one way or another too. You are certain to have a lot of laughs while watching your family episode.

Alternatively, you can always follow one of those cooking shows and cook alongside them. Of course, they’re going to have certain dishes prepared in advance, but it can still be a delight to cook with them mostly or all the way depending on what the host is making.

12. Make Christmas (Or Sentimental) Cards

Homemade Christmas cards are unique and special as they often come from the heart. By extension, making cards that are generally sentimental can be valuable as well. Craft stores and department stores sell all kinds of supplies that you can purchase to make beautiful cards. Use your creative skills and have an evening where you all come together and make cards revolving around gratitude and thankfullness to send to your family and friends.

13. Make a Scarecrow

Autumn is never complete without the fun of making a scarecrow. Rustling in the fallen leaves and stuffing them into old clothing brings out the kid in everyone.

One time while visiting my grandfather, I thought it would be fun to make him a scarecrow for his yard. I never imagined that he would come out and start making it with me. He was well into his 80s, and yet the joy in his eyes when we made that scarecrow together was a memory I will always cherish.

For those who like to be different, you can always make an indoor scarecrow at any time of year, using newspaper or paper towels as stuffing.

14. Have a Karaoke Night

Plan an evening of karaoke.

This is a great way to spend family time together. PlayStation and Wii have several options to pick from. And if you don’t have those particular games or consoles, you can always find plenty of them on Youtube. From experience, this is an evening of lots of laughter and joy! Everyone loves to sing…even those who might not have a singing voice like to bust out at karaoke.

15. Do a Puzzle

Puzzle-making is a calming way to spend time together at home. Hours can be spent finding just the right pieces to add to the puzzle provided that it’s a challenging one. The best part is when you see the finished product.

What’s also nice about some of the bigger and elaborate puzzles is the fact they’re not a one-night activity. If it’s big enough, don’t be afraid to set it aside so that the puzzle can be undisturbed.

You can find mats that roll your puzzle up when you aren’t working on it as well. If you have a spare table that isn’t used daily, you could have it there on display and readily available to continue on as well.

16. Play with Lego

Lego is one of those companies that provides toys you should never sell. Lego is timeless as even kids can enjoy the Legos that you grew up with.

I am sure you have seen some amazing pieces of art made with Lego. Of course, not everyone has talent enough to make huge projects with Lego. Fortunately, the pleasure isn’t limited to your ability to build great things. Regardless of what you build, simply be creative and let the kid in you come out.

Alternatively, if you still kept the instruction manuals for some of the models, you can always work to rebuild those old models from the ground up. Nevertheless, Lego continues to provide products to this day so you can always pick up more latest models to build.

17. Make Jewelry

Learning to make jewelry isn’t that difficult. You can find many links on the internet that will teach you how to make earrings and necklaces.

Visit your local craft store or department store and purchase some tools and supplies. Take your time and visualize what you want the finished product to look like. The jewelry you make can also be presents to give away or even sold if the quality is good. That is, of course, if you can bear to part with what you made.

18. Host an English Tea Party

Some of us can remember being a little girl and having tea parties, chatting with our imaginary friends and sipping tea (imaginary or not). Now that you are older, why not have a real tea party?

Have the family dress up in their best outfits and host an English Tea Party. There are guidelines, recipes, and even games to play that you can easily find on the internet. Do a bit of exploring and planning, then host the perfect tea party at home for your family.

19. Plant Bulbs

There are two times in a year that bulbs can be planted. In the fall, you can plant spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils. The second time is in the early spring where you can plant alliums, agapanthus, cannas and some other summer bulbs. Set aside an appropriate time and plant bulbs in your yard. You will reap rewards when you see the sprouts starting to come up. Your yard will look lovely with the flowers blooming.

20. Read a Book

The art of reading aloud has lost its popularity. Pick out a book that would interest your family and have an evening each week that you read the story aloud. Just like in high school English class, take turns reading out loud and stopping after a handful of pages. Interact about what is going on in the storyline. This can be your own family book club.

You can even come up with voices for the characters you’re voicing.

Looking for books to read next? Here’re some self-help books to read, and here’re some great books for fiction lovers. There are a tonne of options.

Another option to consider when encouraging reading is to have your kids read books you’ve read before, have them create book reports and present them to the family. You can reward them by giving them a bit of money for every book report. This would encourage them to read more while also improving public speaking.

21. Have a Water Balloon Fight

This activity is best done outdoors in warm weather.

This is an “action” activity that brings out the youthfulness in all of us. Depending on the size of your family, you can have teams for this. Fill up as many balloons as you like with water. Go outside and aim for your target. Run, laugh and have fun!

22. Learn Yoga

Yoga is so beneficial for every age group. As a family unit, learn yoga. Once again, there are many learning tools for this. You can find videos at your local library. This is a refreshing way to enjoy healthy interaction as a family.

23. Invent a Writing Code

Invent your own code and write messages to each other. Take the alphabet and transform it into symbols and signs to represent each letter. It’s exciting to come up with your code. Once it is created, give everyone a copy of the code, and begin writing messages to one another. It will be interesting to translate words into the special code you made.

24. Have a Photo Shoot

Gather together some props and outfits and take family pictures.

Make sure each member has individual shots as well. Acting as a professional photographer, be creative in the photos you take.

Take funny pictures. Take serious pictures. Take candid shots.

The joy of digital photography is that you can take as many photos as you like and delete what doesn’t work. Make sure you add props to make it interesting!

25. Learn Calligraphy

Learning a new technique is always interesting.

Calligraphy is a well-known type of writing with special pens. Craft stores and department stores have kits designed to assist you in the learning process. Write out poetry or some of your favorite quotes. You never know, you might acquire a talent and be able to frame some of your work.

26. Have a BBQ

It’s always enjoyable to have a barbecue.

You can cook up your food and eat outside. After you are finished, have a campfire and tell scary stories. Remember how fun it is to sit around a campfire telling stories. Make this happen in your yard. Enjoy the night sky. Most of all, enjoy each other!

27. Invent Your Own Board Game

Discuss what type of game you want to make. Design the board together. Make the rules that will need to be followed. Make the game pieces that you will need. Play the game that you invented. Coming up with the game and the rules you want to make is an awesome time of interaction with one another. The results of your collaboration will be so exciting to view and play.

28. Have a Spa Night

Plan an evening where you can do an at-home spa night. Light candles, put on relaxing music, and make your atmosphere resemble a spa. You can do facials, manicures, and pedicures. You also can have bubble baths. Schedule it so that each person is doing a different thing and rotate the process. Your family will enjoy this time of pampering and relaxing.

29. Play Charades

This game has existed for such a long time and yet it never grows old. You can buy charade games already packaged. However, feel free to make up your own.

Each family member can contribute by writing down charades on index cards. Watching your family members act out the charade while the others are guessing is guaranteed to be a night full of fun and laughter.

30. Make a Family Scrapbook

Choose an assortment of family pictures taken during different events. Compile these photos into groups and begin to make a scrapbook. Perhaps you want to focus on a special trip your family took or another meaningful event you wish to document. The ideas for creating your family scrapbook are endless. Personalize this and make it your own; after all, this is your story!

Final Thought

I hope that out of this list you will find some new things that you want to try at home. We have already done most of the things on this list as a family, and we look forward to doing the few that are left. Have fun and make some unique family memories that will be remembered for years to come.

87 Fun Things to Do at Home to Avoid Cabin Fever

Being stuck at home isn’t ideal, but here are ways to make dealing with self-isolation from COVID-19 just a little bit more fun for the whole family.

By Today’s Parent

Updated Jun 07, 2023

It’s not fun being cooped up, but with a little bit of effort, you can create some fun things to do at home to help the time pass and make some wonderful memories. You’ll probably have to work with what you have on hand. But with a little creativity, we’re sure you can make most of these ideas work. You’ve got this!

Don’t have enough gear or supplies? No worries. Here’s how to get a free Amazon Prime membership (and loads of other free stuff from Amazon) to have supplies dropped right at your door.

1. Zoom around in cardboard race cars

Let your kids zoom through the living room in their very own race car. Get the instructions here.

2. Make a cardboard dollhouse

Create your own dollhouse, as intricate or as simple as you’d like. We’ve got instructions for one that’s a series of “apartments” that can be broken up and played with however you’d like. Find it here.

3. Make your own drive-in movie

Make a box car for an indoor drive-in film. Get the instructions here.

4. Bring Minecraft to life

Got a Minecraft fan at home? They’ll flip for this creeper box craft. Find it and templates for Minecraft pixel pickaxes here.

5. Make your own pinwheel

This simple craft is best enjoyed in a breeze, but standing in front of a fan gets the job done too. Learn to make your own here.

6. Make a portable art easel

Don’t throw away that cardboard box! Make a sturdy and portable art easel for your mini Monet. Get the instructions here.

7. Make a calming jar

Help your kids cool down and relax with these easy-to-make calming jars. All you need is hand soap, water and a handful of shiny glitter and beads to help your kids find their inner peace. Get the instructions here.

8. Blow bubbles

Go buy some bubbles at your favourite dollar store, or make your own at home. Plus, learn how to make your own bubble wands here.

9. Play hide-and-seek

Another classic fun things to do at home. Who can find the best hiding spot in the house?

10. Make a bird feeder

What better spring craft is there than making a DIY bird feeder? Or try painting a birdhouse, which you can purchase at your local craft store.

11. Play a game of hopscotch

You might think this game is too simple, but it’s always a great time-killer and super fun to play at any age.

12. Get gardening

Spend some time outdoors by planting flowers in the yard. Your little ones will love getting messy in the fresh soil and being on garden hose duty.

13. Wash your car

If it’s warm enough outside, get the kids to help you out with cleaning up your family vehicle(s) on the driveway.

14. Collect and paint rocks

Go to a nearby park and collect rocks, then make a craft day out of it. Paint them with whatever paint you have at home and maybe even turn them into rock magnets for the fridge.

15. Take lots of pictures

Make sure that while living in the moment, you don’t forget to snap photos of the silly and fun times, too. Print the photos and have the kids help you finally put together that scrapbook or album you’ve wanted to make. Get the kids involved in taking the photos with these super-durable and adorable cameras.

16. Build a fort

Any time of the year is the perfect time to build a fort. It’s great for some pretend indoor camping!

17. Draw with sidewalk chalk

Sprawl out on the sidewalk with a big bucket of chalk or spruce up your driveway with your wildest creations.

18. Have a scavenger hunt

Put together a list of household objects and see who can be the first to find everything on the list!

19. Watch the sunset

The best ending to the perfect spring day is watching the sunset with the little ones before calling it a night.

20. Get baking

Ge the most out of baking with your kids. Pretend to be bakers while practicing essential skills like reading with recipes or counting with ingredients.

21. Get silly with your kids

Try these low cost options for just having some good ole silly fun.

22. Make a twig sailboat

Time to set sail in a lake, pail or bathtub! Make these cute little crafts out of simple supplies. Find instructions here.

23. Make a time capsule

A sweet time capsule filled with special trinkets and memories is always a fun indoor activity to do with kids. Have them help decorate the box and curate which items to put in it. Learn how here.

24. Learn a few magic tricks

Who doesn’t love magic? Learn some simple sleight of hand with this easy guide.

25. Play card games

Teach your kid some fun classic card games like Go Fish!, Crazy Eights, Slapjack and more!

26. Play freeze dance

Choose some of your kids’ favourite tunes and turn up the volume. Ask them to dance until the music stops. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in – even if they have one leg up. To make the game more challenging, ask the kids to freeze in specific poses: animals, shapes, letters or even yoga postures. Toddlers in particular love this game.

27. Do a puzzle

Exercise those creative, cognitive and problem-solving muscles with a good puzzle. You can use a store-bought variety or have the kids make their own. Have your children draw a picture on a sturdy piece of cardboard or Bristol board. Then use a pencil to outline puzzle pieces directly on their drawing. Cut out the pieces with a good pair of scissors, mix them up and get solving. Indoor games and craft in one fun activity!

28. Improvise some paper-bag skits

This indoor game is ideal for larger families. Divide the kids (and adults) up into groups. Give each group a bag filled with props, such as a spoon, toy jewelry, a sock, ball or ribbon. Then give them 15 minutes to construct a skit around the props. This game is so much fun that it doesn’t have to be competitive. If the kids want, though, they can vote on a winning skit.

29. Make a DIY balance beam

If you have masking tape on hand, why not make your own balance beam? We all know how much kids love walking in straight lines every chance they get. Put on some music, and one at a time the kids can take their turn walking one-foot-over-the-other across the straight line of tape. Make the game more challenging by having the kids walk backwards or balance with one foot on the line. We love this beam if you’re looking to continue balance beam practice at home. It’s challenging enough to help develop their gross motor skills but safe in elevation as they learn to navigate the beam.

30. Do some indoor bowling

A great way to reuse water bottles (or you can purchase an indoor bowling set). Line six-10 water bottles up at the end of your hall or living room. Place a line of duct tape at the starting line. Grab a medium-sized indoor ball and start bowling! If you want, keep score and give out trophies at the end. (Note: if you need to stabilize the water bottles or make the game more difficult, simply fill them up with some water. Don’t forget to screw the tops on tightly!) Learn how to make a classic set of pins here, or find instructions for some cute cactus-themed bowling pins here.

31. Play Hot Potato

This game will have everyone giggling. Ask the kids to sit on the floor in a circle. Turn on some tunes and have them pass the potato (a bean bag or soft ball) around the circle as fast as they can. When the music stops, the player holding the potato leaves the circle. Keep going until only one player is left and wins the game.

32. Play the listening game

This game is sure to both educate and delight little ones. Take out several miscellaneous items. Have the children look at all the items, and then take them away. Next, ask one child to hide his or her eyes and listen as you pick up an item and make sounds with it. Ask the child to guess which item made the sound. Examples of items might be a comb (run your fingers along it), a glass (gently tap it), cymbals, shakers, sandpaper, blocks rubbed together, a pot and spoon. Be creative and have fun!

33. Play Simon Says

This traditional favourite will never get old. To start, choose one player (probably a parent for the first round) to be Simon. The rest of the players will gather in a circle or line in front of Simon as he calls out actions starting with the phrase “Simon says”: “Simon says…touch your toes.” The players then have to copy Simon’s action, touching their toes. If Simon calls out an action without uttering the phrase “Simon says,” the kids must not do the action. If a child touches his toes when Simon didn’t say…, he or she is out of the game. There are lots of great ways Simon can trick players into doing actions when Simon didn’t say: Simon can perform an action without uttering a command, for example, or he can perform an action that doesn’t correspond with the command. Fun! The last player left in the game wins and becomes the next Simon.

34. Set up a game of indoor basketball

You can’t be too little for this version of basketball. All you need is a bucket and a rolled up sock (or a small, light ball). Each player takes a turn at throwing the sock-ball into the bucket. When a player scores a bucket, he or she takes a step back and throws again until missing. The player who shoots the ball in the bucket from the farthest distance wins.

35. Learn some classic hand-clapping games

These classic hand-clapping games are sure to pass the time with your little ones. Just make sure everyone washes their hands before and after!

36. Make an emoji magic 8-ball

Who knows what the future holds during this uncertain time? Your little ones will after the make this adorable craft. Get instructions here.

37.Take to the skies in cardboard planes

Fly in style with this colourful plane. Find it here.

38. Make a mini city out of toilet paper rolls

Save up your empty toilet paper rolls and once there’s enough, have your kiddies make a city out of them! Get the instructions here.

39. Make rainbow crayons

Collect all those broken crayons and melt them down into moulds to turn them into exciting multicoloured crayons in fun shapes! Get the instructions here

40. Make a pair of paper roll binoculars

These binoculars are powered solely by your kids’ imaginations. Have your kids go on an epic safari right there in your living room. No need to worry if they ever rip or get sat on, it’s super easy to whip up a new pair. Get the instructions here.

50. Make a foosball table

See that empty shoe box? With some wooden dowels, paint, and a handful of clothespins, it is now the home of your awesome DIY foosball table. Game on! Get the instructions here.

51. Make a desk caddy

Help your kids get their desks organized with these cute desk caddies! Made from a shoebox, toilet paper rolls and newspaper, your kid can design it however they want. Get the instructions here.

52. Make a jetpack

Want to send your kids on an imaginary adventure in outer space? Have them make a jetpack out of empty pop bottles and watch them travel the galaxy. Get the instructions here.

53. Have sensory fun with this lady bug sensory box

A few basic supplies are all you need to make a cute and educational sensory box. Get the instructions here.

54. Make a holiday tree

Got some old cupcake liners lying around? Depending on their colours, this paper tree craft can be used to make decorations for different holidays throughout the year. Red and green liners? Christmas! Orange and black? Halloween! Pink and white? Valentine’s Day! What holiday will your family be celebrating next? Get the instructions here.

55. Make a basketball pennant flag

The NBA season may have been suspended but you can still celebrate your kid’s favourite sport. Get the instructions here.

56. Craft some cozy critters

Make these cozy little critters to keep your kids’ hard-boiled eggs nice and warm. When eggs aren’t on the menu, they do double as tiny puppets! Get the instructions here.

57. Make some fancy felt hairpins

Turn plain bobby pins into your child’s new favourite accessory with some felt shapes, glue and glitter. Try different shapes to match the season: snowflakes for winter, flowers for spring, a beachball for summer and leaves for fall. And stars work for every season. Get the instructions here.

58. Make some owl eye pillow masks

Get your little night owl excited to sleep with this charming eye mask. Do this craft with your kids in the morning before lunch so it’ll be ready for naptime! Get the instructions here.

59. Play pretend with these Yoda ears

These ears will instantly turn your kiddo into a wise, old jedi master. Round out the ends and use black and pink felt to make easy cow ears. White and pink felt will give you the cutest lamb ears. Now who wants to play pretend? Get the instructions here.

60. Make pipe cleaner crowns

Speaking of dress up, what princess (or prince) would be caught without their crown? We have three adorable (and bejewelled) crowns you can make with just a few supplies. Find the instructions here.

61. Make mini hockey sticks

Who’s up for a game of mini hockey? These mini hockey sticks are quick and easy to make, just use a plastic bottle cap or small circular piece of cardboard as a puck! More instructions here.

62. Print out some fun pencil and paper games

These fun, simple pencil and paper games will keep kids occupied while parents try to get some work done. Get the printables here.

63. Whip up some edible playdough

This craft is perfect for little ones who love sticking everything in their mouths. (I’m looking at you, glue-eating Tommy.) This edible, dye-free playdough can be made with ingredients you likely have on hand. Make it before the party and then set out cookie cutters and rolling pins on a craft table. Then the kids can get their dough on! Learn how to make it here.

64. Make matching heart headbands

Some people like to wear their heart on their sleeve. But we prefer to wear our heart on our head! Make matching ones for everyone in the family and share what you love most about each other. Find out how here.

65. Create some braided accessories

These colourful braided accessories are fun to make and great for playing dress up. Kids can experiment with new patterns and colour combinations. Let the creative juices start flowing! Learn how to make them here.

66. Rock out with some disco microphones

Your little disco stars can sing their hearts out with these easy DIY microphones. Let them can choose a disco ball, glitter or sequins to decorate their very own mic for a karaoke showdown! Learn how here.

67. Marble-dye some eggs

These pretty marbled eggs don’t have to be just for Easter (although it’s coming up!). The kids can paint them to match a birthday theme, or turn them into their favourite characters (like red-and-blue for Spider Man). All you need are some eggs, food colouring and shaving cream. You might want to lay out a lot of newspaper—things might get messy! Get the instructions here.

68. Make sweet flower crown

Have a little flower-lover? Then this is the craft for your little one! She’ll be a true fairy princess this sweet flower crown. Learn how here.

69. Shake it out with these water bottle maracas

Feeling pent up? Let off some of that bottle up energy with these fun maracas. Learn how to make them here.

70. Make a kid-friendly terrarium

This easy DIY terrarium is the perfect activity for kids. We’ve got the how-to here. Got a mason jar? Make these terrariums instead!

71. Make some bath fizzies

These instructions may be for Halloween-themed bath bombs, but you can make them into any shape you’d like to add more fun to bath time.

72. Make cute plastic lapel pins

Yes, you can make trendy pins with your flair-obsessed kids at home. They look super cute on a denim jacket or backpack (for when school finally reopens) Learn how here.

73. Refresh some old sneakers with splatter paint

Create your own designer sneakers at home with this simple splatter paint craft. Get the instructions here.

74. Make an old-school whirligig fidget toy

Fidget toys are perfect for when the family is stuck inside. Try making your own version of the old-timey classic with this easy DIY whirligig. Find out how here.

75. Make an easy reversible felt playmat

This reversible playmat is such a cinch to make and will provide your little one with hours of fun. Get the how-to here.

76. Create some easy felt embroidered patches

What kid (or adult) doesn’t love a cute embroidered patch? Watch this tutorial and learn how to make one yourself with our easy-to-follow steps. See, you are crafty!

77. Dip-dye a watermelon T-shirt

This sweet t-shirt is a fun and easy project to take to the yard. If you know how to dunk, you already know how to dip dye. Find out how here.

78. Play a board game

Boards games are great for bonding time as a family (even when it gets competitive). Check out which boards games are perfect for what age group here.

79. Sound safari

Show your school-age kid how to use the digital recorder on your phone, then ask them to go around the house or yard recording 10 different sounds. Emphasize that they should take their time and try to stump you. (Variation: very close-up shots with the camera.) Then get them to return to the sound booth, aka the couch, and you try to figure out what the sounds are. Pro tip: To keep your phone out of the toilet, ban “flushing” sounds.

80. Play a game of What’s on my butt?

Get comfy on the couch, belly down. Your kids take turns finding things around the house and putting them on your behind. You ask, “What’s on my butt?” (feel free to add funny voices here) and then try to guess. Hil-ar-i-ous.

81. Watch clouds

No, there are no clouds on the living room ceiling, but this is an imagination game. Lie down with your kiddo and whisper, “Wow, look at the beautiful clouds.” You can take turns pointing out what you “see” and pretty soon, creative kids will be spotting elephants and waterslides.

82. Stargaze indoors

Get a kitchen colander or two, a decent flashlight and some of your household’s thousands of little toys. Dinosaurs and horses are good. Lie down in a dark room and shine the flashlight through the colander onto the ceiling. Instant starry night! You can also shine the flashlight behind the toys to project shadows onto the ceiling and walls.

83. Play Don’t wake the giant

Since you’ve got those little plastic toys out…lie down and ask your kids to arrange the toys on your back or belly. Urge them to use their imaginations to set up scenes like a village, the African savannah or a parking lot. But wait—they’ve actually set up everything on a sleeping giant! Stretch, scratch, shake, or maybe even stand up.

84. Just roll around on the floor

Little-known fact: rolling around on the floor is a great way for your preschooler or kindergartener to fine-tune all kinds of developmental skills related to balance, coordination and strength. How awesome that you get to lie on the couch to get the best view of their game. Ask if they can roll straight like a pencil (little kids tend to move their top half first then their legs) or roll in both directions. Ask them to put their arms above their heads and hold on to a stuffed toy while they roll (this requires more strength and coordination). More than one kid? Get them to form a “conveyor belt” with coordinated rolling to move a toy along from one kid to another.

85. Make a race track

Lie on the floor with one knee up and maybe an arm outstretched. Get your kid to set up their train track or car track all around you. You’re the landscape!

86. Operation time

Introduce the kids to the retro game, with you as the patient. Get the kitchen tongs and some small objects, which you arrange on your belly or legs. Hand your toddler or preschooler the tongs and ask them to carefully pick up each item. Older kids can use tweezers. Add sound effects, of course. (Bonus: using tongs and tweezers is a good way to develop small muscles in their hands. It’s educational!)

87. Tattoo artist

Explain that tattoo artists work very slowly and carefully. Then break out the washable, non-toxic markers (some pencil crayons work when dipped in water too) and get yourself a temporary tat.

This article was originally published on Nov 18, 2020

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