Think outside of the digital box.
It can be difficult to think of fun, easy and affordable activities to do at home with young children, particularly if you’re trying to think outside of the digital box!
Home grown, offline activities can pass the time by creating fun for children and parents, they can create connections between family members and stimulate imaginations.
Here is a list of fun activities for young children (or the young at heart!) that you may not have already thought of. Happy playing!
- Read books! Have you thought about using funny voices for different characters or acting out the scenes?
- Put on a puppet show. Use socks, teddies and toys or make shadow puppets in the lounge room with torches.
- Create a fairy garden, in the garden or lounge room.
- Build a fortress, cubby house or tent out of sheets and pillows.
- Set up an indoor treasure hunt! Think about what you will hide, what everyone’s roles will be, where you will leave clues (if any!) and what kind of adventure will there be.
- Pretend that your couches were mountains, your pillows were islands and the rug was a river.
- Play hide and seek – it’s an oldie but a goodie!
- Build and make things using materials from around the house. Use your imaginations. Do you have any old sheets you could use as the sail for a boat?
- Dress up and put on a fashion parade. Who will you dress up as? What crazy things do you have in your cupboards? What characters could you be?
- Pretend to be animals – big ones, little ones. Think about what noises they will make, how they move and how they sleep 🙂
- Hold a teddybear’s conference or party for action figures. What could the meeting be fo? Who would attend? Where would it be held? What would they eat?
- Write letters to the Easter bunny, tooth fairy or a favourite character.
- Make a pet rock – collect some rocks, design and paint them.
- Play restaurant. Use things from around the house or garden to use as food, write up mini menus, dress as chefs and waiters. What kind of food do you serve? Where would the guests like to sit? Who would the guests be – someone famous or a character?
- Play hotel. You could put numbers on your doors and create a space to greet guests. Would you have entertainment? Room service? Cleaning service?
- Play shop. What would you sell? Can you collect things from the garden or around the house to use as make-believe shop items? What would you use for money? Set up a make-believe cash register.
- Put on a talent show – singing, dancing, magic, comedy skits etc. Plan your costumes, write, rehearse, practice, set up a mini stage and lights, sell mini tickets for admission to stuffed toys, siblings and parents.
- Play board games or make your own.
- Play charades – acting out words, TV shows, famous people, movies and books.
- Write a story or a script for a show or movie.
- Draw a picture book.
- Write a song or a comedy skit.
- Play card games.
- Choose a pen pal and write to them.
Give these ideas a go and let us know how they work with your family!
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