A Zillion Fun Things to Do at Home With Kids * Moms and Crafters

Got kids going bonkers at home because of school cancellations? Here is a HUGE list of fun things to do at home with kids – with a free printable for you to download and have handy. This post contains affiliate links.

First of all, you can print out this whole list to have handy in a very compact, plain, purely functional format – intended to be user-friendly, skimmable, and customizable.

Just enter your email address in the form below and it’ll be delivered right to your inbox. Don’t want to sign up for updates? Just scroll through this post – I spelled it all out for you here!

Second, this is NOT a finished list – I will be updating it, adding more links, etc. in the following days. I just got way too tired and wanted it to be available already as a resource for parent who are already stuck at home with kids (friendly wave.)

How to use the free printable list of things to do at home:

Highlight those that are the best fit for your family and add your own ideas!

If you are alone, go for the more involved hobbies on this list. They can occupy hours. Switch on the music, and try to relax.

There are so many ideas here that can be done with the enormous amount of online resources available on Youtube, blogs, etc.

I’ll try to add in as many links to resources as I can. Most of these are being brain-dumped off the top of my head, so forgive me as I resource better for actual practical applications. But meanwhile, you’ll find this list extremely helpful.

Of course, screen time is always an option, but you don’t need my help with that – so this list is made up primarily of screen-free ideas for fun things to do at home with kids.

In this list, I do my best to make use of what you already have at home, budget-friendly ideas that cost within a few dollars, and things that are very easy to get online.

I also try to avoid using up things you might want to keep stocked so you don’t need to leave home unnecessarily, in case resources get scarce. For example, I wouldn’t recommend making salt dough because you may need your flour.

Creative fun things to do at home with kids:

Arts & Crafts ideas:

Focusing on things you already have is the way to go when stuck at home! A trip to the craft store probably isn’t on the agenda, and you might be budgeting right now – even if you don’t normally. These ideas were chosen for moments like these.

Repurpose toilet paper tubes (before they go into the bathroom)
Make clothespin puppets
Take on adult coloring (great for big kids too!)
Think of new uses and crafts for the following household items (links below are to idea lists for that item):
- Clothespins
- Nail polish
- Balloons
- Safety pins
- Fabric scraps
- Toothpicks
- Old keys
- Tupperware lids
- Old toys
- Bottle caps
- Old crayons
- Dry marker barrels
- Drinking straws
- Mismatched cutlery
- Tissue boxes
- Torn/unrepairable books
- Junk mail
- Paper clips
- Old CDs
- The business card magnets on your fridge
Do a paint by number
Make something with scrap wood
Dig into your recycling bin and get creative
Try a paper cut – it’ll help lots of hours pass!
Color with chalk on dark paper (M’s long-time favorite as a toddler)
Try ice painting

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeREljmAqEc/

Try illustrating your own coloring pages!
Illustrate a new (themed) set of playing cards – a great collaborative project! Think simple games like old maid or memory match.
Create your own board game
Build a pretend city out of boxes and other recyclables
Create your own line of greeting cards
Draw some mazes
Design a new line of jewelry
Then make it!
Paint a plain t-shirt
Googly-eye various items around your house just for fun
Paint rocks
Try any craft you typically make – but take it to the next level this time!
Make your own stickers
Try embroidering paper (tags, cards)
Make your favorite friendship bracelet stitch big enough to be a necklace!
Make masks or costumes and wear them just for fun
Make your own musical instruments
Paint plain wooden beads for jewelry
Use up all those rainbow loom supplies (or perler bead…)
Craft a kaleidoscope
Make duct tape wallets
Create paper flower bouquets
Zentangle

Learn a new skill:

These are the hardest if you can’t get new supplies because if it’s a skill you don’t have yet, you probably aren’t stocked up yet. But they’re still worth a shout-out – and I avoided those that skew more expensive (such as resin, oil painting, etc).

Where I have a tutorial, resource or series, I linked it. Otherwise, seek out tutorials on YouTube, or on Bluprint.

Learn a new friendship bracelet pattern
Learn how to watercolor
Learn how to make jewelry
Learn crochet
Learn how to make seed bead jewelry designs
Learn calligraphy or brush lettering
Learn Woodburning
Learn how to make wire wrap pendants
Learn Paracord

Book-Based Activities:

Give your books a new purpose with these ideas.

Read a book or…
Play Spaghetti and Meatballs. When reading a book, replace all S words with spaghetti and all M words with Meatballs. Missed one? You’re out – it’s the next person’s turn.
Make a book-based craft
Make puppets based on your favorite book
Then put on a show
Even better, repurpose boxes to make a theater for it!
Record an audiobook just for fun (great for early readers!)
Make a play based on a favorite book
Read in the dark with a flashlight. My friend Susie of Busy Toddler shared this idea with me years ago when I was desperate and it was a WIN! She has LOADS more ideas for you as well.

Try a little STEM – it’s fun:

M begs me almost every day to do science experiments. There are so many different ways STEM can be fun, and Pinterest is your best friend for this, but here are some ideas off the top of my head.

Do science experiments – our favorite is this color reveal one. It’s was a hit with a group of six-sevel year olds when we did it.
Try building a Rube Goldberg machine. Start very simple and see how far you can go with it.
Create a stop motion animation by photographing items such as paper cutouts, action figures, etc, at different intervals of activity and joining the images into a fast slideshow
Film a family movie
Chain together paper clips – how long can you make it?
Collect various items from around the house and see if you can build a tower with them.
Go on a nature hunt in your backyard and then make something pretty with what you find.
Buildtoothpick and grape structures (and then hydrate by eating them!)
Or switch this up by using balls of clay and straws
Race toys cars and then discuss the different reasons one might be faster…
Stack cups! Switch it up by adding bowls, using different size cups, etc
Have paper airplane races. Try switching things up on your airplanes to make them fly differently.
Make rock candy

Sensory Play is way cool!

While typically sensory bin fillers such as dyed rice and pasta might be worth holding onto for now, you can still do sensory play.

Do sensory bins! Some idea starters:
- Cereal-based bins for babies and young toddlers. Do this only if you have enough cereal in stock!
- Water beads (Orbeez)
- A cutting bin with different materials for your child to build cutting skills
- Sensory “soup” with funnels, measuring cups, medicine syringes…
- Add a color-mixing angle

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsedM0JjuZ6/

Make fidget bracelets
Make infinity cubes
Have a texture walk. Remove shoes, and lay out different textures (felt, a rug, a metal sheet) . Blindfold each participant and have them guess what the texture is.
Make discovery bottles
Make a quiet book/sensory book
Do “guess the smell” challenges

Want loads and loads of kids’ activities and craft ideas? Get the ebook!

Productive things to do around the home with kids:

Revisit the Kitchen:

Cooking can be fun, and you can turn it into an activity to do with kids. Here are some thought starters for keeping busy in the kitchen.

Bake a cheesecake
Decorate cookies
Try cooking a new ethnic dish
Invent some new Mocktails (stay hydrated!)
Try making new flavors of popcorn
Make ice cream sundaes
Invent a new flavor pasta sauce
Try baking your own bread
Make dips to add flavor to the bread

Get Active:

Especially if you’re mostly staying indoors, you might need to be creative with staying active!

Throw a dance party with the family – just turn on the music and go crazy
Or make up an actual dance routine
Have a pillow fight
Play outdoor games indoors if you have the space! Jump rope, ball bouncing games, hopscotch, etc.
If you have a private backyard and nice weather, fresh air is good for you! (Unless medical professionals in your area have advised otherwise – listen to them first!)
Watch exercise videos
Have crab walking races

Get the home & life in order:

Pick a closet to declutter with the kids
Paint a piece of furniture
Start planning the holiday season – I KNOW it’s early but you’ll take the load off then and your kids will love getting involved with this:
- Craft some gifts
- Or some decor
- Make a menu
Label the items in your pantry
Organize your art supplies
Alphabetize or organize your books by color
Prep the garage for Spring/Summer

Make the most of being at home with the kids:

Reinvent toys and games you already have:

Learning new ways to play with old toys is a great way to beat boredom – and will carry you over even once you’re back out and about!

Invent a new LEGO build
Or try one of the builds in Sarah Dees’s amazing books
Build a house of cards
Try the domino effect
Invent a new card game for classic playing cards
Think of new rules for board games you already have
Have siblings find things they are ready to pass on, and create “stores” for their siblings to shop at using fake money.
Paint and stamp with toys.
Challenge new readers to write words with scrabble or bananagrams tiles (M is doing this as we speak!!)
Make a chalk town to play with cars and figures.

Be a family:

So you’re stuck at home together? What a great chance to make memories! Here are some ideas!

Make up a secret family language
OR make up a family secret code
Set up an at-home nail or hair salon for members of your household
Write a kids’ book as a family
Or be brave and try for a short novel!
Ask “get to know you” questions
Ask “would you rather” questions
Make up a family anthem
Review emergency escape plans, etc in a fun way
Make a family tree as far back as you can
Create mascots for each family member
Make a family talent show
Look at family photos
Even better: order prints if you can budget for them!
Look at home movies and maybe turn them into a family movie.
Send the family movie to elderly relatives who may be isolated and lonely

So many more cool ideas:

Call or video chat with grandparents or other lonely people who are afraid to go out
Improve your makeup skills
Make up some corny jokes
Put those jokes on cootie catchers
Start a journal/diary of this weird time
Write a poem
Write a limerick
Make a list of self-soothing statements if you’re feeling anxious.
Even better: letter them or make signs to hang around your home
Or just color these
Write an actual physical letter to someone
Create a summer bucket list
Make a rubber band ball