How do you keep your kids busy while school buildings are shut during holidays or for whatever reason?
When time seems to slow to a standstill, how do you keep your kids engaged?
Do you know that kids who engage in leisure activities with their families have been reported to perform better in their academics than their peers who don’t? They are also often not found involved in violent activities!
And there are several outdoor or indoor activities for kids of all ages.Activities such as education, crafts, travel, wellness and games are great inspirations to get your little ones engaged. Afterall, you and your kids don’t have to be at a standstill because time is. And the juicy part is, you do not have to burn out your pocket to get these done. These fun activities for kids are largely free!
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These ideas are great spring, summer, winter, autumn or fall activities for kids. And you have made the right decision to be here for the best ideas to get your kids engaged.
Let’s get started already!
10 Activities For Kids
1. The Yup App Math Tutor
Your kids need stuff that would keep their brains in the right shape often. The Yup App would help them get help with maths whenever they need it, while also having fun. And this can be achieved with tablets and smartphones.
This indoor activity for kids is easy. A kid takes a photo of a particular problem they are working on, and links with a tutor on the app. The student will be able to stay connected with the tutor for as long as a solution is provided to the problem. They make use of photo-sharing, a live virtual whiteboard, and secure messaging.
You can make a plan for summer activities for your kids on their summer maths homework with this app. They can work on it a little everyday, and at the end of summer, both of you will be happy to have finished the homework, while also keeping their skills sharp on the subject.
2. Do Some Baking Or Cooking
Kids love baking. And most families find it a real fun activity with their kids. But then, you can have a more advanced baking or cooking session. However, try to keep it simple, and do away with knife work and other potentially dangerous art for kids.
Having your kids follow you on a step-by-step recipe can be great fun if they have never added a spice or cracked an egg. This indoor activity will get your kids’ culinary skills up.
You can put out toppings such as sprinkles, frosting, and M&Ms that you kids can add to either an ice cream sundae or cupcake. If you need more ideas, check out fun and delicious recipes to create with your little ones by Melissa Jameson on tasty.co.
3. Read Books
Reading books with your kids without having the regular school activities in the way is often a great experience. And when your kids enjoy this great indoor activity, they will find it easy to imbibe the culture into their lives.
Consider wordless books for kids who are either new or still struggling with reading. You can get them to join a local reading program for summer or start one. Get them kids magazines, short stories, or comics and set a time apart everyday to engage them. Give them total attention while reading and your kids will easily learn this habit.
4. Make A Donation
Let your kids understand the concept of donating items to the needy. Go through your closets for items that may have just been hanging there for a while without being put to use in ages. Now is the time you should consider a better way to put them to good use – donate them to those who need them!
Kids toys, clothes, books and every other thing that may already be messing in your closet should be gathered with the help of your kids, and given out.
5. Go On A Bike Ride With Your Kid
Engaging in this great outdoor activity with kids will create a life-skill and an unforgettable memory in them. They will constantly look forward to more of this fun-filled moments with you
To begin, get them the set of wheels with the right size. This would likely be 14 or 16 inches. Ensure that the kid is able to place both feet on the ground while sitting on the bike seat. You may also consider balanced bikes with no pedals for an easy start for your kids. Find a safe and open-air space especially when moving them to a two-wheeled bike.
Steady your kid by resting your hands on his or her back or hold the seat of the bike as he gets ready to pedal. Set…go! Get him or her steering straight by focusing ahead and not to the ground.
And once your child is able to get the hang of riding, let them learn the ready position, with one pedal up and positioned a little bit forward. Then let him or her stomp down to move the bike without you helping. Practice gaining speed gradually.
Learning could take short or longer sessions to master. But do not try to force a child through the process if he isn’t picking as fast as expected. And the helmet should fit tightly and perfectly.
6. Exercise
Running is a simple outdoor activity kids can engage in. They’d really love it. Chase balloons and also try out jump jacks, hurdle hops, squats, lunges, skipping, crab walk, bear walk, cross lateral movement, sit ups, stretching, yoga and even bike riding!
All these are great fun exercises your kids can participate in!
7. Watch A Movie
Have you realized how watching a movie together with your kids helps to strike a good conversation with them? Yes, watching a great movie together can help to create important life discussions. Disney Plus, Netflix and other movie streaming options will help you make the best choice for a movie time with your kid.
8. Clean Up
Perhaps your kids are still too young to do the clean up around, but they can assist you in their own way. Here are some ways to teach them:
i. Don’t use cleaning as a form of punishment.
ii. Educate them on the benefits of engaging in hygienic activities.
iii. Point out little realistic tasks and guide them in getting them done.
iv. Involve the use of a timer to give them a time-lapse and make it even more fun.
v. Make cleaning a family business.
vi. Make allowances dependent on kids’ attitude to chores.
9. Recycle Items
Recycling generally involves transforming wastes into reusable items. It is important to educate your kids on the benefits of recycling trash. And there are several items you can recycle and lots of ways you can engage kids in the recycling process. The most common recycled items are plastics, textiles, metals, cardboard, glass, electronics, magazines, newspapers, computers and accessories.
Recycling can both be an indoor activity or outdoor activity for kids, and you can get recycling activity easy with your kids with these simple tips:
i. Separate recyclable items from wastes. Create separate bins around the house to achieve this.
ii. Label bins with relatable kid pictures
iii. Cut down on items you buy, use or dispose.
iv. Shut off taps from flowing while brushing your teeth.
v. Turn lights that are not being used off.
vi. Save money and get creative with reusing empty plastic bottles. Here are 20 creative ways by budgetdumpster to teach your kids to reuse plastic bottles.
vii. Unplug cell phone chargers when not in use.
viii. Make use of washcloths instead of paper napkins. Keep them after each use, and rewash when necessary.
ix. Explain the benefits of recycling items and the dangers of not recycling.
Check out recycled craft ideas by favecraft.com for your kids to get them busy keeping items out of your recycle bin!
10. Design
Another indoor activity for kids is getting your child with design programs like Canva or Adobe Photoshop. Get them to complete tasks like create an invitation card, a flyer or perhaps a business card. Look around you – the glass of water on the table, the chair you’re sitting on, the dress you are putting on and everything. All of that stuff was designed.
These numerous ideas on kidsthinkdesign will get you started with your kids.
However take note of these helpful tips while creating designs with your kids:
i. The designs should solve a problem.
ii. Designs should improve or make some better and beautiful.
iii. Designs should be tested and put to use.
iv. Designs should be artistic but not necessarily art.
These enlisted indoor and outdoor activities for kids will help them make the best of their time with you. But as the temperature drops and the colour of leaves change, you should take a quick glance at these suitable autumn or fall activities for kids:
1. Kids can craft a gorgeous handprint fall tree. Different handprint styles for kids of different ages.
2. Fall is Apple’s time, so kids can decorate t-shirts, towels, paper, or aprons with apple stamps.
3. Create a simple paper bag autumn wreath for your front door to usher in fall. Check out this guide.
4. Use oats to create pumpkin pie sensory play https://fun-a-day.com/pumpkin-pie-sensory-play/
5. Create pumpkin glitter jars. See here for pumpkin jars.
6. During fall, trees shed their leaves, baring their branches. This is their way of begging you to climb them. So, get your kids along on tree climbing.
Check Out These Summer Activities For Kids
1. If you live around rocks, go on rock painting.
2. Try out hiking. Choose an easy hiking trail that will be suitable with your kids.
3. Get your kids to the pool. Let them float around on a tube, dive objects, and consider other pool activity.
4. Create creatures using pipe cleaners. Allow your kids decide what they want here.
5. Taking your kids to the local farmer’s market can be a fun summer activity for kids anda great outdoor experience too. You do not have to go too far for a great time. Show them diverse foods with different colours!
Winter Activities For Kids
1. It would be time for snow, so make some ‘nice’ cream using snow.
2. Design greeting cards with your kids that would be delivered by hand to people at a local nursing home.
3. Gather up as many winter coats you can from friends and family. Give them out to a local charity.
4. Engage your kids in a snowball fight. Before doing this, consider their sizes and ages and set some ground rules ahead to guide them.
5. Use birdseed and peanut butter to create pine cone bird feeders. Then go ahead to hang it outside where birds can get a filled time each day.
