Easy and Inexpensive Activities to Do at Home with Your Kids

Easy and Inexpensive Activities to Do at Home with Your Kids (Inside or Outside!)

You’ve come right here on time! I’m excited to share this guest post from blogger Gayle. Check out her bio below.

Getting out of the house is always a great way to pass the time on a weekend or during the summer months. However, daily outings are not always an option. Maybe the weather isn’t right or maybe you just feel like lounging around at home but whatever the reason, here are some wonderful activities you can do in the comfort of your house (or backyard!). The best part? Doing things with your kids at home is inexpensive and takes a little effort.

Here are my favorite at-home activities to do with my children.

Water Play

Naturally, if it’s hot outside it’s time to get out the garden hose! The sprinkler and plastic kiddie pool are an obvious choice. Mix it up by adding food coloring to large bowls of water for some rainbow colored fun. Plastic spray bottles, watering cans and water balloons are also an entertaining way to keep cool. I’ve been known to do this one inside too. Just lay down some towels and give your kids some big bowls of water… or just fill up the tub!

Build a Fort

Stuck inside on a rainy day? Get out some old sheets and pillows and let your children build the blanket fort of their dreams. For added fun, let your kids have their meals in their awesome indoor-tent or even let them sleep there for the night!

Outdoor Nature Painting

Have some watercolor paints lying around? Let your child paint your yard! Watercolors can be used to paint rocks, trees, grass etc. I even let my kids paint our plastic swing set. The best part is, with a little water it all washes away! Of course, be sure to test any surface your child intends to paint so they don’t ruin anything.

Sidewalk Chalk

Design a game of hopscotch for your children or play hangman while hanging around outdoors. Or give your kids the chalk and let them draw whatever they like! I use sidewalk chalk on my backyard deck and fence and it always washes away easily.

Cook or Bake with your Kids

Another favorite for a rainy day is to get your kids to help you in the kitchen. Buy a ready-made pizza crust from the store or make your own from scratch. Get your kids to add the cheese, sauce and their favorite toppings for a fun pizza-making party. Cookies or muffins are also a great way to spend some time together in the kitchen. Let your child measure, scoop and pour the ingredients.

 

Have Halloween in July

When I worked in childcare we used to do this every summer, and you can do it in the comfort of your own home! Grab some dress-up clothes or old Halloween costumes and let your kids dress up. Buy some cheap candies from the store and hide them around the house. Give your kids clues as to where to find the candy and watch them scavenge around for them.

Have a Science Day

Search the web for some easy science experiments to do at home with your kids. If the weather is right, you can bring the science outside to avoid the indoor mess. Need some easy ideas? Fill a bottle with baking soda and add vinegar to get a volcanic reaction or get your kids to mix a variety of household liquids such as ice, water, dish soap and oil and see what happens.

Set-up an Indoor or Outdoor Obstacle Course

Get your kids to burn some of their never-ending energy by building a make-shift obstacle course. Use whatever you have around the house- chairs, skipping ropes, balls, scarves. Maybe they have to crawl under a chair, skip three times with the rope, throw the ball and jump over the scarf. Let your kids use their imaginations and go crazy! You can set this up inside or outside too, depending on the weather.

Board Games and Puzzles

I love doing puzzles and games with my kids. The best part is that as my kids get older, we can do more challenging ones together, which makes it fun for me too! You can also just bring the games and puzzles outside (as long as it’s not too windy!) If you don’t have a lot of games, try some tic-tac-toe or I-Spy.

Have a Dance Party

Turn down the lights and turn up the music! Let your kids pick the songs and provide them with some fun dance props like glow sticks, flashlights or silly hats and glasses. Want to take it a step further? Use your phone and a simple editing app to make an at-home music video with your kids.

These are just a handful of my favorite activities for at home with my kids. If none of these ideas is appealing to your children, try giving them the reigns. Let your kids brainstorm some creative activities to do at home; you never know what they might come up with! You may also check out this post with other amazing and cheap ideas to do with the kids this summer. 

Gayle Smith is a former teacher, current blogger and mommy of two. She loves doing fun stuff with her kids and is passionate about keeping life uncomplicated. You can read her blog at www.eversimplemom.com or follow her on Facebook and twitter @eversimplemom

Do pop over and show her some love.