Looking for activities to keep kids busy at home? You’ll find it in this list of fun and educational crafts, sensory play, DIY, imaginative games, and science experiments!
Are you asking the question, How do I keep my child entertained for hours? These activities are what you need! Set the kids up with these fun STEM activities while they are out of school, so they are still learning while burning off that extra energy.
These activities to keep kids busy will have you entertaining or homeschooling like a pro with science experiments, free printables, DIY activities, and more.
- Crafts to Keep Kids Busy
- Sensory Play Activities to Keep Kids Busy
- Fun Slime Recipes
- Imaginary Play Activities to Keep Kids Busy
- Science Activities to Keep Kids Busy
- Classic Activities
- Educational
- Physical Play
- Food-Related
- Play-Doh Activities for Kids
- Upcycle Ideas for Kids
- DIY Activities to Keep Kids Busy
- More Activities to Keep Kids Busy
Crafts to Keep Kids Busy
How to Make a Dollhouse Out of Cardboard
Transform ordinary cardboard boxes into magical dollhouses that spark your child’s imagination. This hands-on project encourages creativity and resourcefulness.
Paper Roll Rocket Craft
Blast off into outer space with this fun and educational craft activity! Using simple materials like paper rolls and craft paper, your little ones can design their own rockets. Now they can embark on imaginary space adventures to avoid boredom.
Friendship Wands Bead Craft
Foster friendship and creativity with this charming bead craft. Let your kids design their own friendship wands using colorful beads and strings, perfect for sharing with their best pals.
Craft Stock Arctic Animals
Explore the wonders of the Arctic with these adorable craft stock animals! From polar bears to penguins, your kids can create their own Arctic scene. This craft requires using paper, glue, and a dash of creativity.
Rock Painting Woodland Animals
Turn ordinary rocks into whimsical woodland creatures with this delightful painting activity. It’s a fantastic way to connect with nature while honing your child’s artistic skills.
Paper Plate Cow Craft
Moo-ve over, boredom! With just a few simple supplies like paper plates and paint, your kids can create their very own herd of playful paper plate cows. It’s udderly adorable!
DIY Party Blower Craft
Get the party started with these homemade party blowers! Using colorful paper and a few crafting supplies, your kids can create festive party favors that are sure to bring joy to any celebration.
Sensory Play Activities to Keep Kids Busy
DIY Sidewalk Fizzy Foam Paint
Take outdoor art to the next level with this exciting fizzy foam paint activity! Using just a few simple ingredients, your kids can create colorful masterpieces on the sidewalk while enjoying a sensory-rich experience.
2 Ingredient DIY Moon Sand
Bring the magic of the moon indoors with this easy-to-make DIY moon sand! With just two ingredients, your kids can mold and shape their own lunar landscapes, fostering imaginative play and sensory exploration.
Make Snow Like Elsa from Frozen
Let it snow, let it snow! Recreate the magic of Elsa’s icy powers with this fun and frosty activity. Using common household items, your kids can make their own fluffy snow and enjoy hours of imaginative play.
Dinosaur Sensory Bin
Step into a prehistoric world with this engaging dinosaur sensory bin! Filled with sand, toy dinosaurs, and other treasures, this hands-on activity encourages imaginative play and sensory exploration.
Monster Eyes Sensory Bottles
Get ready for some spooky sensory fun with these monster eyes sensory bottles! Using simple materials like water, oil, and googly eyes, your kids can create mesmerizing sensory bottles that captivate the imagination.
Crayon Sensory Bin
Dive into a world of color with this vibrant crayon sensory bin! Filled with colorful crayons and sensory materials like rice or beans, this activity provides a multi-sensory experience that stimulates creativity and exploration.
Fun Slime Recipes
How to Make Mermaid Slime
Dive into the magical world of mermaids with this enchanting slime recipe! Using glitter, sequins, and vibrant colors, your kids can create their own shimmering mermaid slime that’s perfect for sensory play and imaginative adventures.
2 Ingredient Dish Soap Slime
Whip up a batch of slime in no time with this easy 2-ingredient recipe! All you need is dish soap and cornstarch to create a stretchy, squishy slime that’s perfect for sensory exploration and hands-on fun.
Silly Spring Slime Recipes
Spring into slime-making fun with these silly spring-themed recipes! From fluffy bunnies to colorful flowers, your kids can create a variety of slime concoctions inspired by the season’s vibrant colors and playful themes.
Fun Slime Recipes
Get creative in the kitchen with these fun and versatile slime recipes! From glow-in-the-dark slime to crunchy slime, there’s no limit to the imaginative possibilities. With just a few simple ingredients, your kids can experiment with different textures, colors, and add-ins to create their own unique slime creations.
Imaginary Play Activities to Keep Kids Busy
Livingroom Campout
Turn your living room into a cozy campsite and embark on a magical indoor adventure! Pitch a makeshift tent, gather around a faux campfire, and share stories under the “stars” for a camping experience like no other.
Easy Magic Fairy Wands
Encourage your child’s inner magician with these enchanting DIY fairy wands! Using simple materials like dowels, ribbons, and glitter, your little ones can craft their own magical wands to cast spells and make wishes come true.
Minion Finger Puppets
Bring the minions to life with these adorable finger puppets! Using felt, googly eyes, and basic sewing skills, your kids can create their own cast of Minion characters for imaginative storytelling and puppet shows.
Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppet
Get creative with pipe cleaners and craft a menagerie of finger puppets! From animals to aliens, the possibilities are endless. Let your child’s imagination run wild as they bring their finger puppet creations to life with colorful pipe cleaners and googly eyes.
How to Make a Mermaid Wand
Dive into an underwater adventure with these magical mermaid wands! With seashells, beads, and shimmering ribbons, your child can create their own beautiful mermaid wand to enchant and delight.
Science Activities to Keep Kids Busy
Science Experiment for Kids
Dive into the fascinating world of science with this collection of kid-friendly experiments! From erupting volcanoes to homemade slime, these activities cover a wide range of scientific concepts and are perfect for curious young minds eager to learn through experimentation. This one is full of fun activities to keep kids busy!
Crystal Science Experiment
Unlock the secrets of crystal formation with this mesmerizing experiment! Using simple household ingredients, children can grow their own crystals and witness the stunning beauty of natural mineral growth firsthand.
Hovercraft Science Experiment
Explore the principles of physics and engineering with this thrilling hovercraft experiment! By constructing their own miniature hovercraft, kids can learn about air pressure, friction, and propulsion in a fun and interactive way.
Rainbow Walking Water Science Experiment
Discover the magic of capillary action with this colorful science experiment! By combining water, food coloring, and paper towels, children can observe how water molecules move through porous materials to create a vibrant rainbow effect.
Classic Activities
Free Disney Coloring Pages
Let your imagination soar with these free Disney coloring pages! Featuring beloved characters from classic Disney films, these printable coloring sheets are sure to delight children and adults alike as they bring their favorite characters to life with vibrant colors.
Homemade Noise Putty
Get ready for hours of squishy, stretchy fun with homemade noise putty! Made from simple ingredients found in most kitchens, this easy-to-make putty is perfect for sensory play and provides a satisfying squish with every squeeze.
Farm Paper Bag Puppets
Bring farmyard fun to life with these charming paper bag puppets! With just a few simple materials, children can create their own delightful puppets inspired by their favorite farm animals, perfect for imaginative play and storytelling.
Make Your Own Puzzles
Exercise your brain and unleash your creativity with homemade puzzles! Whether you are creating a jigsaw puzzle from a favorite family photo or designing a crossword puzzle with personalized clues, making your own puzzles is a fun and engaging way to challenge yourself and others. This is one of those activities to keep kids busy that can be enjoyed over and over again.
Toilet Paper Roll Crafts
Turn trash into treasure with these creative toilet paper roll crafts! From adorable animals to colorful kaleidoscopes, there’s no limit to the imaginative creations that can be made with recycled toilet paper rolls.
Educational
Printable Word Searches
Sharpen your child’s vocabulary and problem-solving skills with printable word searches! With themed word lists ranging from animals to space exploration, these puzzles offer a fun and challenging way to expand your child’s language skills.
Light Refraction Experiment
Explore the wonders of science with a fascinating light refraction experiment! Using simple materials found at home, children can observe how light bends and changes direction as it passes through different substances, providing a hands-on lesson in optics and physics.
How to Start a Nature Journal with Kids
Encourage a love of nature and outdoor exploration with a nature journaling activity! Whether documenting plant and animal sightings or sketching natural landscapes, keeping a nature journal is a wonderful way for children to connect with the world around them and develop observation skills.
Teach Kids to Wash their Hands Properly, with Glitter!
Instill healthy habits and proper hygiene practices with a glittery hand-washing experiment! By sprinkling glitter on their hands before washing, children can visually see the importance of thorough hand-washing techniques in removing germs and preventing the spread of illness.
Geometry Dice
Roll into the world of geometry with geometry dice! These customizable dice feature different geometric shapes on each side, providing a fun and interactive way for children to explore geometric concepts such as vertices, edges, and angles.
Teach Your Kids to Code with a Deck of Cards
Unlock the world of coding and computational thinking with a simple deck of cards! Through fun and engaging coding games and activities, children can learn fundamental coding concepts such as algorithms, loops, and conditionals using nothing more than a standard deck of playing cards.
How to Grow Your Own Easter Basket Grass
Celebrate the spring season and learn about plant life cycles with a DIY Easter basket grass project! Using common household materials, children can grow their own lush grass for Easter baskets, gaining firsthand experience in plant growth and care.
How to Make Personalized Name Crayons
Add a personal touch to art projects with personalized name crayons! By melting and molding crayons into custom shapes and designs, children can create unique and colorful crayons featuring their own names or favorite shapes, fostering creativity and self-expression.
Physical Play
DIY Ball Run
Build a thrilling DIY ball run using simple materials found around the house! With ramps, tunnels, and twists, children can design and construct their own marble or ball run masterpiece. They’ll enjoy experimenting with gravity, momentum, and cause and effect as they watch their creations come to life.
Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course
Turn your driveway or sidewalk into an action-packed obstacle course with sidewalk chalk! Children can design and create their own obstacle course layout, complete with challenges. Get the kids moving with jumping, hopping, and balancing, providing a fun and interactive way to promote physical activity and coordination.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Transform your home into a treasure trove of hidden surprises with an indoor scavenger hunt! With a list of clues and items to find, children can embark on an exciting hunt throughout the house.
DIY Marshmallow Catapult Game
Engineer a homemade marshmallow catapult for hours of high-flying fun! Using simple materials like popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons, children can build and test their own catapult designs, launching marshmallows through the air and learning about physics and engineering concepts in the process.
Create Your Own Sword & Shield Toy Set
Unleash your child’s inner warrior with a DIY sword and shield toy set! Using cardboard, paint, and creativity, children can design and decorate their own medieval-inspired weapons and armor, embarking on epic battles and imaginative adventures in the comfort of their own backyard or living room.
Food-Related
Baking Soda Activity
Dive into the world of chemistry and culinary artistry with a mesmerizing baking soda activity! Children can mix baking soda with vinegar and food coloring to create fizzy, bubbling reactions, learning about chemical reactions and scientific principles in a fun and interactive way.
Fun With Potato Stamps
Transform ordinary potatoes into extraordinary works of art with potato stamping! Children can carve shapes and designs into potato halves, dip them in paint, and stamp patterns onto paper or fabric, exploring texture, color, and pattern-making while unleashing their artistic talents.
Jello Fish Bowls
Dive into an underwater adventure with Jello fish bowls! Children can layer colorful Jello in clear cups to create mesmerizing ocean scenes, complete with gummy fish and underwater creatures, stimulating their imagination and sensory exploration as they craft their own edible aquariums.
DIY Taste-Safe Paint
Encourage artistic expression and sensory play with DIY taste-safe paint! Made from simple kitchen ingredients like yogurt, flour, and food coloring, children can create their own edible paint palette, exploring colors, textures, and tastes as they brush, swirl, and splatter their way to masterpieces.
Play-Doh Activities for Kids
Slow Cooker Play-Dough Recipe
Dive into a world of sensory exploration with homemade playdough cooked up right in your slow cooker! This simple recipe combines pantry staples like flour, salt, and water to create a soft, moldable dough that’s perfect for sculpting, shaping, and sensory play.
With endless possibilities for creativity and exploration, children can squish, squeeze, and sculpt their way to imaginative adventures.
Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag
Chill out with a cool and creamy sensory experience as you whip up homemade ice cream right in a bag! This hands-on activity combines simple ingredients like milk, sugar, and vanilla in a sealed bag filled with ice and salt, creating a chilly concoction that’s as fun to make as it is delicious to eat.
With a shake and a shimmy, children can watch as their liquid ingredients magically transform into creamy ice cream, stimulating their senses and tantalizing their taste buds.
Edible Play-Dough
Take sensory play to the next level with edible playdough that’s as fun to taste as it is to touch! Made from simple ingredients like marshmallows and powdered sugar, this soft and stretchy dough offers a tasty twist on traditional playdough, encouraging children to explore texture, taste, and creativity as they mold, shape, and sculpt their way to imaginative adventures.
2 Ingredient Cloud Dough
Create a fluffy, cloud-like sensory experience with just two simple ingredients – flour and baby oil! This soft and silky dough offers a unique sensory experience that’s perfect for squishing, squeezing, and shaping, stimulating children’s senses and fostering imaginative play.
With its irresistible texture and endless possibilities for exploration, cloud dough is sure to become a favorite sensory activity.
How to Colour Moon Dough
Add a pop of color to your sensory play with vibrant moon dough that’s easy to customize and create! This simple tutorial teaches you how to dye moon dough using food coloring, allowing children to explore color mixing and creativity as they blend and swirl their way to colorful creations.
With its soft, moldable texture and vibrant hues, colored moon dough offers a sensory-rich experience that’s perfect for imaginative play and artistic expression.
Upcycle Ideas for Kids
Upcycle Kids Clothes to Make Tote Bags and Purses
Give old clothes a new lease on life by upcycling them into trendy tote bags and stylish purses! This eco-friendly project repurposes outgrown or worn-out garments into fashionable accessories that are perfect for carrying books, toys, or essentials.
With a few simple sewing techniques and a creative eye, children can turn their old favorites into functional fashion statements.
Upcycle Junk Mail
Say goodbye to clutter and hello to creativity with this clever upcycling project that transforms junk mail into beautiful works of art! Instead of tossing unwanted mail into the trash, repurpose it into colorful collages, intricate paper sculptures, or unique greeting cards.
With a pair of scissors and a dash of imagination, children can turn ordinary paper into extraordinary masterpieces, reducing waste and unleashing their creativity in the process.
Cheerios and Pipe Cleaner Bird Feeder
Help feathered friends feast in style with this charming bird feeder made from Cheerios and pipe cleaners! This simple and sustainable project repurposes household items into a delightful bird-friendly treat, encouraging children to connect with nature and care for their feathered neighbors.
With just a few materials and a sprinkle of birdseed, kids can create a colorful and whimsical feeder that brings joy to both birds and birdwatchers alike.
DIY Rope Basket
Organize in style with this rustic rope basket that’s perfect for storing toys, blankets, or accessories! Made from coiled cotton rope and a touch of creativity, this DIY project adds a handmade touch to any room while reducing waste and repurposing materials.
With its sturdy construction and customizable design, children can create a one-of-a-kind basket that’s both functional and fashionable.
DIY Trash to Treasure Tray
Turn trash into treasure with this upcycled tray made from everyday household items! This eco-friendly project repurposes cardboard boxes, newspaper, and decorative paper into a stylish serving tray that’s perfect for entertaining or everyday use.
With a little creativity and a touch of DIY magic, children can transform ordinary materials into a practical and personalized treasure that adds flair to any home.
DIY Desk Organizer
Keep clutter at bay with this DIY desk organizer made from recycled materials! This eco-conscious project repurposes cardboard tubes, cereal boxes, and decorative paper into a functional organizer that tidies up desks and workspaces.
With compartments for pens, pencils, and supplies, children can stay organized while reducing waste and unleashing their creativity through upcycling.
DIY Activities to Keep Kids Busy
Chick and Bunny Clay Pots
Bring a touch of whimsy to your garden or home decor with these charming clay pot creations! Transform ordinary terracotta pots into adorable chicks and bunnies with a splash of paint and a few crafty details.
Perfect for Easter or springtime festivities, these playful characters add a pop of color and personality to any space.
DIY Patriotic Sign
Show off your patriotic spirit with this festive DIY sign that celebrates the red, white, and blue! Whether you’re hosting a Fourth of July barbecue or simply want to add a touch of Americana to your home decor, this easy-to-make sign is the perfect way to express your love for the land of the free.
With bold colors and star-spangled accents, this handmade masterpiece is sure to spark joy and pride.
DIY Photo Canvas Keepsake
Preserve cherished memories with this heartfelt DIY project that transforms favorite photos into stunning canvas keepsakes! Whether it’s a family portrait, vacation snapshot, or special moment captured in time, this personalized craft allows you to turn beloved photos into works of art that can be proudly displayed in your home.
With a few simple supplies and a touch of creativity, you can create a meaningful masterpiece that celebrates the moments that matter most.
DIY Pocket Fan
Beat the heat in style with this portable pocket fan that’s perfect for staying cool on the go! Made from colorful paper and craft sticks, this easy-to-make fan is a fun and functional accessory for hot summer days.
Whether you’re lounging by the pool or exploring the great outdoors, this DIY fan provides a refreshing breeze whenever you need it most.
DIY Flower Crayons and Spring Printable Coloring Page
Embrace the beauty of springtime with this delightful craft project that combines colorful crayons and printable coloring pages! Transform broken crayon bits into blooming flower shapes that add a pop of color to any artwork.
Paired with a spring-themed coloring page, this creative activity is a fun way to celebrate the season and let your imagination blossom.
More Activities to Keep Kids Busy
Looking for more Fun Activities to Keep Kids Busy? Check out these ideas.
Get Joy Back to the Console Printable Game
15 Road Trip Activities for Kids with Free Printables
12 Fall Crafts for Kids of All Ages
Fall Bucket List for the Whole Family
33 Birthday Party Activities for Teenagers
About Thirty Something Super Mom
My journey started after a Crohn's disease diagnosis, inspiring a commitment to well-being. This site shares my distinctive approach to healthy living with my collection of nutritious recipes that boast authentic flavors, mimicking the indulgence of traditional dishes. I love sharing guilt free recipes for low carb, keto, gluten-free, paleo, and the specific carbohydrate diet. I also share tips on natural living, including homemade cleaners and cleaning hacks. I also share my experience as a veterinary technician and pet groomer, to integrate pet health tips, homemade dog food recipes, and grooming insights to ensure your pets thrive.
dailymomtivity
Tuesday 24th of March 2020
So many awesome ideas! I love your list. Thanks for sharing my baking soda & vinegar activity!
Melissa
Monday 30th of March 2020
Thanks for stopping by and for letting me share this awesome activity!