101 Ways to Entertain Kids at Home During the Holidays
Here are some great ideas to keep your kids busy all summer long
Susan Redman
22 December 2016
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff; writer, author, dreamer.
During the school summer break, many kids go on family holidays or do activities away from home – such as at the beach, the local pool or at the park – but between excursions there is usually plenty of time spent at home. With this in mind, I asked readers if they had experienced managing children indoors or in the backyard during school holidays in a recent discussion. Houzzers shared their ideas for both younger or older kids, and some of these I’ve added to my own extensive list. Try some of these on for size this summer or perhaps you could add to your own favourite school holiday activity at home to the comments below.
1. Skill kids up for the soccer season
2. Have tots toss a ball in a bucket. Throw different sized balls, awarding points for buckets further away
3. Fold paper airplanes and fly them outside
4. Make paper bag and sock puppets then put on a shadow play at night
2. Have tots toss a ball in a bucket. Throw different sized balls, awarding points for buckets further away
3. Fold paper airplanes and fly them outside
4. Make paper bag and sock puppets then put on a shadow play at night
5. Get your youngster to read The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit to pet bunnies
6. Meditate with your children. See how long they can go without giggling
7. Dress up little ones in mum and dad’s clothes and take some snaps
8. Cut paper doll chains from a template your child draws, or make paper pom-poms
6. Meditate with your children. See how long they can go without giggling
7. Dress up little ones in mum and dad’s clothes and take some snaps
8. Cut paper doll chains from a template your child draws, or make paper pom-poms
9. Help pitch a tent in your yard and send kids out with a packed lunch for the day’s campout
10. Create a David Attenborough-style jungle safari video: lead a trek through your garden beds looking for new species of insect or bird
11. If friends are around, suggest your child challenges them to a marble tournament
12. Host a tea party in the garden, says Sally Hart from Clever Closet Company
10. Create a David Attenborough-style jungle safari video: lead a trek through your garden beds looking for new species of insect or bird
11. If friends are around, suggest your child challenges them to a marble tournament
12. Host a tea party in the garden, says Sally Hart from Clever Closet Company
13. Play hide and seek indoors and out
14. Build a tunnel maze out of cardboard boxes and gaffer tape; make it fill the room
15. Fabricate big cars out of a cardboard boxes. Texta-colour the front, back and sides of the car and strap it over your child’s shoulders
16. Teach origami to ages eight and up, then string up your creations onto a small branch and hang as a mobile
14. Build a tunnel maze out of cardboard boxes and gaffer tape; make it fill the room
15. Fabricate big cars out of a cardboard boxes. Texta-colour the front, back and sides of the car and strap it over your child’s shoulders
16. Teach origami to ages eight and up, then string up your creations onto a small branch and hang as a mobile
17. Create a relay race or obstacle course out in the garden or, if it’s too hot or raining, bring it indoors
18. Sit in a circle and tell ghost stories
19. Produce a movie about your family’s quirky side, then watch it
20. Make little pizzas for lunch using pocket bread or English muffins
18. Sit in a circle and tell ghost stories
19. Produce a movie about your family’s quirky side, then watch it
20. Make little pizzas for lunch using pocket bread or English muffins
21. Take your toddlers on a nature walk. Point out different types of trees and plants
22. Get older kids to create a garden treasure hunt with easy clues for any younger ones
23. Let littlies use your makeup to give you a makeover!
24. Recite nursery rhymes together
22. Get older kids to create a garden treasure hunt with easy clues for any younger ones
23. Let littlies use your makeup to give you a makeover!
24. Recite nursery rhymes together
25. Harvest food from a vegie patch if you have one, or prepare a plot for later use
26. Do you have a sandpit? Challenge your tribe – the best castle in one hour wins something scrumptious
27. Tend your garden with your child and teach them how to plant seedlings
26. Do you have a sandpit? Challenge your tribe – the best castle in one hour wins something scrumptious
27. Tend your garden with your child and teach them how to plant seedlings
28. For older kids with a pool, stage a lilo boat race
29. Smear thick hair putty to your child’s eyebrows and cover them in glitter
30. Cook a meal that everyone agrees on and get the whole family to help prepare it
31. Race marbles down the hole of a swimming pool water noodle
29. Smear thick hair putty to your child’s eyebrows and cover them in glitter
30. Cook a meal that everyone agrees on and get the whole family to help prepare it
31. Race marbles down the hole of a swimming pool water noodle
32. Choose a favourite story and act it out. When finished, kiss the star of the show
33. Host a tea party and invite friends or favourite teddies and dolls
34. Cut queen or king crowns out of stiff felt from a craft shop and glue on plastic jewels. Wear in all day
More imaginative playroom ideas
33. Host a tea party and invite friends or favourite teddies and dolls
34. Cut queen or king crowns out of stiff felt from a craft shop and glue on plastic jewels. Wear in all day
More imaginative playroom ideas
35. Teach the dog a new trick
36. Follow an ant around the yard and see what ants really do all day
37. Little ones will love making a toilet paper trail. Give them each a roll and have them make a path all around the house, then follow it to find them
36. Follow an ant around the yard and see what ants really do all day
37. Little ones will love making a toilet paper trail. Give them each a roll and have them make a path all around the house, then follow it to find them
38. Set up an old train set using all the pieces of track you have
39. Construct a fortress out of blankets. Use sofas, cushions, chairs and bulldog clips to hold up the blankets
40. Create a car track all around the house with masking tape, then take favourite toy cars for a drive
More ideas for boys’ bedrooms
39. Construct a fortress out of blankets. Use sofas, cushions, chairs and bulldog clips to hold up the blankets
40. Create a car track all around the house with masking tape, then take favourite toy cars for a drive
More ideas for boys’ bedrooms
41. In summer, kids love to get wet. Let them run through a sprinkler, even if clothed!
42. Fill up a little kiddie pool with warm water and let them play for hours
43. Prepare a bubble bath for tiny tots. Don’t forget to blow lots of bubbles
Are your children missing out on child’s play?
42. Fill up a little kiddie pool with warm water and let them play for hours
43. Prepare a bubble bath for tiny tots. Don’t forget to blow lots of bubbles
Are your children missing out on child’s play?
44. Learn a new song and sing it at the top of your voice
45. Fashion a super hero costume out of used, but clean, household items
46. Rearrange the furniture in your child’s room, together
47. Write a story for your child that he or she dictates, then get them to illustrate it
48. Take silly pictures and text them to mum or dad at work
45. Fashion a super hero costume out of used, but clean, household items
46. Rearrange the furniture in your child’s room, together
47. Write a story for your child that he or she dictates, then get them to illustrate it
48. Take silly pictures and text them to mum or dad at work
49. Put kids on duty. Give them a fun chore to do at home, such as washing the windows or car, for pocket money
50. Teach older children to knit, sew or crochet
51. Do a blind taste test of some fun flavours
52. Research how to build a simple sundial outdoors
53. Lay arts and crafts out on the backyard table, says chookchook2
50. Teach older children to knit, sew or crochet
51. Do a blind taste test of some fun flavours
52. Research how to build a simple sundial outdoors
53. Lay arts and crafts out on the backyard table, says chookchook2
54. Create life-sized portraits by getting children to trace around each other as they lay on big sheets of paper. Then fill in the details
55. Get younger kids to create a dot-to-dot for older siblings to fill in, or vice versa
56. Press wild or garden flowers in old books
57. Make an advent calendar for Christmas or a countdown calendar for an upcoming holiday like Australia Day
55. Get younger kids to create a dot-to-dot for older siblings to fill in, or vice versa
56. Press wild or garden flowers in old books
57. Make an advent calendar for Christmas or a countdown calendar for an upcoming holiday like Australia Day
58. Prepare a Christmas pudding or holiday cake, mixing ingredients with washed hands (to be licked clean later)
59. Make ice blocks for the summer in pretty colours by blending, then freezing, yoghurt and mashed berries
60. Look at grandparents’ photo albums together
61. Draw a family tree on a large piece of paper and hang it up in the living room
62. Bake something sweet and/or chocolatey, says Tony Been
59. Make ice blocks for the summer in pretty colours by blending, then freezing, yoghurt and mashed berries
60. Look at grandparents’ photo albums together
61. Draw a family tree on a large piece of paper and hang it up in the living room
62. Bake something sweet and/or chocolatey, says Tony Been
63. Create a special artwork for your favourite family relative
64. Make potato-print Christmas cards or fun holiday postcards
65. Get children who can read to create an alphabet scrapbook for their younger siblings – stick in pictures for each letter from A-Z
66. Fashion a necklace with colourful beads or even edible cereal shapes
64. Make potato-print Christmas cards or fun holiday postcards
65. Get children who can read to create an alphabet scrapbook for their younger siblings – stick in pictures for each letter from A-Z
66. Fashion a necklace with colourful beads or even edible cereal shapes
67. Play a classic board game, or create and cutout a child designed puzzle, no matter how simple or convoluted
68. Try indoor bowling. Stack up coloured wooden blocks, then try to bowl them over with a soft toy ball
69. Be a check-out chick. Gather tinned and dry goods from the pantry and go grocery shopping. Kids can learn to add and subtract at the same time
68. Try indoor bowling. Stack up coloured wooden blocks, then try to bowl them over with a soft toy ball
69. Be a check-out chick. Gather tinned and dry goods from the pantry and go grocery shopping. Kids can learn to add and subtract at the same time
70. Chalk up a cement path with a hopscotch or, if it’s wet outside, make an indoor one with masking tape on the floor
71. Fill a time capsule of your child’s (non-essential) favourite things and open it at the end of the holidays
72. Collect rocks and stones and make rock spirals in the garden
73. Select one rock to be a pet rock and paint a face on it
71. Fill a time capsule of your child’s (non-essential) favourite things and open it at the end of the holidays
72. Collect rocks and stones and make rock spirals in the garden
73. Select one rock to be a pet rock and paint a face on it
74. Play favourite old records or music and dance with your children
75. Hold a school friends’ Eurovision Song Contest
76. Get out some maps and plan a family vacation – with the whole family!
77. Mix your own playdough, then use rolling pins and cookie cutters to make some fun shapes
75. Hold a school friends’ Eurovision Song Contest
76. Get out some maps and plan a family vacation – with the whole family!
77. Mix your own playdough, then use rolling pins and cookie cutters to make some fun shapes
78. Build a doll’s house with a friend
79. Make plans and invitations for your Christmas lunch, New Years’ Eve or Australia Day celebrations
80. Make your own matching game, draw pairs of animals on cards and turn them face down
81. Fashion silver foil decorations to hang outside from trees, by covering card with aluminium foil – the crinklier the better as they will catch the light and ‘twinkle’.
Christmas DIY: Make a starry night metal wreath
79. Make plans and invitations for your Christmas lunch, New Years’ Eve or Australia Day celebrations
80. Make your own matching game, draw pairs of animals on cards and turn them face down
81. Fashion silver foil decorations to hang outside from trees, by covering card with aluminium foil – the crinklier the better as they will catch the light and ‘twinkle’.
Christmas DIY: Make a starry night metal wreath
82. It’s karaoke time! Need I say more?
83. Choose a colour, then dress up only in clothing of that colour for a whole week
84. What seems to be the matter then? Play doctor and discover unusual illness and cures
85. Opposite day: role play being at school – have the child be the teacher and the parent or carer the student
86. Paint the toenails of everyone in the family
83. Choose a colour, then dress up only in clothing of that colour for a whole week
84. What seems to be the matter then? Play doctor and discover unusual illness and cures
85. Opposite day: role play being at school – have the child be the teacher and the parent or carer the student
86. Paint the toenails of everyone in the family
87. Engage in an epic water gun battle (in the yard, not the house)
88. Make lollies bags and share them around
89. Mummy wrap. Kids will love working together to wrap you, or another child, up in toilet paper
90. Teach kids some yoga or thai chi moves. If you don’t know any, just make them up as you go along – kids won’t know
91. Send the kids outside with the hose: “A good couple of hours peace,” says bigreader
88. Make lollies bags and share them around
89. Mummy wrap. Kids will love working together to wrap you, or another child, up in toilet paper
90. Teach kids some yoga or thai chi moves. If you don’t know any, just make them up as you go along – kids won’t know
91. Send the kids outside with the hose: “A good couple of hours peace,” says bigreader
92. Turn your bedroom into a jungle gym
93. Pillow mountain. Pile all the pillows in your house and jump onto them.
94. Play with magnets
95. Race matchbox cars down a hallway or staircase, securing the track to the back of a kitchen chair, or just rev them up with your hand and let go…
96. Strap pillows to children and adjudicate a sumo wrestling match
97. Build a fort
93. Pillow mountain. Pile all the pillows in your house and jump onto them.
94. Play with magnets
95. Race matchbox cars down a hallway or staircase, securing the track to the back of a kitchen chair, or just rev them up with your hand and let go…
96. Strap pillows to children and adjudicate a sumo wrestling match
97. Build a fort
98. Paint a wall, or half a wall, in blackboard paint and let kids doodle all over it, says Bernadette Brandes
99. Ask a child to explain how to draw some thing simple like a house, a cat or snowman – could take a while!
99. Ask a child to explain how to draw some thing simple like a house, a cat or snowman – could take a while!
100. Make a fairy garden, suggests Emily Hutchinson: “Mum would get a flat planter box and we would get grass clippings, flowers, pebbles or whatever else we could find around the garden and make a fairy oasis, hoping they would pay it a visit”
101. Swap houses with a friend: “When I was a kid, my favourite thing to do in holidays was stay at my cousin’s house and then she’d stay at mine. We’d pack suitcases and treat it like we were going on a real holiday,” says Olivia Kwarda Tuivaga
101. Swap houses with a friend: “When I was a kid, my favourite thing to do in holidays was stay at my cousin’s house and then she’d stay at mine. We’d pack suitcases and treat it like we were going on a real holiday,” says Olivia Kwarda Tuivaga
TELL US
What is your favourite way to encourage kids to play during the summer school holidays? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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What is your favourite way to encourage kids to play during the summer school holidays? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
MORE
Rainy Day Kids’ Activities to Save Your Sanity
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