Is there such a thing as keeping your kids too busy?
While there may be a movement towards “embracing unbusy-ness,” that doesn’t have you if you’re working from home or have to do chores while looking after little ones.
Finding ways to entertain your children while you do other things can be a lifesaver. At other times, you can join in on the fun and play together as a family.
Either way, if you’re stuck for ideas, read on. We’ve created a quick list of entertaining children’s activities to inspire you.
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1. Get Bubbly
One super easy way to entertain kids (and get them outside) on a sunny day is with bubble play.
Grab an old plastic bottle and gently mix two-and-a-half cups of water with half a cup of dishwashing liquid. Next, use pipe cleaners to craft frames that resemble a lollipop—but with a space in the middle of the oval.
Head outside and give each child a pipe cleaner lollipop. Tell them to dip it into the soap mixture and blow hard. The result? Bubbles of all shapes and sizes!
2. Cultivate a Green Thumb
Few things are more exciting for kids than getting their hands in some dirt. And there are few things more useful to us adults than knowing how to grow our own food. Why not combine these two passions and start a garden with your kids?
Clear a patch in the backyard, grab some seeds and a watering can, and get planting. Children can’t use regular gardening tools, but you can buy them some garden toys for kids.
3. Make Them Your Little Helpers
Did you know there’s something that will engage your kids even more than fun toys fresh from Walmart? Believe it or not, children love being mom or dad’s little helper.
Whether folding the laundry or washing the car, getting the kids involved will keep them entertained for hours. Give them an “important task” (like making sure all the socks match) and watch them tackle it with pride.
4. Run a Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt—it’s classic kid entertainment.
How it works is you define an area—say, your backyard—and provide the kids with a list of items they need to find. They can use a phone to take a photo or collect the physical object and bring it back to a pre-designated base camp.
The first child or team to find all items on the list wins!
If you don’t want to create a list of items to “hunt” yourself, tons of lists are available for download from the internet.
Entertain Your Children With These Fun Activities
Whether you’re craving a bit of a sleep-in on a Sunday or looking after your sister’s kids, you need to find something for the little ones to do. Otherwise, they’re going to run riot!
It’s not hard to entertain your children if you tap into your creative side. All you really need is a big backyard and a picnic blanket or a bunch of pillows and blankets—pillow fort, anyone?
For more carefree childcare tips, browse the other articles on our blog.
