The times we are going through are unprecedented, scary and overwhelming. They are also an opportunity to spend more quality time than ever before with our kids. But, how to entertain your kids at home? That’s the million-dollar question! Hopefully this guide will give you some useful, inexpensive and fun ideas to entertain children for the weeks and months to come. 

Outdoor activity ideas for kids

A Garden camp – activity ideas for kids who want to sleep under the stars

• Dig out the tent or buy one – have an adventure to the loft/garage or let them help pick out their new outdoor bedroom. 
• Help older kids to set the tent up but let them try themselves first. It’s an engineering and problem-solving challenge.
• Cook dinner on a primus stove with them but make sure they are supervised. You don’t want to set fire to your garden! 
• Let them sleep out as often as they want to. If the garden is private and safe, and the kids are old enough, they can be left out by themselves. 

Invest in a basic tent for close to home fun. Available here.

Gardening

• Let them create an area of the garden just for them by choosing plants in the colours they love.
• Plan and plant a veg patch and fruit trees. Which of their favourite foods could they try and grow?
• Let your babes help you with the weeding and the pruning. They will get lots of satisfaction from a job well done 

Can’t get hold of seeds or plants? Use cuttings from existing plants in the garden or the pips from apples. 

This is a very ‘grown up’ looking children’s gardening set which kids will love.

Star gazing in the garden on a clear night. 

This is a fantastic way to teach your child about astronomy, physics and the joy and peace of the night sky. Help them draw a map of the stars, search for the Space Station and marvel at how teeny tiny we really all are. 

Physical activity ideas for kids

Physical activity for kids is super important for the health of both the body and mind. This is a wonderful chance to start exercise habits that will hopefully last a lifetime. 

Family Sports Day

Sadly, it’s highly likely that your children won’t have a Sports Day to enjoy this year. Re-create the crazy fun of the day in your garden. Here are some classic races to try:

• Eggs and spoon (Or tennis ball and spade?)
• Sprints 
• Sack races for toddlers (with pillowcases!) 
• Hurdles (Or cushion jumping?)
• Bleep test (Use mini cones)  
• Finish off the day with high energy games to entertain kids and tire them out. 

If you don’t have the kit at home invest in one of these mega packs, it will be fab for future summer days or birthday parties too.

P.E with Joe Wickes

This is one of the very best free activity ideas for kids. You just need internet access and a screen. Available on Joe Wickes’ YouTube channel every weekday at 9.30am. Joe is enthusiastic, inclusive and inspiring. You’ll enjoy getting involved every morning too! 

Circuit classes

A mini gym class with kit to be completed every day or every other day. Parents and carers MUST join in! 

It will help with:

• Routine 
• Expending all that pent-up energy 
• Keeping them healthy
• Family bonding time

This is a great website with lots of ideas for a children’s circuit using ‘equipment’ you’ll already have at home. Click here to be inspired. 

These co-ordination boosting and super fun kits would make a great circuit station for younger children.

How to entertain children on a rainy day

Film Festival 

Entertain kids indoors with a movie marathon when it’s raining outside. Here’s our top tips on how to make the fun last all day. 

• Choose a movie together. Everyone gets one choice and must make a small speech as to why they think their film should win. Vote!
• Make the snacks. Plain popcorn with their favourite toppings is a good plan. Melted marshmallows, drizzled honey and raspberries has always been loved in our house.
• Dress up for the occasion. Posh dresses and sparkle for the girls and a tie and hat for the boys. Put on a little fashion show as though you’re attending a glamourous premiere.  
• Get lots of cushions and blankets on the sofa and snuggle. This is one of the great tricks to entertain kids that allows you to chill out too. 

Create a photo diary

Encourage your kids to notice and think about all the happy, funny and kind moments from each week. Entertain the kids while keeping them positive and grateful for all the lovely moments in an unsettling time. 

• Use a cheap digital camera. 
• Dig out an old phone and use the camera on that. 
• Make or buy a beautiful photo album. 

This camera is amazing value and the kids will love that it’s a ‘grown up’ piece of equipment rather than something pink and plastic. Buy here

Make a den

It’s a classic way to entertain children, pure old-fashioned fun using clothes horses and old sheet. Things to entertain kids needn’t be expensive, all you need is a clothes horse or two and double or king-size bed sheets. 

Educational activity ideas for kids

Educational activity ideas for kids are EVERYWHERE. If you think about it all activities will have a learning moment, you just need to point them out. 

Cooking and baking

Good messy fun with a delicious result at the end. They are always high on the list for most parents wondering how to entertain young children but here’s how you can use cooking and baking as an educational task too. 

• Maths – get them to add up how grams is in each recipe or how many eggs will go into each portion of the cake. 
• Weighing and measuring.
• Literacy – reading the recipe, writing ‘Cooks Notes’ for next time and a ‘Review’ of the food after it’s been devoured. 
• Science – explain heat and conductivity. 

This is a simply gorgeous gift to cheer up and encourage the next generation of Master Chefs. Purchase here. 

Science experiments 

How to entertain kids who love science? Google or check Pinterest for safe scientific experiments to do in your kitchen.  

Science toys like this comprehensive ‘Circuit Kit’ are also an awesome idea, especially for today’s tech savvy children. My two adored their version of this when they were younger. Buy one here. 

Write a book and illustrate it

Entertain kids at home with by unleashing their creativity and imagination. You will also combine literacy, reading and art into one absorbing task. 

• Let them research the kind of story they would write on the internet and ask them to ‘take notes’ on what they discover. 
• Discuss how a book works. Setting the scene, characterisation and splitting the story into chapters. 
• Buy a proper book with a hard back that can be decorated so that their book feels special when it’s done. 

 This hard-back notebook is perfect for your future Booker Prize Winner. Purchase here. 

Easter activity ideas for kids

Here’s a quick guide how to entertain children at home so that they still get to do some of the Easter and springtime activities that they would have enjoyed at school.  

• Egg decorating competition – using boiled eggs, felt tips, paint, glitter and coloured card. 
• Easter bonnet competition – entertain your children with a time-honoured tradition. Use straw hats or a crown made from card, flowers from the garden, feathers and anything else you can find in the craft drawer. 
• Make cute spring creatures from all kinds of home sourced equipment – chicks and bunnies are the easiest to do, this amazing website will inspire you, click here. 

Art and craft activity ideas for kids

One of the best ways to entertain kids at home is to set up a different craft table every day. These fun activity ideas for kids would usually be a nightmare for parents but this is a time that we all need to remember, if they are occupied and quiet, the mess is worth it!

• Play Doh – I know, I hate it too! 
• Painting – create a giant frieze painting on a large roll of paper, ideal for the garden
• Glitter and glue art – glitter tattoos are a lovely idea right now as they won’t get into trouble at school.  
• Colouring in – you can buy some amazing colouring books now. This is especially good way to entertain kids and chill them out at the same time. This is a lovely one for older kids. Click here to buy.

The importance of relaxation and golden time

Remember! Finding things to entertain kids at home is important, but so is downtime for you and them. 

• We’re going to be searching for fun games to entertain the kids for many weeks. Don’t use up all your ideas straight away. 
• One ‘activity’ a day is perfect, especially as we have having to be teachers too! Have a read of our article: Tips to homeschool your kids for ideas and advice on how to maintain your children’s education. 
• Parents are constantly asking themselves: ‘Arrggh!! How to entertain children over a number of weeks!?’ Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, your young ones don’t have to be ‘doing’ all day and every day.
• Let your children just be. Golden time is an intrinsic part of the school day so follow their lead. Create a comfy chill-out space for reading, iPad time, naps and watching a TV programme.