As a mom, one of my biggest pet peeves is for one of my kids to say, “I’m bored… there’s NOTHING to do. Can I watch a movie?” Whew! I look around and see all their toys, books, art supplies, and think – how in the world can you be bored when you are surrounded by awesomeness. LOL. There is ALWAYS something to do besides watching TV, but sometimes it takes a little creativity and direction to get our kids on the right path. Today we partnered up with Leisure Time Products™ to bring you over 100 creative kids activities that don’t include that darn TV!
This amazingly fun list of fantastic activities is just what the doctor ordered so you won’t have to hear about the TV any longer! Yay!!! Below you will find…
28 Arts & Crafts Activities for kids 14 Fun Indoor Games for kids 34 Outdoor Activities for kids 15 Outings to go on with Your kids 10 Miscellaneous Activities to do with your Kids
Don’t those all just sound awesome?! But before we jump in to ALL of that activity awesomeness, we just HAVE to share with you our absolute FAVORITE {and probably one of the easiest!} ways to get those kids playing and using their imaginations… an OUTDOOR SWING SET!
The Oceanview Wooden Swing Set from Leisure Time Products™ is SUCH an incredible swing set! Kiddos can play on this puppy for hours and hours, and never run out of things to do! Aside from the long list of amazing features {which we’ll get to in ONE second!}, your children’s imaginations alone will keep them playing all day long! Say goodbye to video games, iPads, and cartoons! In fact, your electronic devices will not only be must less interesting but your house will stay WAY cleaner! Throw those kiddos outside and let them explore the great outdoors! Okay, so let’s get into these awesome features, shall we? Quite possible our FAVORITE feature is the adorable hammock hung at the bottom beneath the play house:
Our other favorite feature is the awesome staircase in front leading up to the play house! I don’t know how many times I have to wriggle and squish myself into other playgrounds with my kids, but with this staircase, I can easily head up with them! It’s great for little kids, too!
There’s an adorable playhouse at the top with the CUTEST curtains:
A 10′ wave slide:
And another one of our favorite features is the measuring board on the back {that the kiddos LOVE to play with!}:
And the list goes on and on of all the incredible features of the Oceanview Wooden Swing Set, like: -pre-cut, pre-drilled, pre-stained beautiful wood -detailed instruction manual to help with installation -Safe-T-Fuse Hardware that’s safe for the little kiddos to be around Now, let’s get on to that list of over 100 MORE ideas to do with your kiddos besides watching TV… first up…. 28 Arts & Crafts Activities for kids Here you will find the best of the best arts & crafts for kids of all ages or gender.
2- Playdough Mats by Sing A Story via The Dating Divas: Use these fun playdough mats to keep your kiddos entertained for hours! 3- Coloring Pages by Sing A Story via The Dating Divas: All of my kids love to color but they sometimes get tired of the coloring books I have at home. Use these pages to mix it up a bit and keep their love of coloring alive. 4- Activity Cards by Sing A Story via The Dating Divas: These cards will keep your kiddos busy with both music and a fun activity to do. The variety is great! 5- Paper Dolls by Deviant Art: These are adorable retro Disney princess paper dolls that you can cut out and play with your kids. So much fun! 6- Learn to Sew by Minted: Sewing is such a useful skill to have as an adult. Teach your kids this great skill with these fun and easy cards, some blunt needles and some embroidery floss. 7- Learn how to use a Sewing Machine by Skip to my Lou: Using a sewing machine can be super easy with practice. These fun sewing activities are a great way to start learning how to sew on a machine.
8- Animal Masks by Live Over C’s: Turn your house into a farm and your kids into farm animals with these fun animal masks. 9- Superhero Masks by Oh My Fiesta: Every kid wants to be a superhero. Turn that dream into ‘reality’ with these great masks. Even if you don’t speak Spanish (like me!) this idea is great and usable! 10- Superhero Capes by Jolly Mom: Use these capes to turn your kiddos into superheroes for the day! 11- Make Placemats by The Dating Divas: Dinner time can be a bit hectic make it easier with these placemats. Once your kids have picked out and made their own placemats dinner time will be a breeze – and as a bonus your table will be much cleaner. 12- Kids Play Makeup by Smart School House: If your little girl bugs you to let her wear your make up then this is a perfect solution. Create your own homemade make up and let her play at her heart’s desire. 13- Finger Puppets by Lia Griffith: Puppets are always a kids favorite. Create these finger puppet and keep your kids busy all day long. 14- Paper bag Puppets by Simple Everyday Mom: Paper bags have many uses. Let your kids create some fantastic puppets out of them, write a puppet show, and they can be creative all day long. The original idea we had here no longer exists, so we found another option for you!
15- Make Bookmarks by Lia Griffith: Reading is a great activity no matter what time of year it is. Make their reading time so more exciting by letting them create their own bookmarks to go in their favorite books. 16- Cardboard Box Fun by BuzzFeed: Honestly, finding an awesome way to use a cardboard box that will not only get rid of the extra box that I, for one, never know what to do with, but also get your kids’ creative juices flowing and allow them to make something amazing out of the box is just fantastic! Let your kids’ imaginations soar and design a fun camper or some other amazing creation that will let your kids have some awesome fun over and over. 17- Coloring Box by Tales of a Teacher Mom: I never know what to do with my leftover card board boxes. This is a perfect solution to keep your child busy and find an awesome solution for what to do with your leftover cardboard boxes. Fun summer activity huh? The original idea we had here no longer exists, so we found another option for you! 18- Rock Candy Experiment by Growing a Jeweled Rose: Rock candy is a favorite of my kids. With this fun experiment they will get the benefit of learning something new as well as having a fun result at the end! 19- Lava Lamp by Growing a Jeweled Rose: Lava lamps are mesmerizing but can be super expensive. Help your children make their own lava lamps and not only will they learn something awesome but you will save some money in the process. You can’t beat that! 20- Galaxy Slime or Ocean Swirl Slime by Two Daloo: These fun activities open the door to endless possibilities. Once you make the slime you can have your kids just play with the slime, create an ocean scene with animals and sea creatures alike for some ocean fun, or go on a space adventure and travel through the Galaxy and see what fun adventures you come across. Whatever you choose your kids will have a blast doing this great activity. 21- Tissue Paper Fish Bowl Lantern by Juggling with Kids: Turn an ordinary fish bowl into a fun craft project and a DIY lantern for your kids.
22- Flubber by Live Craft Eat: This is a fun spin on your regular play dough. Create some palpable hands-on fun for your kids to enjoy all day long. 23- Rainbow Soap Bubbles by Fun at Home With Kids: Bubbles are entertaining for kids of all ages, as well as adults. You never grow out of how much fun bubbles can be. Turn this fun toy into art with color and other fun ingredients. This will be a for sure hit. 24- Water Marbles by Just Another Day in Paradise: These fun balls can be like magic to your kids. All you have to do is buy these fun balls, put them in water, wait 4-6 hours, and viola – magic balls appear. They really are amazing and your kids will love them. 25- Pirate Ship by Red Ted Art: Boys and girls alike love pirates. Make this ship and help your kids’ dreams come to life as they become real-life pirates. 26- Make a Jump Rope From Marker Lids by Mama’s Little Muse: Markers have multiple uses…take the lids of the markers and turn them into a favorite kid’s toy. What’s great is that you not only help your kids make and awesome kid’s craft, but they get great exercise by using the toy! 27- Frozen Sidewalk Chalk by Reading Confetti: Sidewalk chalk is always a favorite at my house, but when it gets hot outside, my kids no longer have the patience to sit outside and use the chalk. This FROZEN sidewalk chalk will be a perfect solution! The coolness of the chalk and a durable popsicle mold like this will help your kids bear the heat, and they still get to be creative with their drawings. You just have to make sure they don’t EAT the yummy looking chalk! 28- Hand and Foot Print Lobsters by Snails and Puppy Dog Tails: With this craft you not only get to document your kids’ hand and feet size, you get some cute art out of it too! So much fun. 14 Fun Indoor Games for kids Play these great games with your kiddos to keep the boredom at bay!
29- DIY Pretend Doctor by Sister’s Suitcase: Playing doctor can be a super fun game – and one that I think can help your kids get over their fear of going to the doctor. This game can be extra fun by making the kit yourself with materials around your house. Awesome! 30- Math Games with Uno and Dice by Childhood 101: If you are in school or not, learning can be lots of fun. Help your kids learn to love math with this fun math game using just a deck of Uno cards. 31- Card Holder by In Light of the Truth: Sometimes the hardest thing for my little ones when playing card games is not having the dexterity to hold the cards in place. Let this fun holder do all the work for them so their minds can focus on the game at hand. 32- Math Games for Numbers 1-20 by Life Over C’s: Solidifying numbers and their quantities can sometimes be a bit difficult for children. Use these fun math activities for kids so they not only have fun but learn a great deal in the process. 33- Shadow Puppets by Meet Penny: Make your own shadow puppet theatre to use on a night without any power (or just to have fun with). Create a fun story and act it out with your puppets. Your kids will love it. 34- Dr. Seuss Bingo by Balancing Home: Dr. Seuss is lots of fun at story time, but why stop there? Print off some fun bingo sheets using Dr. Seuss items to put a ‘twist’ on a game favorite. 35- Table Forts by Meaningful Mama: Growing up we used to make forts all the time. I can’t say my mom loved it, but we certainly did! Use your kitchen table, or end table, and help your kids create the most fantastic fort ever! 36- Life Size Board Game by Toddler Approved: Board games are a favorite at my house, which means this next idea is a for sure hit! Build a life size game to really get the kiddos involved.
37- Felt Road Track by The Naptown Organizer: My youngest is obsessed (literally) with cars and is creating a great driving course using felt and other items is a perfect way of him getting his car obsession fulfilled. 38- Marble Run by Frugal Fun For Boys: Cut a pool noodle in half, tape, and let the marble races begin! Easy, peasy. 39- Bean Bag Toss by Lowe’s: Build this fun bean bag toss for entertainment that will keep on giving! 40- Balloon Dart Board by Hallmark Channel: Darts are so much fun. Make this dart board and see who comes out the winner. 41- Edible Indoor Sandbox by Hands-on as we Grow: If you don’t have a sandbox at home, then this is your perfect solution. Get some items and build a city and play away. 42- Lego Board Games by Imgur: Use this game board to create some wonderful game fun. The object of the game is to see who builds the highest lego tower. Fun! 34 Outdoor Activities for kids Summertime is the perfect time to go outside. Use these fun summer activities to do just that.
43- Watermelon Moon Sand by Growing a Jeweled Rose: Make this great sand to have some fun outside. 44- Squirt Gun Painting by Fireflies and Mudpies: Squirt guns are definitely awesome, but can be a destructive if you, as the mom, are not wanting to get wet. Ha! Give your kiddos a twist to the normal squirt guns – by adding paint to the guns and letting them create some fun art with their toys. 45- Water Blobs by hello, Wonderful: Make your own water blobs with some simple plastic sheeting and have tons of fun outside. The uses are endless! 46- Art on the Lawn by She Calls me Mama Leisha: Put an old sheet out on the lawn and let your kiddos go wild with the paint. They will be sure to make a masterpiece! 47- Make a Bird Feeder: Attracting some beautiful birds with an awesome bird feeder is a great way of spending your day. Plus, your kids will look forward to seeing what bird visits everyday. 48- Drip, Drip Splash by Kara’s Creative Place: This game is like Duck, Duck, Goose – but with water. If your kids are hot, send them outside to play this game – it will be sure to cool them down! 49- Sidewalk Chalk Games by No Time for Flashcards: Use sidewalk chalk as a fun learning game by writing things on the sidewalk and having your kids figure out the answers. 50- Sponge Relay by Mamas Like Me: Keep your kids cool with this fun and wet game…fill buckets full of water, then split your kids into 2 teams. Each team has to dip their sponges (like these) in their bucket, run across the lawn to another bucket, and squeeze out the contents into the bucket. Whichever team fills up their buckets the fastest wins.
51- Sponge Bullseye by Mamas Like Me: Draw a bulls eye on the ground with coordinating numbers (points). Have the kids dip sponges into the water and throw it on the bulls eye… add up the points of where your sponges landed. Whomever has the most points, wins. 52- Liquid Sidewalk Chalk by Domestic Charm: We have already talked about sidewalk chalk, but this is sidewalk chalk with a twist! This sidewalk chalk is like paint. Your kids are going to love it. 53- Nature Scavenger Hunt by The Taylor House: Let your kids learn about nature as they go on a fun and exciting scavenger hunt. 54- Thrifty Sandbox by Mama Smiles: Make this thrifty sandbox and let your kiddos have amazing fun in their sandbox everyday. 55- Tin Foil River and Ice Boats by Reading Confetti: Create a fun tin foil river and float some adorable ice cube boats down the river. 56- Frisbee Tic-Tac-Toe by A Turtle’s Life for Me: Play tic-tac-toe using frisbees. The new twist will keep your kids on their toes. 57- Water Balloon Pinata by Babble: Make a fun pinata out of water balloons! This wet activity will keep everyone cooled off. 58- Water Balloon Baseball by Babble: Baseball is a great summer activity, but water balloon baseball is even better as it keeps you wet during the hot hours of the day.
59- Human Bubble Machine by Babble: Make your own bubbles in a kid pool, have a child step inside, then create a huge bubble to go over the child with a hula hoop. Super fun! 60- Monster Bean Bag Toss by Babble: A bean bag toss is always a favorite game, but making the targets into monsters are even better!!!! 61- Backyard Obstacle Course by Babble: Make a backyard obstacle course to keep your kids super busy during a summer day. 62- Confetti Launcher by Babble: Create a confetti launcher that is so much fun for a hot summer night. It would be perfect for the 4th of July too! 63- Backyard Movie Premiere by Babble: Have a fun drive-in style movie premiere, in your backyard. Your kids are going to love it. 64- Water Balloon Angry Birds by No Time for Flashcards: Water balloons are a kid favorite summer activity – but turning them into angry birds are even better! 65- Backyard Car Wash by No Time for Flashcards: Bring your kids cars and toys outside and have fun doing a ‘car wash’ with their toys. 66- Painted Rock Faces by Teach Beside Me: Find some fun rocks, wash them, and then have your kids paint them up and turn into super creative rock faces.
67- Outdoor Scrabble by Constantly Lovestruck: Playing scrabble is a fun game, but playing a huge game of scrabble – outdoors is even better! 68- Racetrack on the Driveway by Chocolate Cake Moments: Create a racetrack on your driveway, stocked full of obstacles, construction signs, and anything else your kid’s race cars would need. 69- Texture Rubbings by Making Art with Children: Collect some fun nature such as leaves, rocks and more and create some fun rubbings to have tons of summer fun with your kids. 70- Ice Block Treasure Hunt by Listotic: Freeze lots of small toys in a huge ice block, then use the hose to defrost the ice and find what is in there. 71- DIY Water Wall by Listotic: Create a fun and creative water obstacle wall for your kiddos to have fun with over and over. 72- Pool Noodle Games by Listotic: Use pool noodles and hold your own Olympic games with your kids.
73- Outdoor Tic-Tac-Toe by Chicken Scratch NY: Paint some rocks, find an old stump, and have lots of fun playing a game of tic-tac-toe. 74- Twister by You and Me: Create a Twister board on your lawn for an over-sized game board. If you want some more specific instructions on how to do it, click here. 75- Glow in the Dark Bowling by My Kids Adventures: Use water bottles, glow sticks, turn out the light and voila – a fun night time activity.( Psst…You can grab 100 glow sticks here and play with the entire neighborhood or use some now and save some for another activity like #99! 76- DIY Slip n’ Slide by Diary of a Preppy Mom: I LOVED doing slip n’ slides when growing up. Save some money and create your own, which also allows you to be creative and add some fun extras to the already great game! 15 Outings to go on with Your kids Sometimes, getting stuck inside your house makes things a bit hectic. Having a perfect outing to go on can relieve some of the craziness of being cooped up. Before you pack up the car and head out on your adventure make sure to check out Groupon.com for some AMAZING deals in your area!
77- Zoo Outing by We Wilsons: Going to the zoo is always a hit with the kids. Take your kids to the zoo and learn about all their favorite animals. 78- Go to a Museum: There are so many museums in most cities. Find one that suits your needs and interests and have a blast. For all you Utah residents, grab tickets for up to 6 people for 50% off over here! 79- Visit a Petting Zoo: As I already stated, going to the zoo is the best. However, going to a PETTING zoo is even better! Enjoy this fun treat with the kids as they get to have a hands-on experience. 80- Water Park Outing: Pick a fun water park to go to for some awesome summer fun. If you live in Utah, the Pass of All Passes is a summer MUST! 81- Go to a Children’s Museum: We have already talked about going to a museum, but going to a children’s museum is even better! 82- Aquarium Outing: Along with going to see the zoo animals, you can go to an aquarium and learn all about the fish. 83- Visit a Jump House: Going to a jump house is an absolutely fabulous idea. The kids get to jump on trampolines, get their energy out, and just have a blast! 84- Go to the Library: My kids LOVE to read, so going to the library is a favorite. I also love that the library has fun reading times for kids and other classes to keep the kids busy.
85- Go to a Farm: Take your kids to a farm and show them how a farm functions. 86- Beach Outing: If you are lucky enough to live close to a beach, take advantage of it and have a beach day! Make sure you build sandcastles and have tons of fun digging in the sand. You will have an absolute blast! 87- Go Swimming: Most cities have a public swimming pool you can go to for a small fee. Have so much fun at the pool and wear your kiddos out so they sleep well that night! 88- Splash Pad: If you have you children, a splash pad is a great option. Let them run around the pad, cool off, and just have a blast! 89- Story Time: Visit your local bookstore during their kid’s story time and enjoy the books the reader has picked for that day. 90- Go to a Park: There are parks in every city. Pick your favorite ones and have a blast outdoors! 91- Frisbee Golf Course: Playing with frisbees are so much fun. Enjoy a game of frisbee golf that you can play in your backyard – using some materials from your house. 10 Miscellaneous Activities to do with your Kids Peruse through these awesome summer activities to see which ones fit your family needs.
92- Ice Cream Shark Sandwich by Reading Confetti: Create this adorable ice cream shark. It’s not only adorable, but yummy! 93- Spa Day for Kids by 5 Minutes for Mom: I know that I LOVE to go to the spa. Why not keep your children busy doing this fun spa day for them. Pampering here we come! 94- Candy Popsicles by Kids Activities Blog: Make some homemade popsicles with some candy for an extra special treat. 95- Science Experiments by Fun-A-Day: Science experiments are not only FUN but they teach you things too. That means they are perfect for teaching your kids fun things too! 96- Ice Cream in a Bag by Growing a Jeweled Rose: Make homemade ice cream in a gallon sized baggie and taste the fruits of your labor. 97- Summer Binder by Thirty Handmade Days: Create this summer binder to keep track of all your summer fun from start to finish! Grab this adorable binder to help get you started!
98- Root Beer Floats: Root beer floats are an absolute must during the summer months. Yummy!!! 99- Prep an emergency power outage kit by Meet Penny: Power outages are rare, but happen. Prep a kit that you can keep for emergency situation. 100- Banana Split Party: Mmmmm, banana splits are my favorite, and summer just wouldn’t be the same without them! 101- Jello Fruity Roll-ups by Six Sisters’ Stuff: Make this fun, fruity treat and put a smile on your kiddos faces! Isn’t this list just awesome?!! Be sure to go through and pick out all your favorites and have a summer filled with lots of fun and laughter! If you like this post be sure to check out Candice’s Summer Boredom Busters or Water Balloon Basketball Date Night. This is a sponsored post written by The Dating Divas in partnership with Oceanview Wooden Swing Set from Leisure Time Products™. Thank you for partnering with us, Leisure Time Products™!
