50+ fun ideas for kids!

Looking for some inspiration look no further; we have listed 50+ fun ideas and things to do with kids!!

Click here to print your own copy and let the fun times begin!

50+ Fun Ideas for Kids!

1. Toy Swap! Why not swap toys with your friends; your kids will love playing with all the “new toys” for the week.

2. Make your own Play Dough and play dough jewellery! Let the kids help make the playdough; encourage them to make some jewellery or beads; bake them in the oven and decorate to make some fantastic gifts.

Play Dough Recipe:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 4 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• Food colouring

 Mix all ingredients together.  Add food colouring, and (wearing gloves if you don’t want coloured hands) knead the colouring in until the texture improves and the colouring is evenly distributed.  It’s ready to play with! If you would like to make jewellery or beads with the play dough, make the desired shapes and place them on a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven at 100degrees for 15 minutes or so.  Alternatively, put them in a sunny spot to dry for a few days.

3. Explore a new playground. alittlebird has heaps of parent recommended kid friendly parks; pack a picnic and explore a new park in Brisbane

4. Grab your twister matt; put some music on and use it as a dance matt. The kids will love dancing on their own “disco matt”.

5. Take the kids 10 pin bowling; ask for the bumpers to be put up and the kids will have a ball; literally!

6. Snap!Why not explore the world through your child’s eyes by letting them snap away on the camera; remember to smile!

7. Make your own music!Use upside-down saucepans with wooden spoons for drums, blow across partly-filled water bottles for pipes, shake rice in a plastic container for maracas and whatever other ideas you and the kids can come up with.

8. Make your own wrapping paper! Get some brown butchers paper and let the kids paint and stamp to create unique and personalised wrapping paper.

9. Get out the video camera and make your own movies! Record the older children acting out their favourite story or movie with toys as props.

10. Explore your own neighborhood.  Before you go, make a bingo card of things you’d like to find, and don’t go home until you have spotted everything.  For example:  a little bird, a red car, a green mailbox, a yellow flower, a dog, a slippery slide, a postbox.

11. Water play(with strict supervision) – get out the jugs and bottles and tip and pour water into a large bucket or paddling pool.

12. It’s story time!Check out your local library or alittlebird’s Story and Rhyme Time calendar to find free story-telling workshops and it’s a great chance for the kids to borrow some new books.

13. Dress ups! Everyone get’s to dress up; don’t forget to do each others hair and strut your stuff on the runway.

14. Create theme days! One day can be crazy hat day, another can be a colour day; make it a green day with green clothes, paint, food etc

15. Make your own fridge magnets; recycle all those business magnets by letting the kids paint or decorate them to make their own fridge magnets.

16. Go on a treasure hunt! Make a list of things the kids need to find and send them off with clues.

17. Catch public transport! Hop on the train, ferry or bus and go somewhere different with the kids.

18. Puppet shows are so much fun! Create your own puppets with socks, buttons, ribbons and wooden spoons or use stuffed toys and let the kids put on show.

19. High tea at home; get the kids tea set out and invite some friends over for a “lil high tea”

20. Bubbles!! Blow bubbles in the backyard; have fun with different shapes.

21. Cardboard boxes! So versatile; let the kids decorate their own boxes; stack them up high and watch the kids laugh as they topple over!

22. Facepainting– get creative and paint each others faces

23. Op Shopping! Take the kids op shopping; give them their own money and let them buy whatever they want.

24. Movies at home! Make your own popcorn; get the cushions out and pop on a movie the whole family can enjoy.

25. Gardening! Let’s get our hands dirty (check out Miss CupOtea’s blog about gardening with kids) while educating kids about the world around us by doing some gardening.

26. Check out School Holiday Fun Calendar on alittlebird.com.au

27. Animals Encounters– pack a picnic lunch and take the kids to your local animal park for a close encounter :)

28. Arts and Crafts! Encourage the kids to be creative and make a gift for someone special (grandparents, aunty’s etc) and then arrange a visit so they can give their special gifts.

29. Indoor fun– colouring in, jigsaw puzzles, board games, hide and seek, cubby house fun!

30. Cooking! Cooking is a fun educational activity that teaches kids about measuring and pouring while still having fun. Why not cook lunch together or bake some cookies for your high tea.

31. Back to nature! Wrap some sticky tape sticky side out around your childs wrist and take them outside to explore. Stick interesting leaves, flowers anything onto their wrist.

32. Educational fun for everyone; check out the Museum and Science Centre

33. ABC Treasure Hunt; kids have to write down things they find in the house that start with each letter of the alphabet. Have prizes for the winners.

34. Take the kids to the beach and build a giant sandcastle or bury the kids waist deep in the sand.

35. Find a local fresh food market on and take the kids along to pick out the fruit and vegies for the week.

36. Imaginative play! Encourage creative play by playing shopkeepers, teachers, doctors etc

37. Teach the kids to sew or thread cotton reels or use lacing cards.

38. Make your own Soap Crayons :)

• 1 cup grated Ivory soap
• Food coloring
• ¼ cup of warm water
• Plastic molds

In a bowl mix, soap, food coloring, and water. Stir the mixture until it thickens and becomes stiff. Remove the mix and knead until the consistency is like dough. Spoon mixture into molds and press down firmly. Place molds into freezer for about 10-15 minutes, pop out crayons and let air dry for 24 hours.

Create artwork on bath tub or body, either way it’s washable fun!

39. Skating!Check out your local rink and don’t forget there is also Ice Skating for something abit different.

40. Make your own piñata! Paper mache is messy but fun and you get to invite some kids over to have fun with the piñata!

41. Check out your local swimming pool and cool down on a hot day with the kids.

42. Take a walk and feed the local ducks and birds; don’t forget the breadcrumbs.

43. Make a book; encourage the kids to either write and draw their own book and get the younger kids to help decorate

44. Bury some “artefacts”in the backyard of the garden and let the kids have fun digging them up

45. Camping in the backyard! You don’t need to go away to go camping; the backyard is a perfect spot; kids will love it!

46. Go for a bike ride; don’t forget the helmets.

47. Fly a kite– take your kite down to the park for some fun; you could even make your own.

48. Make Juice or homemade lemonade; choose the kids favourite fruits and make them into a delicious juice

49. Make some paper plate masks; let the kids decorate eyes, ears, hair and paint a face

50. Make your own Piggy Bank!!

•  Clean clear soda bottle with label removed
• Craft paper: construction, scrapbooking, card stock, etc.
• Something for legs (4), plastic bottle caps, empty spool threads, etc
• Coiled pipe cleaner
• Scissors
• Glue
• Hot glue (adult supervision for younger children)

1. 1.Cut pig features out of craft paper: ears, eyes, nostrils.
2. 2.Attach paper with glue; fold ½” flap to glue ears onto the bottle. Wrap back end of the bottle with paper (or use paint) for piggy body.
3. 3.Dab end of pipe cleaner with hot glue and add tail.
4. 4.Hot glue “legs” to the bottom.
5. 5.Cut a slot for coins.

VOILA! You have your own personalized Piggy bank. Girls add trinkets or jewels for bows and earrings for a pretty little pig.  

51. Have fun...because alittlebird told me :)