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How to keep your child busy at home


35 Activities to Keep Kids Busy While You Work or Study

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By DeVry University

March 18, 2020
8 min read

If you’re a busy parent, you’re always looking for innovative ways to find balance in your routine. Whether you're working or studying from home, we’ve rounded up some ideas to help make things easier. Read on for a list of activities to keep kids busy, learning and entertained while you work or study:

1. Build a Fort

Create a fort using blankets, coffee tables, couches, boxes or whatever you've got in your home. Then grab a few pillows, books, toys and a flashlight to create an epic hideaway.

2. Gather Donations

Give kids the opportunity to help others by sifting through their toy bins, closets and games and gather up anything they've outgrown or no longer use. Next time you're out and about, make dropping off your donations a family activity.

3. Start a Journal

Journaling can be a great way for kids to express their thoughts and feelings. Have them spend 10-15 minutes a day writing or doodling. They can keep it private, or share and discuss it with you.

4. Learn to Draw

Kids can brush up on their skills and learn to draw some popular characters with these free video tutorials from the Art for Kids Hub.

5. Hear a Story from Space

Let your kids watch stories read by astronauts in space with Story Time from Space.

6. Build the Ultimate Paper Airplane

Check out Fold ‘N Fly's website for dozens of free step-by-step paper airplane tutorials. Have kids assemble a few of their favorites, then hold a contest to see whose can fly the furthest!

7. Put on a Play

Have kids put together a play – complete with scripts and costumes – while you work or study, and then perform it for you when you're done.

8. Collect Broken Crayons

A simple activity that kids can do is to gather all the broken crayons in the house, and then peel and discard the paper wrappings. Once you’re done working or studying, you can help them recycle the old crayon fragments into something new like a fresh set of muffin tin crayons or a great piece of decor.

9. Bake or Decorate Cupcakes

If your kids are old enough, baking is a great (and delicious!) way to pass some time. For younger kids, simply make some treats in advance and allow them to decorate with icing and sprinkles while you work or study.

10. Go on a Virtual Field Trip

Kids can join Discovery Education on virtual field trips as they learn more about the robotics manufacturing of robots, visit polar bears and blast into outer space.

11. Get Out the (Washable) Glue

If there’s one thing kids love, its glue. And the best thing about glue projects is that it’s a great way to make use of recycled materials and scraps. Gather up anything you have on hand – tissue paper, beads, toilet paper rolls, Popsicle sticks, miscellaneous craft supplies – and see what kind of masterpieces they can think up.

12. Paint Rocks

An easy way to add a little sunshine to someone's day is to paint rocks and leave them for others to find. Have your kids paint while you work or study, then set them out or leave them on your neighbor's doorsteps the next time you head out for a walk.

13. Have an Egg Hunt

You don't need an Easter bunny to have an egg hunt! Have your kids hide a designated number of plastic eggs, and then time each other to see how fast they can find them. You can even put small prizes or stickers inside.

14. Set Up an Obstacle Course

While this may not be the quietest activity, an obstacle course rarely disappoints. And it doesn't have to mean jumping on furniture – set up stations for jumping jacks, stretches and more.

15. Get Outside

Studying doesn't have to mean staying indoors. One of our favorite things to do with kids at home is to head to the backyard for a little bit of exercise and fresh air. Let the kids play while you do some short reading, respond to emails or participate in an online class discussion.

16. Create a Reading Challenge

Create your own reading challenge by giving each child a reading goal customized to their capabilities – whether they read a designated number of chapter books or simply browse through a handful of board books. Consider rewarding them with a small prize such as a new book, small toy, a homemade certificate or even a one-on-one trip to the library.

17. Master the Rubik's Cube

If you've got a Rubik's Cube in your house, you know that solving it is no joke. But there are actually some great tutorials to help you learn how to do just that. With a little memorization, your kids can learn to conquer the cube in no time.

18. Take a Virtual Museum Tour

Kids can explore the latest exhibits and get inside look at twelve famous museums with free virtual video tours.

19. Create Video Messages

Video messages are more instant than sending a letter in the mail, and it’s a great way to show someone you’re thinking of them. Have your kids make customized videos, then text or email them to your loved ones to brighten their day.

20. Stay in Touch

While older children have an easier time keeping in touch with their friends, don't forget that younger children can benefit from this too. Consider texting other parents from your elementary school or play group to see if they'd like to set up a time for your younger kids to chat on the phone or FaceTime while you squeeze in some work or study time.

21. Care for the Family Pet

Remember that puppy your kids begged for? Now is a great time for them to practice a little responsibility with their pet. Have them walk the dog, clean the hamster cage or feed the fish.

22. Learn Cursive

With many schools no longer teaching cursive, now could be the perfect time to learn. Check out these free printable worksheets to help them get started.

23. Practice Calligraphy

If your kids have already mastered cursive, calligraphy can be a great next step. Get started with these free printable brush lettering and calligraphy worksheets.

24. Make a Cardboard Box Car

We all know that giant cardboard boxes make for great pretend houses, but there’s a lot that you can do with those everyday Amazon boxes too. With a few markers and a little creativity you can turn your medium-sized boxes into racecars – complete with paper plate wheels and steering wheels!

25.

Do a Puzzle

If you're looking for some time to focus, puzzles may just qualify as one of the quietest things to do with kids at home. Dig an old puzzle out of the closet to entertain kids of all ages while you work or study.

26. Clean Up

Give your children a daily cleaning task suitable to their age level, from vacuuming the floors to dusting the knickknacks, and your house can be sparkling in no time!

27. Get Organized

Assign each child to a task you’ve been putting off – like organizing the junk drawer, matching the Tupperware lids or tracking down all those lost socks.

28. Learn Origami

Head over to Paper Kawaii's website for free photo tutorials on how to make an origami elephant, fish, dog, butterfly and more.

29. Create a Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are great for kids to learn and explore. Start by filling a box, storage bin or large Tupperware container with dried rice, beans or even water. Then give them some small toys or utensils to play with – measuring cups, funnels, or a toy tea set are all great options.

30. Sculpt with Homemade Playdough

Playdough can provide quiet entertainment for kids of all ages. Make your own using one of these 8 recipes, or simply use the store bought stuff! No playdough tools? Everyday items from your home like kitchen utensils, kid’s scissors and rolling pins will work just fine.

31. Build a Marshmallow Tower

Check out this tutorial on how to construct a tower using only plastic straws and marshmallows. Not a fan of straws? Try it with dry spaghetti, toothpicks or skewers. The marshmallows could also be replaced with playdough or even tape.

32. Go Old-Fashioned

Remember the games we all played as kids? Duck Duck Goose, Ring Around the Rosie, Hide and Seek and Simon Says are all great tech-free games that your kids can play together.

33. Exercise

Physical exercise is one of the best activities to keep kids busy and healthy. Squeeze in a little work or study time while your children stay active with at-home workouts or kid-friendly videos like Cosmic Kids Yoga.

34. Create a Photo Journal

Have kids use their phone or an old camera to create a digital photo album of all the activities and projects they complete.

35. Create a Thankful Jar

Balancing your tasks as a parent, student or employee may seem challenging sometimes, but there’s a lot to be grateful for. Grab a mason jar or vase, along with some strips of paper, and ask kids to spend time writing down some of the things that they’re thankful for (be sure to add some of your own, too). Once you’re done working or studying, read through them together.

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How to Keep Kids Busy (So You Can Get Stuff Done)

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As every other public gathering place in New York City shut down except for my child’s school, I started to worry. But now that school is officially closed—and I write this amid my son’s high-pitched pleas to stream The Rise of Skywalker for “only” $20—I’m experiencing a different kind of stress. Whether you’re juggling both work and kids at home or you’re just in need of tips to help you (or your childcare provider) get through the day without your regular routine, we’ve rounded up a few low-maintenance solutions for keeping your kids engaged and out of trouble.

To achieve balance, cut yourself (and your kids) some slack. Set a flexible agenda, take mini breaks to hug and encourage them, and try the following strategies, most of which entail using the tools and toys you likely already have in new ways. If you have additional ideas that your kids love, share them in our comments section below.

Creative activities (that last longer than five minutes)

Arts, crafts, Legos, hobbies, and games are terrific ways to engage kids. (Magic: The Gathering, anyone?) But sometimes sustaining that interest long enough for you to respond to those 10 emails in your inbox, or to vacuum the Cheerios out of the couch cushions, can be a challenge. We have no guarantees, but these ideas have been helpful to Wirecutter parents.

Launch a Lego challenge. My 10-year-old son loves Lego kits but will inevitably demand help if he realizes at Step 42 that he skipped Step 9. That’s why I think Legos are best built the old-fashioned way—without an instruction book. To up the game, my sister suggested we launch our own Lego Masters–style competition between my son and her 7-year-old. After picking a theme (beach day! skyscrapers!) in the morning, the cousins work on their mega-creations throughout the day and then compare them via FaceTime in the evening.

Give them a goal. Like adults, children tend to find tasks more interesting and motivating when they have a quantifiable target to achieve. Staff writer Ingrid Skjong says: “My 5-year-old loves a ‘mission.’” So Ingrid has been assigning her son tasks like making Easter and Passover cards for relatives and friends (and checking the names off a list), creating as many things as he can with Play-Doh within 20 minutes (setting a timer adds to the excitement), and building something out of Tinkertoys that’s at least as tall as his shoulders.

Try less messy art materials. Crayons and markers eventually get old—and dried out, scattered, or smeary. Painting always ends up a disaster, I’ve found, unless I keep a close eye on my son. Supervising editor Courtney Schley recently ordered scratch paper, on which kids can create pictures with a stylus, scraping away the thin black coating to reveal bright colors underneath. Whiteboards are also a hit. “I had my 3-year-old ‘take notes’ for me,” says senior editor Erica Ogg. “That took up 20 whole minutes of his attention!” Even more fun: taking photos or video of kids’ creations and sharing them with friends at the end of the day.

Add water. If after 10 hot minutes your child deems their toys “boooooring,” let them get a little wet. When my son was small, a shallow bowl of water and a thick paintbrush became a Hot Wheels car wash. Household items work, too. Says head of photography and video Michael Hession: “We fill the kitchen sink with warm water and plastic Tupperware and cups and let our 3-year-old go to town. ”

Do it in a fort. Whether it’s reading, coloring, or taking a nap, everything is loads more fun when it happens in a fort, notes editor Marilyn Ong, whose three kids range from 2 to 6. She’s experimenting with a fort-building kit, but you can simply provide a bunch of pillows and sheets (along with strategically placed chairs as sturdy infrastructure to prevent tears of frustration). Just tasking kids with building the fort itself will buy you additional quiet time.

Get it on video. Depending on how old your kid is, creating a short video can be an hours-long production—from painting a backdrop on poster board to setting up those action figures just so. My 10-year-old has captured “epic” battles on iMovie and Stikbot Studio, both of which let kids choose from a series of sound effects and music, too.

Pretend play that helps parents out

Kids love to play house or restaurant, and you can try to milk that for all that’s worth. Why have them pretend when they can actually help you check things off your list?

Prep dinner quicker. While you’re working on that email, have your kid don an apron and do simple but mundane tasks such as breaking off the asparagus stems, peeling carrots or brussels sprouts, or mashing potatoes. Wirecutter director of engineering Maggie Gourlay (who feeds her family better than I do) has her young teens help with applesauce and bread making.

Delegate office chores. Staff writer Melanie Pinola has enlisted her kid for paper-shredding duty. I’m seriously considering having my son organize my receipts before my appointment with the accountant.

Practice a life skill. Editor Jon Chase suggests teaching kids a new life skill every day. Depending on a child’s age, this could include sorting out their own laundry from the family load, tying their shoes, or even cleaning the windows.

Screen time that’s secretly smart

Videos are the most reliable babysitter of all time, no matter your child’s age. And you shouldn’t feel bad about using them right now. “This is a global pandemic. These are difficult times. You need to adjust your expectations,” says Maryam Abdullah, PhD, parenting program director at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. So don’t beat yourself up about offering your kids those devices. But consider a twist.

Choose covertly educational material. Videos and apps can be both entertaining and educational. Senior staff writer Lauren Dragan recommends PBS Kids videos. “My 4-year-old now knows how to count between lightning and thunder to determine a storm’s distance, the life cycle of butterflies, and the difference between stalactites and stalagmites,” she says. My son and his fourth-grade buddies love BrainPop. For more ideas, check out our guide to educational apps and games. You’ll find gems on YouTube, too, such as the Art for Kids Hub and Geography Now. Extra credit: Get your kids to show off what they learned at the end of the day. “My 5-year-old is going to teach us yoga in the afternoon,” says editor Jon Chase.

Invite your child to a film festival. If your kid loves My Neighbor Totoro and other Hayao Miyazaki films, feed their desire (and their budding inner film critic) with an at-home film fest. You could ask older kids to write a little review (extra credit for parents: print out “official” forms for each), rate the movies, and decide on which one gets the top prize. Of course, you can try this with any series, including Star Wars, Cars, Toy Story, Despicable Me, and so on. Save money by learning how to take advantage of free trials for streaming services.

Complement your child’s reading list. From The Polar Express to Charlotte’s Web, book-based movies can enhance a child’s appreciation for the written word. Bonus points for reading the book the night before and comparing the film adaptation with the book at bedtime.

Deepen your child’s extracurricular interests. My son lives and breathes baseball, so we feel less bad when we let him watch movies and documentaries that enrich his understanding of the game (for instance, 42, about Jackie Robinson, and Ken Burns’s Baseball documentary series). If you’re looking for guidance on whether a particular movie, show, or app is age-appropriate, Common Sense Media is a fantastic resource.

Endless storytime (and conversation prompts)

Reading and talking about books with children are two of the best ways to build their vocabulary and open their minds to new worlds. Unfortunately, this is just not possible when five colleagues are Slacking you at the same time or you’re trying to change the cat litter. To the rescue: a safe, reliable pair of kids headphones and engaging audio content.

Share your podcast obsession. With a voice talking directly into your ear, a podcast feels intimate and almost forces you to listen, learn, and, in the case of narratives, imagine. Story Pirates and Brains On are two of my favorites.

Read ebooks or listen to audiobooks. Wirecutter recommends Epic ($8 per month), a kids ebook subscription app that offers a regularly updated library of some 35,000 titles. Many of the books have a “read to me” option that provides storytime with no adult involvement necessary. Audible offers a range of audiobooks for children of all ages. You can set up your child to listen alone or pair the spoken words with the book you might already have at home. You can also download a new book from Kindle and click on the option to add Audible narration. (The first 30 days of Audible and the first two months of Kindle Unlimited are currently free. And, for as long as school is closed, Audible is also making a selection of kids stories available to stream for free.)

Delegate to your voice-activated virtual assistant. Always good-natured, this playmate will go along with your child no matter what. Google Home speakers have a roster of games—albeit of variable quality—from Star Wars Trivia Challenge (my 10-year-old son’s favorite) to Strangest Day Ever (similar to Mad Libs). Younger kids might enjoy The Magic Door and Freeze Dancers, which you can access via Skills on Alexa. Jon Chase’s family is a fan of voice-assistant-enabled board games.

Schoolwork without screaming matches

Whether your school system is instituting remote lessons or you’re on your own, getting kids to focus on academics at home might be a challenge. “Home is where kids typically feel they can unwind,” says Maryam Abdullah. To ease into the transition, don’t dictate—collaborate.

Let your child figure out when to do it. The more your child feels involved with their agenda for the day, the more motivated they’ll be to do it, says Abdullah. Some kids prefer to get it out of the way in the morning; others need to ease into the day.

Do the hard stuff together. Chances are, you have items on your to-do list that you’d rather not do. Share this feeling with your child, and then designate a time that you’re each working on your own thing-I-have-trouble-sticking-to together. Restore yourselves with a snack break, a walk outside, or, depending on your kid’s age, a dance “party. ” Or let your child do that one thing for 15 minutes that drives you nuts—in my son’s case, pitching a plastic ball against the wall or practicing the recorder.

Be flexible about where it gets done. Let them flop on the couch if they must. (Remember, it’s a pandemic out there. Cut yourselves some slack.) My 7-year-old nephew recently insisted on doing his worksheet in the bathroom—because, he told my sister, the books in his bedroom are distracting and so is his train set in the living room. He got his assignment done on a stool with a clipboard by the tub.

Encourage sharing. Whether it’s an essay assigned by the teacher or an art project you dreamed up out of desperation (some ideas: draw your favorite part of yesterday, draw how you feel), “work” is more fun when kids get social with it. Join forces with other parents and encourage kids to discuss and show off their projects via videoconference at the end of the day.

  • We spent 17 hours researching and testing 14 craft subscription boxes with the help of nine kid testers. Here's what we recommend.

    The Best Kids Craft Subscription Boxes 

  • We interviewed experts and recruited more than 60 kids to play with Legos to find a range of standout sets for beginners.

    The Best Lego Sets for Kids 

  • Thousands of board games are released yearly. We share some staff favorites that require more strategy, have deeper narratives, or are particularly beautiful.

    The Best Board Games 

  • We spent 40-plus hours testing more than 50 recommendations from educators, experts, and parents to find the best educational apps and games for kids.

    Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids 

  • Whether you need kids headphones for entertainment, school, or travel, we have recommendations—and they all limit the maximum volume to protect young ears.

    The Best Kids Headphones 

Further reading

  • How to Work From Home With Kids

    by Christine Cyr Clisset

    Working from home with kids isn’t easy. But these 5 strategies can make it more manageable.

Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time).

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35 entertainment for kids when they are bored.

Boredom is a natural part of childhood. No matter how many toys they have or the activities you have scheduled in your schedule, they won't be interested in what they have. Boredom is also characteristic of children who have unplanned and unstructured days. Interestingly, boredom is good; it gives children the opportunity to find creative ways to keep themselves occupied and overcome stagnation when it inevitably hits them. Here are 35 fun things to do when the kids are bored at home:

1. Cycling.

Few activities can be as easy and rewarding as cycling through the neighborhood alone or with friends. If your child is old enough to drive himself, invite him to ride a bike with his friends in the neighborhood. Physical activity lifts your spirits and clears your mind of boredom.

2. Write a story.

Have the children write a story about any topic of their choice. Maybe it's a story about the adventure of their favorite toy in the house when everyone is asleep, or a funny story about a family dog ​​that gets into trouble all the time. Writing a story sparks their imagination and develops a flow of creative forces. nine0003

3. Art on the pavement.

Sketching on paper is fun, but drawing on the sidewalk lifts the mood a few notches higher. Give the kids a set of crayons and let them unleash their creativity. You can come up with an interesting topic or ask them to come up with their own.

4. Wash the family car.

Many children enjoy doing tasks that make them feel like adults. You can turn washing your car into a fun pastime by turning it into a role-playing game. For example, children are the owners of a car wash, or whatever you can imagine together. nine0003

5. Build a fort.

Building a fort is probably one of the most fun games that anyone can enjoy. Whether you use furniture, blankets and pillows, or cardboard boxes from your attic, you can learn a lot from building forts for kids. A great one awaits at the end, the reward is to sit in the fort and play games while sipping a cool drink.

6. Rearrange the room.

If you are willing to provide a good reward, the children will not suffer because of the cleaning and rearrangement of the room. Try moving a few things, replacing something old, or putting in something that will freshen up the place. If the room is too boring, ask them to help you in the kitchen. nine0003

7. Color your stone collection.

If you love hiking, make it a habit to bring home smooth or interesting rocks. You can clean them up and color them when you are bored to make the collection of stones more interesting. Show the best stone in the room.

8. Write a letter to a relative.

Writing letters is outdated and that's why it's so much fun. When the kids are bored, ask them to write letters to their grandparents, aunts, or even friends who live in another city. Letter writing is an art that is rapidly disappearing among the younger generation, so it's not only a fun experience, but also a learning experience. nine0003

9. Make a "When I grow up" poster.

One of the best ways to get rid of boredom is to be creative and imaginative. Open your mind and make a list of everything that kids would do as adults. The best of them can be turned into a drawing in which they will be depicted in costumes, and the rest of the family will be next to them.

10. Make a time capsule.

There is nothing better than opening a time capsule for nostalgia. Have your child collect items of the year, such as toys, collectibles, or anything that reminds them of the time they live in, and put them in an airtight box. Hide the crate in your basement, attic, or somewhere else to keep it safe for years to come. Write the date you all agree to open it. nine0003

11. Learn how to make slime.

While you can buy slime from the store, making your own is a rewarding experience. Your child will learn all about the basics of chemistry and learn why materials behave the way they do. On the Internet you can find several recipes for making slime with interesting properties.

12. Art collage.

This is one of the best activities for kids to get rid of boredom by bringing back old memories. Pull out the old coloring or drawing books your child used when they were younger and choose drawings that you can cut out for a collage. You can choose a theme or make it random and stick them all on cardboard. nine0003

13. Go hunting for items.

Hunting for objects, whether near the house or outdoors, can be fun, especially as a group activity. Find 10 or 15 items of a similar nature, such as rocks, leaves, or anything that will fit in a jar. If you have a metal detector, the activity can increase several times.

14. Bake something.

The kids will really need your help with this, but it's a very rewarding activity. Ask them to help you make a cake or pizza, let them work with the dough, toppings or cream so they learn everything they need to know. nine0003

15. Play a treasure hunt.

Treasure hunting should not turn into a party or a family holiday. When your child is bored, choose something they would like to find, such as a chocolate bar or favorite toy. Hide the toy where he will least look and leave clues to find it.

16. Dance party.

Prepare a playlist of your kids' favorite dance songs for this situation and play it when they get bored. There is nothing better than dancing to cheer up and get rid of boredom. nine0003

17. Create an obstacle course.

This is quite a fun activity, especially if you have small children. Help them build an obstacle course out of cardboard boxes, play tunnels, or whatever suits the game. Older kids will love building their own obstacle course and showing you their progress.

18. Fun yoga classes.

You can hear a few protests at first, but once classes start, yoga becomes quite refreshing. If you have the space for it, aerial yoga is a great pleasure for kids. You don't have to follow the rules, just go with the flow. nine0003

19. Lego hunting.

For this you will need sets of Lego blocks in different colors and four pieces of paper in matching colors. Hide the blocks in different places around the house, or ask your older sibling to hide them while your younger one looks for them. Having found them, he must put each block on a sheet of the corresponding color.

20. Write a story about your week.

Ask the child to remember everything that happened during the week and make a story out of it with more pictures and words. You can also make the cover of the storybook of the week and tie the sheets together to make a book. nine0003

21. Make up a play.

Discuss an interesting story with your children and put on a play for family or friends. Make costumes and record dialogues. This may take some time, so make sure you don't have anything else planned for the rest of the day.

22. Accept the challenge of art.

There are a number of art activities on the Internet that will keep children entertained. Find ways to use new tools and materials to create complex artwork and spark creative thinking. You can also download art challenge templates to get more ideas. nine0003

23. Stargazing.

If your children are bored on a clear evening, stargazing can be a very rewarding activity. Use any of the available celestial apps that will show you the constellations and where to find them. Find the stars, planets, and patterns used by astronomers in the sky and sketch them in a sketchbook. It's great if you have binoculars or a telescope as they can give you a whole new perspective on the sky.

24. Play-Doh art show. nine0006

The more children involved, the more fun the class will be. Make plasticine sculptures and decorate them with glitter and colored paper. Put them on public display. You may even have prizes for the best sculptures.

25. Expert presentation.

Choose a topic your child likes and ask them to search the internet for all the information they need to make a presentation. He can choose any tool he wants, make a slideshow and show it. Give him enough time to explore and choose interesting topics such as space, dinosaurs, oceans, or the moon. nine0003

26. NERF or water pistol combat.

There's a lot to be said for a water skirmish. This is great outdoor fun during the holidays when kids get together while playing. You can divide the children into teams and give prizes to the winners.

27. Take a mindful walk.

A mindful walk differs from a normal walk in that you walk with a plan. During your mindful walk, take the time to notice small details that you might not otherwise notice, such as sounds, animals, birds, and the smell of the air. You could also observe the pavement, the clouds in the sky, the direction of the wind, and walk while studying your surroundings. nine0003

28. Garden camping.

Set up tents and camp in nature, barbecue. Let the children help you set up the tent and make a fire. Stay overnight in tents to get the most out of it.

29. Games with balloons.

A simple game like keeping a balloon from touching the ground is very enjoyable because it requires a lot of teamwork and effort. Set a time limit for how long the balloon will stay in the air and reward the kids at the end for extra time. nine0003

30. The floor is lava.

One of the oldest games that always works. Collectively decide which furniture is stone and which is lava. When one person yells, “The floor is lava,” everyone runs to find a safe place before time runs out.

31. Interview with grandparents.

Make a list of questions for grandparents and interview them. You will never guess how many useful and interesting things you can learn about the past. nine0003

32. Plant a garden.

Gardening is a necessary skill for everyone. Buy seeds and plant a simple flowering plant or vegetable in a pot. This is a great learning experience.

33. Make a sock doll.

Take a few different socks to put on your hands. Use rubber bands and drawing pens to make puppets and put on a show.

34. The best education.

Ask the children to write down a couple of things that will make you a better parent. Then ask them to write down how they can be better kids. nine0003

35. Create a visualization board.

Write on the poster board what your children's vision of the future is. Hang the board in their room for them to see every morning.

Here's a great collection of things kids can do when they're bored that's sure to cheer them up and keep them entertained. Alternate methods so that your children are more interested in the activities and have a good time.

27 ways to keep your child busy - Lifehacker

Some ways will help distract the child and win a few free hours, others are suitable for joint leisure and will bring a lot of pleasure not only to children, but also to parents.

1. Have a sumo wrestling

Put a large t-shirt on your child and stuff soft pillows under it.

In this form, children can arrange sumo wrestling - collide with a running start and measure strength without risking anything to themselves. The wider the girth of the fighters, the safer the fight will be. nine0003

2. Try checkers with sweets

Use a ready-made game board or make your own. To do this, stick strips of colored sticky tape on a square base to make a field.

Instead of checkers, use two-color cookies, meringue or marshmallows. Any other sweets that are placed in the cage of the playing field and do not stain hands and clothes will do.

During the game, the opponent's checkers will be eaten in the literal and figurative sense.

3. Have a stain-free painting session

Get an A4-sized ziplock bag. Mix a small amount of shower gel with dye.

Pour the resulting mixture into a bag, close it and fix it on the table with adhesive tape. Invite your child to paint on an impromptu canvas with their fingers - the tinted gel will move inside, creating abstract patterns.

4. Try coloring sandwiches

Image: Gabrielle Kastner / YouTube

For this homemade entertainment, you will need toast bread, milk and food coloring. nine0003

Pour a small amount of milk into separate containers and paint with different colors. Give your child a clean brush and invite them to turn the bread into a work of art.

When the picture is ready, put the pieces in the toaster for a while, bake the picture and enjoy a beautiful meal.

5. Arrange speed games

Almost any item in the house can be turned into a game inventory to do something at speed for one minute. Here are some ideas:

  • Collect candy or marshmallows with chopsticks.
  • Build the tallest tower out of coins or plastic cups.
  • Throw as many socks as you can into the laundry basket.
  • Don't let the balloon fall to the floor.

6. Color the Rice

Image: Miami Skye / YouTube

You will need rice, white vinegar, food coloring, and clean, heavy-duty plastic bags.

Dilute the pigments in a small amount of vinegar. Put a handful of rice in a bag, pour the paint into it, tie the polyethylene tightly and mix the grains to paint it well. nine0003

Children will love the process itself, when you can twist and squeeze the bag, and the result. The dyed rice needs to be dried, and then it can be used for pictures, applications and all kinds of crafts.

7. Build your own car wash

A toy car wash can be made with a 5 liter plastic canister, dish sponges and damp-proof adhesive tape.

Cut out the sink body from the tank with inlet and outlet. Cut dish sponges into thin, long sticks and glue them vertically to the sink ceiling. nine0003

Color the structure with permanent markers. Place shaving cream in empty yogurt jars. Take old toothbrushes and toy cars. And then just use your imagination.

8. Make a slime

DIY slime. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

Cooking the mass will take no more than 10 minutes. You will need 100 ml of PVA glue, dye and 1-2 teaspoons of sodium borate. The latter is also known as "borax" (you can buy it at a pharmacy).

Pour glue into a bowl, add a few drops of dye and mix. Then add some borax and keep stirring. As it thickens, add more sodium borate, a few drops at a time.

When the mass begins to peel off the sides of the bowl and stretch, knead it with your hands like dough. After a few minutes, the slime will become plastic and will no longer stick to surfaces.

Just do not play with the mass on the bedspread with villi: it clogs in them and is poorly cleaned. And if you use food pigment, the slime can slightly paint your hands. nine0003

9. Build a house for dolls out of boxes

You will need some time for this task, but then the children will play with such a house on their own, and for more than one day.

Prepare shoeboxes, tape, scrapbook paper or wallpaper, paints, stationery glue, newspapers to make the structure.

Insert the shoeboxes into each other at a 90° angle. Two pieces will make one corner of the house and one floor. Tape the boxes together.

Four-box dollhouse construction. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

Then cover the construction with newspapers. To hide the joints of the boxes and make them more like a house, you can use papier-mâché, a pre-prepared mixture of soaked paper and PVA glue. But if you want to make everything faster, skip this step.

Walls, ceilings and floors can be decorated with acrylic paints or gouache, pieces of wallpaper, fabric and even linoleum, beautiful paper. Arrange the furniture and the dollhouse is ready.

You can also make a small house from one box with partitions: arrange them crosswise - and you get two floors and four rooms. nine0003

10. Make outdoor games with paper tape

Use masking tape to mark the floor. Try the following games:

  • Classics . As a cue ball, you can use a plastic cup or a candy jar.
  • Outdoor shooting range . Make a target on the floor from several circles and launch a plastic ball in turn. The one with which the projectile rolls closer to the center wins.
  • Tic-tac-toe . Glue four strips of paper tape, and draw shapes on cups or plastic balls and put them on the field.
  • Long jump . Mark the start line and arrange a competition. Mark the results of each jump with a strip of tape.
  • Rope Walkers . Stick the tape in long stripes and shapes, and then ask the children to walk along this "rope" without ever stepping to the side.

11. Make an airplane out of a cocktail straw

Airplane made of straws and paper strips. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

This is a non-standard airplane that will fly much further than usual. To make, you will need three pieces of paper and a plastic straw for a cocktail.

Cut out three strips measuring 2.5 x 12.5 cm. Connect two together and close in a large ring with adhesive tape. From the third strip, make a small ring.

Attach the pieces to the ends of the straw, positioning it inside them. Launch the model with a small ring forward. nine0003

12.

Make a pipe from cocktail straws Pipe from plastic straws. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

Take six to eight plastic tubes, cut them off and glue them together with tape. Of course, you can not expect a pleasant sound, but the children like it.

13. Put on a bubble show

Make a bubble solution: mix 3.5 liters of water, a glass of dish soap and a tablespoon of glycerin. For blowing, you can use purchased devices or make options more interesting from improvised means. nine0003

For example, if you fasten several large straws together, whole rainbow clusters will be blown out.

You can also make a jig for giant soap bubbles. Pass a long cord through two tubes and tie the ends with a knot.

After that, it remains to fix the wooden skewers, which you will hold on to, and you can test.

14. Show your child how to make soap clouds.

Soap clouds. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

Cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle and put a sock over it. In a separate container, mix dishwashing liquid with a little water. nine0003 Foam blowing design. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

Dip the sock in soapy water and blow into the neck. You will get a large foam snake.

15. Make a shark or crocodile with a clothespin

Draw a shark or crocodile with big teeth on paper, cut the image in half and glue the two pieces to the clothespin. Children will be able to organize battles of toothy predators opening their mouths.

16. Play Chapaev with plastic caps

For this fun, you will need a glossy cardboard box and 8-12 plastic bottle caps.

Divide the "checkers" between two players and place them on the edges of the box at an equal distance from each other. You can color if you wish. Take turns blowing on the covers, trying to knock down the opponent's chips with them and at the same time not fly out of the field.

Small cars about 2 cm long can also be added. Place the mini toys in the middle of the field and blow on them to knock down the opponent's pieces. nine0003

The winner is the one who first gets rid of all the opponent's caps, but at the same time has at least one of his own on the field. Otherwise, a draw is declared.

17. Make an unusual slingshot

An alternative to ordinary slingshots. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

For this device you will need a plastic bottle and a ball. Anything can be used as cartridges, from coffee beans and rowan berries to soft bullets from toy guns.

Cut off the neck of the bottle. Tie the tail of the balloon in a knot. Cut off the wide part and pull the half with the tail over the neck. For strength, secure with a plastic ring from the bottle. nine0003

Put a bullet in the neck and pull the tail of the ball. You can arrange championships in firing range.

18. Show the children how to make their own stickers

Give the children a piece of sticky paper and have them draw little pictures. When ready, cut out the images and use as stickers.

19. Race noodles

Shot: Toys»R»Us/YouTube

If you have a noodle but don't want to swim, make a toy out of it. nine0003

Cut the product into halves along the entire length. You will get two tracks along which you can run glass or iron balls, toy cars.

Place the sticks with one end on a raised platform and the other end on the box where the objects will fall. Decorate the track with "Start" and "Finish" flags and arrange races.

20. Play aim shooting with glass balls

Take a shoe box and make several semi-circular cuts with different radii - a garage with a gate will come out. Determine how many points the child will receive for hitting each hole. nine0003 Garage construction. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

Put the box on the table upside down and try to roll the ball into the narrowest gate. The one with the most hits wins.

21. Make bracelets out of popsicle sticks

Frame: NewMan DIY / YouTube

You will need water, a glass, wide wooden popsicle sticks and multi-colored paper tape or colored paper.

Place the sticks in boiling water for 30 minutes to soften. Then bend them one by one and insert them inside the glass. Dry the sticks in such a position that the wood takes the form of dishes. nine0003 Image: NewMan DIY frame / YouTube

Then decorate the bracelet to your liking. Use appliqués from colored paper or decorative tape, felt-tip pens, paints, pieces of lace - everything that is enough for imagination.

22. Show the children how to weave bracelets from colored cords

If your child already knows how to braid and knit interesting knots, buy several meters of colored cords. You can make a lot of simple bracelets out of them.

23. Do a science experiment with a balloon

Balloon experiment. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

Show your child a chemical experiment in the kitchen. To do this, pour a spoonful of soda into a balloon, and pour vinegar into an empty plastic bottle.

Place the ball on the neck of the bottle and fasten tightly. Gradually pour the soda out of it into the bottle. The neutralization reaction will result in the release of a large amount of carbon dioxide, which will inflate the balloon.

24. Make a frozen dinosaur egg

Frame: TheDadLab/YouTube

If your child loves dinosaurs, show him how ancient dinosaurs hatched from eggs. Put the figurine in a balloon and fill it with water, then send the balloon to the freezer. When the water freezes, call the young paleontologists.

Remove the rubber "shell" from the eggs, look at the dinosaur in the ice. You can get the toy with a small hammer.

25. Make banana ice cream

Take bananas (preferably slightly overripe), peel and cut into thin pieces. Put in the freezer. nine0003

After a couple of hours, remove the fruit and mix in a blender until the mass resembles thick sour cream. Dessert can be eaten immediately or put into molds and re-frozen. Older children can handle the cooking themselves.

26. Color the gingerbread cookies

Colored cookies. Iya Zorina / Lifehacker

For this culinary fun, you will need gingerbread cookies. You can buy it or bake it yourself. You also need egg white and powdered sugar icing, food coloring, and pastry bags.

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