Home camping

Hang tablecloth over furniture. Add torch, sleeping bag, picnic.

Blowing water bubbles and paint bubble pictures

Fill washing up bowl or saucepan with water and blow bubbles in it with a straw. If you are brave mix in paint then gently place paper on bubbles to make bubble pictures. (Constant supervision required so kids don't drown/suck instead of blow/cover house in painty bubbles!)

Newspaper basketball

Roll a sheet of newspaper into a ball. Throw it into an empty wastepaper basket/saucepan etc. Add variety with different distances, large/small containers getting different points etc.

Make CD hovercrafts
Using an old CD, a sports drink cap and a balloon...attach an inflated balloon to the sports cap that is itself taped to the CD in the centre...as it deflates it hovers over a smooth surface!....very quick and cool!

Washing line volleyball

Get a beachball or roll a sheet of newspaper into a ball. Play volleyball over washing line.

Marching band (your neighbours will love this)

Cymbals: 2 saucepan lids. Drum: upside down saucepan and wooden spoon or chop sticks. Maracas: rice/dry beans/pasta/dry sand in a plastic bottle. Xylophone: milk bottles/jam jars half filled with water and and a spoon. Harmonica: greaseproof paper and a comb.

Magic wax painting

Draw a picture with wax crayons on paper. Then paint over with thin paint -  the original wax drawing show through. Use to write secret messages.

Salt dough

Mix 3 cups plain flour, 1 cup salt and approx 1 cup water. Model like playdough. Dry out finished models in cool oven. Can be painted and varnished when dry. (Not edible)

Treasure hunt

Hide toys or sweets around home or garden. Give clues to find them. Kids like setting the hunts too.

Paper plate masks

Kids make silly faces or animals on paper plates. Cut eye holes. Stick a straw or lollipop stick to bottom of plate to hold in front of face.

Mini gardens

Half fill a plant tray/plastic bowl with earth. Kids pick small sprigs of leaves, daisies, grass etc. Arrange on soil like a mini garden. Small pebbles can be walls and paths. Tin foil for a pond or stream. Can be populated with small toy animals or people.

Home cinema

Kids set up cinema in living room: close curtains, rearrange furniture, make tickets, prepare snacks. Put on favourite film. Older kids could write review afterwards. NB Libraries rent out kids' films for about £1.20/week.

Don't forget traditional paper and pen games

Noughts and crosses, hangman, battleships ...

and our all time favourite ...

Water painting

Paint with a clean paintbrush and a pot of water outside on walls, paving slabs, fences. Very effective and the sun removes the evidence!

more cheap & easy things for kids to do at home

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