FAVORITE stay-at-home activities

ACTIVITY ideas
Arts & crafts - assemble a box that you can pull out that has all of these goodies readily available. String beads, water color, make collages, finger paint, make a diorama		Sensory play - use rice, beans, dirt, cornmeal, corn starch & water …place in a box/bin on a table cloth or lay out a big sheet on the floor. Cook spaghetti and toss with olive oil.
Assemble a "rainy day" bag that has stickers, color books, playdough, gluestics, glitter, slime, etc…		Put sugar in a pan to play with cookie cutters, little toys, etc.
Bathtime - even if it isn't needed! Play with glowsticks (available at Dollar Stores)		Glue marshmallows on paper for a snowman / snow craft
Blow up an air mattress for an inflatable trampoline		Put on a play
Blanket forts & caves		Science experiments: Baking soda & vinegar
Bean bag toss		Jump on couch cushions on the floor
Bring outdoor plastic slides, trampolines, etc inside		Indoor picnic for lunch
Cardboard boxes - use big ones to make houses, boats, rockets, puppet theaters, robots, etc		Bubbles! Recipe: 6 cups water + 2 cups dish soap + 1 cup corn syrup
Paint in a gallon ziplock for "clean" painting		Make homemade pizza
Clean up & sing the "clean up" song, play with sponges, broom, mop, dusters		Color - books, color pages, tape a big piece of paper to the kitchen floor…
Make a bird feeder		Make snowglobes with jars & glitter
Build things		Play blocks
Make cereal necklaces		Cupcake wars between kiddos & parents
Create a toy drawer in each room		Have a pretend football game
Create an obstacle course in your house or in the back yard		Fun laundry folding: Hide candy in a sock (e.g. starburst), must fold before eating!
Dance parties - have a basket of scarves or mini-instruments ready for your kids to play with while you're boogie-ing, play "freeze dance"		Bathtub paint party - check out Pinterest for tub paint recipe,  finger paint on the shower curtain
Cuddle up and read bunches of books		Tea party with stuffed animals
Do dishes together & let kiddos play in the sink		Finger paint - Crayola
Go ahead and watch a movie or a show…and don't feel so guilty !!		Veggie play! Tear apart a head of lettuce, use a child-safe knife for cutting mushrooms, etc.
Egg run - use a toy shaker egg, place on a big spoon, & run room to room		Video record - interview, performance, puppet show
Use painter's tape to make roads, hop scotch, 4 square		Make cards for family and friends, put in envelopes and mail. Kids love the mail box!
Garden - pick weeds, plant seeds, plant flowers		Have friends over for a play date!
Dress up parties		Sidewalk chalk
Go out in the rain - bring umbrellas & puddle jump		Hide & seek
Paint finger & toenails		Holiday specific crafts
Paint with water outside - get a bucket and paint rollers,"paint" the sidewalk, deck, etc…		Ice flow game - place pillows around the living room floor
Painting with fly swatters, feathers, leaves, sponges…different objects		Go to a different room in the house to play…change of scenery helps everyone!
Listen to kid music: Pandora station ideas: Jim Gill, Veggietales, Toddler tunes, Caspar Babypants		Kitchen table fort: Place a blanket or sheet over the table, get some flashlights, go inside and have story time
Pinterest - great recipes for bath paint, moon dough, etc		Pasta - glue it as a collage, string it onto some yarn
Make smoothies and have fun with different veggies & fruits - get creative! Kale, spinach, ginger, etc…		Magazine scavenger hunt - e.g. find 10 red things, find something that starts with A-B-C…etc
Draw something using only the letters of your name		Make a box with tiny toys from the $1 section at Target…kids can count/sort/play
Play card games or board games  - UNO, Memory, Go Fish, Old Maid		Craft kits: Available at JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Target
Play dominoes		Make mosaics
Play Finders Keepers: Hide little presents around the house…say "warmer", "colder"…		Make musical instruments out of oatmeal canisters, tp rolls, milk gallon jug, rubberbands, etc
Play follow the leader		Pipe cleaners in a collander
Play puzzles		Play trains
Play Simon says		Acrylic paints on canvas
Paint a wall with chalkboard or magnetic paint in your house		Create a stuffed animal zoo and make "habitats" in different rooms
Play two truths & a lie (when kids are old enough)		Fill and decorate a time capsule in a shoe box
Play with flash lights - hide & seek, under blankets		Adorn your bike with streamers & stickers
Play with rubberband looms		Play hot potato
Play with shadow puppets		Jump in a pile of leaves & make leaf angels
Playdough!		Draw a map of your neighborhood
Roll out bubble wrap, tape it down, & jump and play!		Wash windows with a spray bottle and squeegee
Set up a water tub indoors (with towels on the floor )		Put on some music and have a parade!
Cook or bake - make trail mix, put a beach towel on the floor if needed! Let them mix ingredients (flour, sugar…pour sprinkles, etc)		Go fishing indoors with paper fish and paper clips attached. Make a rod with a magnet on one end to catch your "fish"
Tie dye coffee filters with food coloring and hang them from a window like stained glass		Play archaeologist: Bury "fossils" (plastic dinos or toys) and excavate
Shaving cream in the bathtub - easy to clean up!		Make tin can or paper cup string telephones
Silly string fights in the basement		Make sock or lunch bag puppets
Fold airplanes - check out parents.com/ airplanes for how-tos		Put on a concert & record it - check out The Little Fox Music Box app - $3 on itunes
Play "store" at home, or "coffee shop"		Fly a kite!
Use moss, twigs, leaves etc to make a terrarium		Draw a make believe animal and describe it!
See who can build the highest block tower		Toss ping pong balls into an egg carton
Listen to audio books for kids		Trace your shadow on the sidewalk with chalk
Empty a matchbox and take turns filling it with tiny objects		Press flowers and leaves between sheets of wax paper & iron
Blow up 10 or so balloons and play !