It is normal to have trouble keeping your children occupied during the summer holidays. With these clever ideas, you’ll be able to create spaces for your kids to let out their artistic side or you’ll be able to show them how to read time in a fun way. The most fantastic thing about them? These games are affordable and will entertain your children, that’s for sure!
1. Nightclub bath
Place a few glow sticks in the bath and close the lights to transform your bathroom into a nightclub! Be careful, however, that your child does not put the glow sticks in their mouth.
2. Bedroom hopscotch
Why not create a hopscotch with masking tape in your child’s bedroom? Simple and practical.
3. Teach them how to tell time
Colour a clock to teach your child how to tell time. It is creative and educational at the same time!
4. Giant bubbles
Make giant bubbles with water, soap, a bowl and a straw. They will have a lot of fun, we promise.
5. Stuffed animal hotel
Make a creative project all while keeping things neat with this stuffed animal hotel! All you need to do is paint an old wooden box and add some paper towel rolls to store all the stuffed animals.
6. Colouring box
Recycle an old DVD box, add some white papers, a few coloured pencils and you’ll have the perfect portable colouring kit. Your child can colour wherever they go!
7. Infinite tableau
Place a giant roll of paper under a frame. This way, your child will have an infinite amount of paper to express their creative talents (and will avoid your crisp white walls).
8. Temporary tableau
Create a temporary tableau with some salt inside a wooden case. Your child can express their creative genius as they please with this salt box.
9. Rock paint
Paint a few rocks you find outside your house with your child. You can decorate them like you wish and then place them in a clear vase or even play tic-tac-toe!
10. Spy game
Install a few elastics in your house to play “secret agent” with your child. We bet this game will entertain them all afternoon.
11. Draw a portrait or an auto-portrait
Give your child some chalk and ask him to do your portrait on the sidewalk or to do his self-portrait. It is an affordable and creative activity.
12. Draw a game of tic-tac-toe
You can also try one of these two versions:
- The classic where you draw xs and os at the desired place.
- The version where you have to throw an object and trace a symbol in the cell where the object fell.
The person that is able to align three similar symbols wins.
13. Play a game of dots and lines with someone
All you have to do is draw dots to create a box. Then, trace a line one after the other until someone finishes the box and at the end, see which one has the most boxes.
14. Play shuffle board
You get 1 point if the marble crosses the cages and 5 if it stops before.
15. Catch the ball
Recycle plastic juice or milk jugs and transform them into baskets. They will be the perfect size to catch the water balloons.
16. Paint guns
17. At-home bowling
Create your own homemade bowling lane with pool noodles. Connect them with tape. Your children will be able to practice making plastic bottles fall with the help of water balloons or water guns.
18. Water baseball
Why not play baseball with water balloons?
19. Work on your aim
Make teams of two, make a hole in 2 L bottles and try to aim the hole with a water gun. The team who gets the most water in the bottle wins!
20. Water fountains
You don’t need to buy this kind of game at the store: it is easy to build your own. Your kids can stay cool all summer.
21. Sponge throwing
Trace a target with chalk on the ground and add different points. The kids will have to throw a wet sponge and try to get the most points possible.
22. Bobbing for apples
Fill a big container with water and add some apples. The goal of the game is to try to bite into an apple with your mouth. Your hands must stay behind your back.
23. Play ball
Use two branches of wood and a beach towel to create a goal. Your kids can now play ball all afternoon.
24. Make a soccer field
With branches, create a goal zone to play soccer. All you need is a soccer ball to play this game. You’ll have tons of fun!
25. Potato sack race
Slip into garbage bags and run an errand jumping with your feet together.
26. Here is a competition to do with buckets of water
Play this hilarious game:
Each parent places a plastic bucket on their head. The children have to fill a cup of water and fill their parent’s bucket. First one to fill his bucket wins the game.
27. Water ricochet
It can be quite a challenge if the water is rough. Otherwise, all you have to do is ask your children to go and get some rocks and that’s it!
28. Aim for it!
Make a small hole in the sand and, a little further, a boundary line. Ask your children to try to aim at the hole. You can make several holes and give them points.
29. Try this watercourse
If you have two or more children, give them a container (or better, a bucket), fill it with water and draw a course in the sand. Ask your children to do it. Whoever has the most water at the finish line will be the big winner!
30. Water gun fight
The goal is to send, as quickly as possible, the plastic cup from the other side of the pool using the jet from the water gun. Who will succeed first?
What you’ll need:
- Plastic cups;
- Twine;
- Adhesive tape;
- Scissors;
- Water guns.
31. Sponge bombs
Replace traditional water balloon bombs with sponges.
What you’ll need:
- Sponges;
- String;
- Scissors (and a ruler and marker, if you want to cut the sponges in a straight line).
32. Ice block treasure hunt
Freeze small objects (plastic toys, rubber balls or even coins) in bowls or water bins, then run to see who can break the ice the fastest to release the objects.
What you’ll need:
- Tray or container;
- Small objects to freeze;
- Water;
- Objects for heating or cracking ice (spray bottles, hot water, plastic or wooden hammers, etc.).
33. Water sliding
It’s like creating a huge waterbed in your yard, and the best part is that, in this case, jumping is encouraged!
What you’ll need:
- A roll of plastic sheeting;
- Tape;
- Water;
- Food colouring (optional).
34. Sack throw
A cute and colourful game to play with your children.
What you’ll need:
- Printer and paper;
- Bean Bags;
- Fabric bags;
- 5 to 6 plates of 8-inch clay pot;
- White spray paint;
- Scissors;
- Spray adhesive;
- Brushes.
35. Obstacle race
Set up an obstacle course and see who can cross it the fastest.
What you’ll need:
- Balloons;
- Pool noodles;
- A ladder;
- hula hoops;
- Newspapers.
36. Giant Jenga
If you’ve never tried playing giant Jenga, you don’t know what you’re missing.
What you’ll need:
- Tape measure and pencil;
- Jig saw (hand saw);
- Sanding block and sandpaper 100 or 120 grit.
37. Connect 4
Another classic indoor game brought outside and modified for an extra dose of fun.
What you’ll need:
- Cordless drilling machine;
- Mitre saw;
- Nail gun;
- Kreg Jar;
- Carpentry square;
- Hole saw;
- Brad Point drill bit and many other materials.
38. Monster repellent
If your child is scared of monsters at night, create a magical spray with them that will ward off all monsters when night comes.
39. Make a fishing rod for your kid
Here are all the steps to build a fishing rod with your child. You will be able to take advantage of the joys of nature with your child!
In 50 minutes, you’ll be able to finish everything.
Material
- A long bamboo stem (1 metre 20 minimum);
- 3 to 5 metres nylon thread (or fishing thread);
- A clip;
- A big wooden and colourful pearl;
- 4 to 5 hooks (to screw).
Steps
- Screw the hooks at equal distance along the bamboo stem (plan approximately 15 to 20 cm between each hook);
- Attach the nylon or fishing thread at the end of the bamboo stem. Make the first knot and roll it around it a couple of times while tightening it. Make a new knot. Retake the thread through the hooks;
- Put the wooden pear through and knot it at around 60 cm in front of the end of the nylon thread. It will act as a floater;
- Attach a clip at the end of the line aka your lure. Have fun!
40. Grass Twister
Put your right hand on green and your left foot on yellow!
What you’ll need:
- Poster;
- Scissors;
- 4 cans of different colour spray paint;
- Twister spinner (optional).
Sources:
- Des idées
- Momes
- Simplemost
