7 Fun Activities to Keep the Kids Entertained – Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of our fun activities for the kids.  We really hope you have found some of the ideas helpful, we have definitely been using a few especially the cooking and boardgames (my family are currently playing while I’m working on this blog 😊).

This week, thanks again to Dr Adam Arnold, we have some new and creative ways to keep the kids entertained as well as trying some new things (veggie garden coming to our backyard soon).  Have fun everyone!

1. Kid’s Veggie Patch
   I love this one as it gets them outside and in the garden growing their own food in their own little patch.  I remember doing this with my mum (who had an amazing green thumb) and although I can’t claim to have grown food to feed them family, in fact like most children my interest didn’t last, but I did learn to appreciate the work involved in making a garden grow.  So if you have a garden, or access to one, see if you can get the kids involved in making a vegetable patch of their own, you won’t regret the effort.

   Seeds are pretty cheap and a lot of vegetables are extremely simple to grow and cultivate.  If you want a quicker response grab some seedlings from the local garden centre, you can also find out what is appropriate to plant at this time of the year and how much room they need to thrive. If you don’t have a lot of room try Herbs as they are also really easy and grow quickly. Some extra simple ones are watercress, parsley, chives and basil.

   Kids LOVE planting, getting dirty and watching those little seeds sprout!   They will love caring for their little plants, just make sure you remind them to water them. 😆

2. Treasure Hunt
   Everyone loves a treasure hunt and they can be really easy to create.  You can do this in the house, garden, park or even make a short walk out of it.  Just hide some small items, toys or lollies in various places then draw up maps with “X Marks the Spot” and some easy to follow directions.  With each item have a clue for the next spot to find.  You can make the clues as difficult or as easy as you want depending on the ages of the kids playing, you can even make up clues on the map to help them along if they need them.

   You can have little prizes at each location and in the end the child that finds the most items could get a big surprise.  Kids love games like this and it’s good for them because they are learning in the process.  If you don’t have the energy or imagination to make up your own clues then head to Wondermom Wannabe to get one that’s already done! 
   
   

3. Take a Walk
   Nature walks are one of the most inexpensive boredom busters ever created.  All you need is energy and wide-open eyes.

   Of course, you can make the whole walk a lot more interesting by having something specific to look for.  When I was young we used to look for animals in the trees and “fairy” houses…you know, little holes in the bottom of trees?  You could get the kids to find acorn tops and leave them as bowls for the fairies or pick flowers for the fairies to enjoy.

   Nature isn’t just about being out in the country.  Wherever there are trees, there’s going to be birds.  Where there’s grass growing, flowers and shrubs grow etc.  Take along a notepad and pencil and get the kids to write down what they saw on the walk and when you get back home see if you can look it up on the internet to learn more about it.

4. Toy Sail Boats
   This one is a really old pastime, but tons of fun.

   Get a plastic bottle and cut it in half lengthways.  Make the sail from a wooden Kebab stick and some paper.  There are tons of other household items that can be used, so look around and use your imagination.  Make sure you hang some weight to the bottom of the boat to make sure it doesn’t keel over.  A lollypop stick with some play dough will work for a short while.

   Practice in the kitchen sink to see what works best for you.  Once the boats are ready, fill up the bathtub and go sailing.  Hours of fun for free!
   

5. Borrow a Pet
   A great way to beat boredom during the school holidays is to get the kids involved with animals.  If you don’t own a pet of your own, you could offer to look after the schools gerbils and rabbits (if they have some), or for that little bit “extra”, why not offer to take your neighbours dog along with you on your nature walks?

   If you have your own pets, get your kids more involved in their training, have them feed the pets, take them for walks, if it is an indoor pet, have them clean their cages or litter box, maybe find ideas on tricks they can teach their pet.  Our dog is currently learning to shake hands!

6. Make a Ring Toss Game
   This one is creative and lots of fun too!

   You need a few plastic bottles filled with water, sand or small stones (2 litre bottles are best) and some paper plates.  If you don’t have any at home grab a packet of at least 20 cheap paper plates from the supermarket.  Glue 2 paper plates together and cut out the middles to make a ring (2 together will give the rings enough weight for them to be thrown).  Now  get the kids to paint them in bright colours and patterns so they know which ones are theirs.

   Make a line with chalk or rope for them to stand behind and place the bottles at various intervals and distances away from the children.  Anybody who manages to get a ring over a bottle takes one step back and tries again. See how far away they can get and still manage to ring the bottles.

   

7. 20 Questions
   This is fun but be careful you may be asked a question that you find difficult to answer!

   To start with everyone writes down a secret word which must be a noun, ie beanbag, coffee machine, David.  The others try to guess your word by asking questions about it with the limit being 20 questions.  If they don’t guess it then you win.  Take turns until everyone has tried their word.  You could have playoffs between the ones that stumped the lot until only one is left.

   A variation is write down questions you would like to ask your kids or they would like to ask you or their siblings or friends (fi playing virtually).  When it is your turn pick a question from your list and ask whomever  you would like to answer it.  This is a great way to get to know each other and learn more about your kids than maybe you knew.

That’s it for another week.  Have fun and remember to stay happy, healthy and safe.

Lorraine 💚