It can be a challenge to keep your children busy and engaged in what they’re doing at the best of times. Especially when schools are closed and kids are inside for most of the day, a little goes a long way to keeping them (and you) from going crazy!
But it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to provide new and fun activities for your kids. You can refresh many items you already have at home to make beautiful crafts and enjoy fun activities. Get your work spaces ready, and try these creative tips for what you can do with your kids for less than $5.
1) Easter egg decorating – delicate
Next time you make scrambled eggs for breakfast, don’t crack the eggs! Use a skewer to very carefully poke a hole in the top of an egg, and mix the skewer around to break the yolk. Then poke a hole (slightly larger) at the bottom.
Blow through the top hole to push the contents of the egg into a bowl, and use that for cooking.
Later, when it comes time to decorate the eggs, water down some paint and use plastic pipettes to drip the paint over the eggs. Put the eggs in tupperware containers to avoid mess.
This method works best with the fragile hollow eggs because the kids won’t be holding them.
Total cost: $4
$2 for a dozen eggs (but you can use these to double as a scrambled egg breakfast), and $2 for 50 plastic pipettes.
2) Easter egg decorating – durable
Hard boil some eggs, let cool, and let the kids go wild! This is a better options for younger children as they are less likely to crack the delicate shells.
You can use paint brushes, crayons, sharpies, string, glue, dip dye… get as creative as you want.
Total cost: $2 for a dozen eggs.
3) Write letters to family
Especially for family members that live alone or are feeling extra isolated, now is a great time to write to them and remind them they are loved.
Grandma and Grandpa always appreciate an old fashioned letter, and especially a hand-written or decorated one will really warm their hearts!
Total cost: $0-$5 depending on if you need new stamps, and how many letters you send!
4) Go “camping”
If you already have camping gear, pull it out of storage and go on a backyard adventure. If you don’t have a yard you can still set up in the house if you think your gear is clean enough.
You can toast marshmallow over the stove or fireplace, sleep in sleeping bags, and play music that sounds like you’re in the outdoors.
Total cost: maybe $4 if you need to stock up on marshmallows.
5) Glow-in-the-dark bath
It’s hard enough to get kids to take a bath… but if you turn it into play time they’ll be diving in!
Vitamin B, or thiamine tablets are water-soluble and glow under a black light (UV). If you crush some tablets up into the tub the kids can play in a fluorescent alien bath! The tablets are edible and safe for your children’s skin.
Total cost: $4 for 100 Vitamin B tablets (enough for many glow-in-the-dark baths) if you don’t already have some in the house.
6) Scavenger hunt
Come up with some clues (which can be tailored to any reading age group), and hide them around the house and/yard. Start with one clue that will lead the kids to the next clue, and so on and so forth. Have a big prize at the end for when they reach the last clue!
This activity will get your kids to think outside the box (and work together if you have more than one) to complete the challenge.
Total cost: $5 more or less, depending on your final prize.
7) String painting
For this quick and easy craft you’ll need a piece of paper, and some paint – that’s it! Finger painting? No, this one is is a little more unpredictable, if you can imagine!
Fold the piece of paper in half to prepare, and dip the string in the paint. Use the string to drag the paint across all over the inside of the folded paper, creating a messy pattern. Then fold the piece of paper over with the piece of string still inside, and slowly pull the string out from between the two sheets.
This technique will produce a rorschach-like image. You can use it as a piece of art, or take it a step further and talk to your kids about what they see in the image and what it might mean! Like a fun little therapy lesson.
Total cost: $0
8) Colorful foam
Teaching kids about the color wheel or how to mix colors? Or even if you just want a fun sensory activity, this is an easy way to let the kids feel like they’re getting messy, but in a controller environment.
All you need is some sudsy dish soap (kid friendly, for sensitive skin) and some food coloring. Color different batches of soapy water with the food coloring, and then mix them all together and explain how different primary colors make which secondary colors.
Do this in a sink or bath tub to keep it all contained.
Total cost: $0
9) Play a card or board game
Monopoly, Scrabble, Yhatzee, Snake and Ladders, a deck of cards… get them out of the basement and dust them off!
To take it a step further, have kids create a board game from scratch using construction paper, scissors, glue and markers. Snakes and Ladders is a relatively easy game they can make their own, and it will take some hours to put together.
Total cost: $0
10) Puffy Painting
Mix flour and salt in a bowl, add water slowly and keep mixing until you get a smooth paste. Separate the mixture up into some smaller containers and add food coloring.
Let them paint to their hearts content (with their hands or with some old brushes), and when they’re ready, pop the pictures in the microwave. The mixture will rise and make for a cool puffy painting!
Total cost: $0
11) Go on a “picnic”
This is best for those who have backyards, but can work if you have a balcony, porch, or even inside if that’s your only option.
Pack up some cheese and crackers, juice boxes, veggie sticks, and any other snacks you would typically bring on a picnic. Set up a blanket in your yard and eat outside just to get some fresh air and a change of scenery.
Get the kids involved in helping prepare the picnic too!
Total cost: $0
12) DIY art gallery
Get your kids to choose 5 of their favorite pieces of art that they’ve made. Set up a small presentation space, where they can hang them on the wall, or just display them across a table, and arrange the items like a gallery. If they’re old enough to write, get them to do a small write up about each piece about the materials they used and how they were inspired.
They can also create invites and/or tickets for entry.
Total cost: $0 (a little more if you let the kids charge an “entrance fee” to their gallery).
13) Body tracing
Get a life-sized sheet or roll of paper, and have the kids lay down or stand against the wall in an interesting pose so you (or your other children) can trace the outline of their body.
Once the outline is finished, provide the kids with paints, buttons, string plastic flowers, and whatever else you have lying around that they can use creatively to decorate the silhouettes.
You can also make this a language lesson to learn the names of different body parts, or a science lesson to draw and name different bones for older kids.
Total cost: $5 if you need to buy giant sheets or a roll of paper
14) Crayon shaving sun-catchers
Remove the paper from old crayons and shave off some wax bits with a pencil sharpener or cheese grater. Sprinkle the shavings over some parchment paper, and then layer another piece of parchment paper over top to create a little sandwich.
Carefully iron the top layer of parchment paper, either by moving it to the side or just holding it straight down over top, producing different results. You don’t need to hold the iron over for very long.
Obviously with younger children you will have to be in charge of the iron, but for older kids or teens you can safely supervise.
Total cost: $0
15) Paper machée
This is definitely one of the messier ones but it’s also the most time consuming, so you can use the activity for the better part of the day (or two days because you’ll need the paper machée to dry).
All you need is some balloons, old newspaper, water, and white school glue. Mix water and glue about half and half.
OR
If you don’t have white school glue, use 1 part flour to 5 parts water. Mix and boil together in a pot for 3 minutes, then let cool.
Pro tip: add some cinnamon to the mixture to mask the smell for either option.
Blow up your balloons, and start dipping ripped newspaper into the liquid mixture, then layer it all over the balloon. Wait for it to dry overnight, or speed up the process with a cool hairdryer, or the sun.
Use 8 differently sized balloons to create the basis for a solar system if you’re looking to make the project educational. Or cut the tops off once dry to create a bowl shape. You can use colored paper instead of newspaper to avoid the need for paint if you prefer. The possibilities are really endless!
Cost: $0 or $10 if you buy white school glue.
16) Sock puppets
Use an old (but clean) sock. Get out your buttons, googly eyes, or any other knick knacks, a hot glue gun, and either paper or felt, if you have it.
Put the sock on your hand to decide where the mouth will be, and use a marker to mark where the eyes will go. Glue the eyes in place to give it some personality. Add any paper or felt features as you want. Top hats, dog ears, hair, a tongue. The possibilities are endless!
Total cost: $0-$5 if you need to stock up on felt and googly eyes.
17) Shadows puppets
Get some popsicle sticks, scissors, construction paper, a sheet, and a lamp or flashlight. Let the kids cut out some shapes; animals, humans, etc., and put on a shadow puppet show!
Glue or tape the construction paper shapes to the popsicle sticks, set up a hanging sheet and the backlighting and let the kids come up with a little skit or story.
For older kids you can make some pretty intricate shadow puppets, by taking a note from the ancient Indonesian art form.
Or, for a quicker, easier, and cheaper option for little ones, simply use hands as shadow puppets.
Total cost: maybe $1 if you need to stock up on popsicle sticks or construction paper.
18) Make a movie
Depending on the age of your child you can have them act something out from scratch or write an entire (well, short) screenplay and have them direct and star in the film. Help them use lighting and costumes to create the best home made film.
A post-Coronavirus world
A super hero
A prince or princess on a rescue mission
A chef cooking how-to
The possibilities are endless!
Total cost: $0 if you use items you already own from around the house and a simple smart phone camera.
19) Play Hide & Seek
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but is a great way to keep little ones in particular busy for ages. You can play with them, or if you have multiple children, can let them play on their own while you enjoy some down time.
Total cost: $0
20) Make a scrapbook
Whether it be a scrapbook of all the newspaper headlines about COVID-19, or old pictures of the family. You can create countless different kinds of scrapbooks and jazz them up with any stickers, buttons, colorful paper and whatever else you can find in your craft area!
Total cost: $0-$5 if you want to buy some extra elements to jazz up the scrap book.
21) Learn magic tricks
You can find some easy DIY videos for some quick magic tricks, or buy some tricks from the local joke or toy shop. Many can be done with a deck of cards, rubber bands, coins, or rope, so there’s no purchase necessary.
Total cost: $0 if you find tricks to learn with household items.
22) Play a trivia game
This is a great way to keep your kids’ minds sharp without it feeling like a chore. Pull some trivia questions from the internet or come up with some of your own to host a little trivia competition for the family. Choose a theme or make it a miscellaneous mixture of questions.
Have a prize for the winner!
Total cost: $0-5 depending on your prize
23) Build a fort
Create a fort in your living room with blankets, pillows or cardboard boxes. If you have any small string lights you can hang those up to decorate the area even more with a little magical touch. This is a great activity to get kids engaged and creates a nice quiet reading, movie, or cuddle space.
Total cost: $0, or $2 for cheap string lights
24) Reading marathon
This is a great way to keep your kids’ minds fresh, and get a little bit of quiet time. Create a reading log and include a few books for your kids to read (required reading for school or some books just for fun). Have them log the amount of time it takes them to read and check them off as they complete each book.
Total cost: $0 (if you already own the books).
25) Colorful shaving cream
Just a few basic household items will do the trick: shaving cream, corn starch, and food coloring. Mix equal parts cream and corn starch , then add food coloring to create your desired colors.
The sensory and creative learning experience will keep them busy for ages, but just make sure none of the kids try to eat any of the fluffy goop!
Total cost: $0 unless no one in your home uses shaving cream. Then you can buy a can at the drug store for under $5.
26) Let the kids do Mommy’s make-up
Or each other’s make up! Definitely keep your expensive Sephora purchases hidden high, high up on a secret shelf to make sure you don’t have a tragic crushed lipstick fiasco. But the kids will love doing you up and painting your face – like a life sized Barbie doll.
Total cost: $5 if you use some dollar store kids make up, which I highly recommend over anything you like/use.
27) Carrot tops
Save carrot tops when cooking and then put them in a quarter inch of water, and leave them by a sunny window. You’ll watch the tops sprout green shoots! It’s a great way to teach young ones about gardening and the magic of the earth. and it will get faster results than planting a seed.
Total cost: $0 unless for some reason you buy new carrots, but there’s no need!
28) Do a puzzle
This is an easy, quiet and time consuming activity to do with the kids. If the puzzle is hard enough, it can take days to complete and is a great option to leave on the coffee table and come back to whenever the kids need a low key and calming activity.
Total cost: $0 if you already have a puzzle, $5 if you pick up a new one from Wal-mart
29) Bake treats
Get the kids involved is a delicious treat making day. Brownies, cookies, a small cake, or whatever the family is in the mood for. Kids love to help in the kitchen so depending on their age group you can have them mixing, decorating, or taste testing the treats.
Total cost: $0 – $20 depending on which ingredients you already have at home.
30) Frozen Fossil
Freeze some plastic dinosaurs (or other toys) in an ice tray, and get the kids to use salt and a turkey baster with water to slowly melt the ice away to reveal the “fossils”! Give them a magnifying glass for some dramatic effect.
Total cost: $0 if you use toys you already own, or as much as you want to spend if you buy new toys.
31) Bury a time-capsule
Take some items that define 2020 so far, write notes to your future-selves, and bury them in a time capsule in the backyard (0r just bury it deep in the basement somewhere to be found again).
Make it part of the challenge to keep the cost down to under $5 per time capsule. Or, use existing household items but spend $5 on a special box.
Retrieve it in 2021, 2025, 2030, or beyond!
Total cost: $5
32) Play Bingo
Make your own bingo cards with colorful construction paper and markers.
Making the cards is an activity in itself, and playing is another! Pro tip: If you laminate the cards you can store them and pull them out for another game in the future.
Total cost: $0 – $5 depending on your choice of Bingo prize.
33) Tell spooky ghost stories
Take some inspiration from a book, or retell some tales passed down to you by your parents. Grab a flashlight or some candles and turn off the lights for dramatic effect.
Total cost: $0
34) Paper plane flying contest
Take some sheets of paper and give the kids some paper plane folding tutorials, and then let them come up with their own or their favorite method. When you’re ready, have a tossing contest to see who can get their plane to fly the furthest.
Total cost: $0
35) Basil seeds
All you’ll need is some basil seeds and food coloring. Mix a tablespoon of basil seeds into a bowl of water, add food coloring, and let the mixture soak for 10 minutes. Make different batches of different colors. Then mix all the colors together in a bigger container and let the kids swirl and play around with their hands.
Total cost: $4 for a small bag of basil seeds enough for one activity. $30 to buy in bulk for more activities, or one large scale activity.
36) Make popsicles
You can make popsicles easily from scratch – which is a fun activity for the kids and it means you know exactly what ingredients are going into them.
Buy a rubber mold in order to shape the popsicles, and pour your favourite juice and even some small fruit slices into it as well. Place some popsicle sticks and put in the freezer for about 3 hours or longer.
Voila! Delicious healthy snacks, and a fun activity!
Total cost: $5 popsicle mold
37) Live stream
A lot of amazing music artists are live streaming their concerts from the comforts of their home, the opera is now free to stream in your living room. Okay, the kids might not like that one so much.
But The Florida Aquarium has just launched a “SEA SPAN” live stream on Facebook to help keep kids entertained and educated. And if you miss a live stream, no problem, they’ve got recorded YouTube videos too. Who doesn’t love penguins?!
Total cost: $0 (a big savings from the usually $30+ tickets to visit in person!)
38) Silly face competition
Kids love to make silly faces. So why not bring our their funny side and have them come up with their best silly faces and have a competition to see who cam do the best one. If you can manage it, try to hold back laughter as part of the challenge!
Total cost: $0
39) Fairy jars
All you need is a glow stick, some glitter, and a mason jar. Very carefully pour the contents of a glow stick into the jar (this is definitely a part for the parent, the kids can help with the rest). Use a towel or newspaper underneath to catch any mess. Pour the glitter in overtop of the glow stick – don’t hold back, the more glittery the better.
Make sure the lid is on 100%, and shake shake shake shake!
Total cost: $5+ depending on where you get your glow sticks. Dollar store glow sticks will do the trick, or you can buy a pack of 100 from Walmart for $12.
40) Make some slime
Oh, how the children love slime. That sweeping trend won’t be going anywhere any time soon, so you might as well lean into it. There are hundreds of different recipes to choose from, but here’s the easiest one: white school glue, contact solution, baking soda, and food coloring.
Mix one whole bottle of white school glue with one tablespoon of baking powder. Add one and a half tablespoons of saline solution and some food coloring of your choice to the mixture. Let the kids get their hands dirty and mash it all up until it resembles the slime they know and love.
If you really start to master the art of slime-making, why not start an Instagram or YouTube account showing off your skills?
Total cost: $0 – $10 if you need a new bottle of white glue.
41) Colorful volcanoes
Is there anything more exciting to a kid than making a giant mess? These colorful volcanoes make it easy to get kids involved in a little at-home science experience, under the guise of getting to make a big mess. The key to use a baking tray, tupperware container or something else to keep the mess contained.
Set up a couple glasses of vinegar and add a different drop or two of food coloring to each glass. If you want to get fancy, add some glitter too.
Finally, add a spoon of baking soda to each glass and watch the “lava” start to flow.
Total cost: $0
42) Origami
Origami is a great relaxed activity that doesn’t require much prep, supplies, or energy. It also helps kids focus and practice some dexterity skills.
In addition to the classic swans, you can make origami boats, frogs, and fortune cookies. Start easy, and work the kids up to the harder stuff when they start to master the art. You can hang their paper creations from string on the ceilings to show them off.
Total cost: $0 if you use plain white or construction paper. There’s special origami paper you can buy which is beautiful, but it will sky rocket the cost out of the $5 range. Consider this as an option if your kids really love the craft.
43) Home made skee ball
Use an old cardboard box to create a ramp about the same height as your laundry baskets. Label the baskets with “points” ie. 50 points, 100 points, 200 points. The higher the points the further the basket is from the ramp.
Total cost: $20/bag for special ball pit balls, but standard tennis balls work if you’re on a budget or looking to use household items instead.
44) Nail polish marble painting
You probably have a stash of nail polish you know you’ll never wear again. Break that out to help your kids create some amazing artwork! Make sure you’re in an open and/or ventilated room for this one because those nail polish fumes can get pretty stinky!
Put some water in a disposable baking tray, and pour the nail polish colors in with it. Use a toothpick to swirl the colors around in the water, and then submerge some watercolor paper into the tray.
When you pull it out, it helps to use a popsicle stick to smooth out what’s left behind and remove and excess.
Total cost: $5 for a small booklet of watercolor paper.
45) Snow man for any weather
Missing the snow? With some dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, and salt you can make a snow man! Mixing it up is half the fun, but you can turn it into a cold, foamy dough for later. Pouring a cup of vinegar over will transform it into a cold mess for a couple of hours.
Cut up a small carrot, get some old buttons and pick up some small twigs to use as snow man decorations!
Total cost: $0
46) Build a Lego set
Lego has been a kid favorite since it was created in Denmark in the 1930s. The box says it’s suitable for kids aged 4-99, so it can really be enjoyed by the whole family!
And of course, there’s Playmobil for the young ones.
Total cost: A new set of Lego costs about $30, but you’ve surely got a whole drawer or tub full already, right?
47) Learn a language
Sign language, Spanish, French, Mandarin – there are dozens of useful languages that will give your children a leg up in the world. And the younger the better! Kids absorb and retain a language easier when they’re under the age of 16.
You can learn in a variety of ways including apps like DuoLingo (and we know how much kids love their screen time!), listening to audiobooks and podcasts, fun downloadable workbooks etc. You can mix up the activities to add a little bit of language to the kids’ day, and they’ll learn bit by bit.
Total cost: $0 if you stick to free online tools.
48) Make a dream board
Have the kids cut out some photos from magazines that resonate with them, and represent the life they dream of having. Put them all together on a beautiful vision board and hang it up somewhere that they’ll see it every day. This will help them build a clear vision of what they want, and help them achieve it!
Total cost: $0
49) Spa Day
It’s hard to find the time for a spa day, so take advantage of some down time at home by indulging in a spa day. Paint each other’s nails, use a sugar scrub, oatmeal facial, hair mask, or whatever other favorite spa products you have. Add some cucumber slices to the eyes for the full treatment.
You can also include some meditation and a hot bath for some extra relaxation time. The kiddos might even fall asleep!
There are plenty of recipes online if you want to make your own products from scratch, and with all natural materials. Relax and unwind – you and your kids deserve it!
Total cost: $0 if you stick to items you already have. Face and hair masks can be found at the drug store for $1 or less.
50) Glow-in-the-dark play dough
The strangest thing you’ll need for this craft is Cream of Tartar – everything else is a standard household item. Mix flour, water, vegetable oil, Vitamin B (or thiamine) and salt together with the Cream of Tartar. The Vitamin B tablets will need to be crushed up before adding them to the mixture.
Whisk it all together until smooth, and heat it in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until the consistency becomes dough-like. Let it cool, and then it’s ready to play! Turn off the light and get out the UV light to show the kids how to play dough glows!
Total cost: $5 or less for a jar.
51) Bird feeders
Bring some birds to the yard with a quick and cheap craft. Cut an orange in half and hollow out the insides. Then place a spoonful of peanut butter and any kind of bird seed, nuts or berries in the half-orange cup. Take some string and hang the little bird feeder in a tree to watch the birds come for a visit and a snack!
If you can’t go to the birds, bring the birds to you and the kids.
52) NASA’s Hubble on your birthday
This resource allows you to input your child’s birthday and see what amazing things NASA’s Hubble telescope has seen on the kid’s special day! It’s a great way to get them involved in some space science. What kid doesn’t love talking about their birthdays?
If you like the image, you can print them out and frame it in the kids rooms too!
Total cost: $0
53) Dance party
Who doesn’t love a good dance party?! They’re fun-filled, and a great way for the kids to get out some extra energy. Clear a space in the middle of the room, and crank up the kid’s favorite tunes, then let them sing and dance their little hearts out!
Upgrade the dance party with some fun props and costumes.
Total cost: $0
54) Brain puzzles
Another engaging yet relaxed activity for when you need some peace and quiet. Doing brain puzzles like word searches, crosswords, anagrams and sudoku help keep the kids brain’s fresh, and help them to think outside the box.
It’s also a great learning opportunity if they don’t already know how to do a puzzle like sudoku. Once they get the hang of it, they’ll be addicted like the rest of us!
Total cost: $0 for online resources, $5 if you choose to buy a booklet.
55) Coloring books
These old classics made an epic come back recently, where books with various levels of difficulty are suitable for all ages. Studies have shown that coloring books can help reduce anxiety, stress, and help people focus. Get out your best colored pencils and let your kids color within the lines (or at least try) of a beautiful design.
No matter how old your kids are, you can enjoy some quiet coloring sessions together. You can buy a coloring book, or choose from an endless supply of printable options online for free.
Total cost: $0, assuming you use the online resources.
There you have it – enough activities to keep your kids busy at home every day for two months. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!
If you’re teaching your kids from home while schools are closed, these are a good break to have in between homeschooling lessons. And if you’re looking for some homeschooling inspiration, see this list of tips from experienced homeschoolers to help guide you on your way.
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