How you keep your kids entertained indoors?

[ThinkingOutLoud8]

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I have recently become a SAHM to my son who is 6. This means money is tighter than before and we can’t afford as many days out, we have done some bits but am struggling with ideas on what else we can do in the house and he still has another week off of school.

We have done baking, board games, dancing, films, drawing etc on the days we have stayed in so far.

What things do you and your kids enjoy doing together? Any inspiration on free indoor activities that your kids love so I can get some ideas for the next nine days ?

was hoping for some ideas too so bump!

As per my user name. Lego and iPads.

TV and playdoh

Not completely free, but I managed to get a surprising amount of hours out of the CBeebies magazine the other day (stickers/crafts/colouring/stories/playing with free gift)... There'll probably be one that matches his interests?

I don't.

I wrap them up or put waterproofs on and go out walking/biking/playing in the garden.

The only time my kids are in all day is if they're poorly

Agree with @flowerycurtain - wrap up and get out of the house on bikes / scooters. You can take a book to read (for example) while they cycle around any local big park. Also, perhaps try geocaching, which is a really fun hobby and can be played anywhere.

Sometimes just encouraging the children to have a bit of alone time to read a few books (perhaps following a visit to the library) is a lifesaver.

Wow, flowery, mine would hate to be constantly on the go. It's great for a person to get some lazy down time.

OP, could you paint some pebbles to hide on walks for people to find?

Make friendship bracelets, make slime, dancing competition to favourite music, Disney karaoke, carve pumpkins, baking, get him to look through recipe books and cook tea together, that game where one person draws a head and you fold it over, movie day with popcorn, blanket forts, Argos catalogue wish list or collage.

Treassure hunts - Google for clue ideas. Ds can then writes clues too. Hiding small toys / plastic gold coins for a timed hunt. Pinterest for themed crafts / colouring sheets. Reading. Book making judt need paper and a rubber band. Slime. Lots of slime. Popcorn and a movie. Lego. Lego challenges - e.g. 5 mins to build something red. Playdates. Oh and YouTube and kindles. I have a dd6 ds4 and ds 3 months - so we spend a lot of time in while I feed /cuddle the baby.

We have a couple of caravan/motor home sales places near us. Nothing better than roaming through the open 'vans on a wet day (and they welcome families!) They also usually have a cheap cafe if they've got a rally field attached.

Ball of string, empty cardboard boxes, paper, sellotape etc.
Make a kite, a house for toys, a town for toy cars.........

Yep agree with poster who says free isn’t necessarily indoors .
I always take them for a good stomp outside unless absolutely pouring with rain. Run round the park, or scooter or bike ride.
Then once they are in it’s easier as they have got the beans out of them and can manage a bit of calm time.
Agree you can get hours out of a ceebebies magazine if you do all the things in it.
At this time of year, we go for a walk, collect leaves and get home and make a college from them. And practice writing the leaf names etc

Carve pumpkins

unfortunately i cant take mine out all the time as its hard work! we need some at home days.

Today was pumpkin carving. Not free but 3 for two pumpkins plus carving bits plus battery candles. Took up a good hour and a half. Another almost free (and almost at hone) activity is coffee. Babychinos are for we and my toddlers love going out for a baby chino. Reading books works well too. Painting windows with a paint brush and cup of water.

If were at home we like to do finger painting, rice crispie bun making, making things with recyclables, scooting or biking around the neighborhood or into town for a hot chocolate, they like 'helping' me make dinner

Thanks for the ideas got some new ones for when we get stuck . Boxes are actually a really good idea too as we have been decorating so have a lot in the garden... don’t know why I didn’t think of that .
Yeah outdoors is good and we have been library’s, park and the woods but doesn’t take up all day and my son isn’t really into outdoors either. I took him to the park armed with ball, bubbles, bat and ball and a picnic a few days ago and he wanted to go home after an hour and I had to really work to keep him entertained to stay out for longer and play, as I didn’t want to be indoors with no idea of what to do again. Then he moaned the whole way home because he had to walk. He likes things like the zoo and farm and bowling but he is quickly bored just out and about at parks etc... I think it’s because it’s just me and him he would probably better with other children around but I only have a couple of people I can arrange play dates with for him so he has had one this week and one next week.

Agree that you need to get out for some 'free activities', walk, Park, local places of interest. You could do a 'town trail' with clues to look out for various shops/buildings. What about inviting a friend round for an afternoon (hopefully the friend's parents will reciprocate). Do you have a local library? You could choose a different 'theme' for each day ie: find something out about a different country, do some craft/cooking relevant to the country. Start making Christmas decorations/cards/presents. Do some homework . Six is old enough to do a few chores around the home.
Can you tell I used to be a Cub Leader?

Monkey500 Yes!! A trip to Go Outdoors and exploring the tents always goes down well.

We do a lot of audio books. DS never gets tired of them and it keeps him calm and entertained for hours.

Not indoors but an autumn treasure hunt so he has to find things like a conker, acorn, toadstool etc and tick them off on a list.

Pumpkin carving then make soup or pumpkin loaf with the middle. Other Halloween type things eg apple bobbing, making decorations.

DD1 enjoyed a pre-Christmas clear out of toys and books last week and helped me to take some things to the charity shop.

Check out The Dad Lab on Instagram...some cool, simple and cheap fun ideas. We did loads over the holidays. Also look on Pinterest...’indoor games/crafts’. I have a board set up that I save loads of ideas. All cheap/free...kids love them x

Mine like challenges like build a sheep out of Lego or experiments like throw a wet teabag and a dry teabag across the garden and see which goes furthest. Cut the bottom off a plastic bottle and put a sock over the widest end. Swish it in a bowl of washing up liquid and water and blow bubbles. Make a 'secret passage' in the house or garden with play tunnels and or blankets. If you have a children's centre near you they might do an activity day in the park or somewhere.

A few balls of cheap, bright wool keeps my DS entertained, turning downstairs into a giant spider web/laser course. Drives me mad but when he's done I just snip it down and bin.

If weather dry he does it in the garden.

He's 8.

not for everyone but family gave money for Christmas towards annual pass to local zoo last year, I was on mat leave so used it loads. worth thinking about if you have too many toys.

If you have lots of cardboard boxes how about making a puppet theatre and he can put shows on for family or his teddies.

My DD at similar age used to love making a house for her plastic creatures and painting the outside and inside and making furniture out of cardboard and raiding my rag bag for bedding.

Making forts with blankets and having s picnic tea under there.

Cooking simple dishes for dinner: pasta bake or macaroni cheese.

Making paper snowflakes ❄️

Painting pine cones.

Slime slime and more slime - we have tons and it regularly gets played with.

Homemade play doh - find recipe online.

Planting winter flowering plants.