9 ways to keep the kids busy without spending a fortune

  • Save

No matter the age of your children finding productive and budget-friendly things to do can be quite challenging. Below are nine ways (that won’t cost a fortune) you can use on any day of the week to keep the kids busy.

Give them lots of colouring room

Kids of all ages enjoy colouring but depending on the age the activity can go pretty quickly before they are bored again. A way to switch up just plain old colouring is to buy a big roll of plain white wrapping paper.

Use the wrapping paper and spread it out anywhere like the floor or across a table. This can be really cool for kids because they can just keep pulling the paper whenever they need more space to draw and get creative.

Indoor camp out

What kid doesn’t love to pretend play and make their dreams come true? What they would love even more is actually bringing their imagination to life. Bringing the camping inside is just the fun they may be looking for.

For this activity you will need a tent, a real one will do or one made from sheets is good too. Pretend to light a fire and eat freeze-dried foods.

You could also make indoor s’mores very easily at your stove or in your microwave. Be sure to get the sleeping bags and ghost stories ready for a fun night under the ‘stars’.

In need of a furry friend?

If you can’t commit to an animal year round you can try pet sitting. This can also help you decide whether you and the family are ready to get your own yet. It could be just a phrase and you end up doing all the work. Check out sites like BorrowMyDoggy which is our go-to.

  • Save

Get the kids in the kitchen!

Do your kids love dousing their food in tomato or barbeque sauce? Why not get them in the kitchen and teach them how to make their own!!

It’s a perfect way to introduce some nutritional education and awareness to what really is in store bought sauce! Start with a basic bbq sauce recipe then you could move onto pesto or aioli! Watch out you might end up with a Jamie Oliver on your hands!

How to keep kids busy without breaking the bank #parentingtips #thingstodwithkids #kids
  • Save

Indoor obstacle course

Sometimes it’s just simply too cold or rainy to get out of the house. Bad weather or not kids need to be able to have the space to release all of the energy they have. Creating an obstacle course in your home is fun for everyone.

Try making the string laser course like you see in the movies for your kids. All you really will need is lots of string to create the course and then your kids can collect the objects you already have at home and put them in baskets at either end of the course.

Get crafty

There is nothing like a bit of DIY that gets kids excited! Learning how to make their own things will also give them a better appreciation for their belonging as well as the costs of things.

Make sure you pick something that is useful but also achievable for a few age groups. You could try making animal masks or maybe a learn how to make their own bandana

keep the kids busy
  • Save

A day of volunteering

An awesome way to give kids some perspective on how others live is to have them give back in some capacity. It teaches kids to have empathy and care for others around them as well as to have gratitude for what they have in life.

There are many ways to give back that kids may be able to participate in. Some great places to start volunteering are your local soup kitchen, animal shelters, or spending the day cleaning up trash at your local park.

Sensory bins

Young toddlers to school ages children love to play with sensory bins. Sensory bins can be fairly messy so be sure to work on a sheet or outdoors where it is okay for you and the kids to get a little dirty.

Make shimmer snow made from baking soda and glitter. Try a coloured rice bin with just plain rice and food colour. If you want to avoid the mess altogether fill a bin with cotton balls and simply add kitchen utensils and measuring cups and the kids will have a blast.

keep the kids busy
  • Save

Make your own t-shirts

Let’s be real, kids will practically draw all over the house if you let them. Foster their creativity skills and design your own t-shirts. It doesn’t take much to get this done and can be made on new or old shirts.

Use any type of art medium your child likes such as crayons, markers, or even let them paint on their shirt. Make sure to hand wash and dry your shirts so that your kids can cherish their creations for years to come.

With a little of creavity and planning it’s easy to keep the kids busy! Once you have built up a repertoire of activities you will have then away from the TV and enjoying themselves all holidays!

One comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.