Latest posts by Kumiko Ehrmantraut (see all)
- How I'm Saving Money on Food Costs During Quarantine - June 4, 2020
If you have kids, it can be difficult trying to keep them occupied sometimes. Fortunately, we have plenty of fun websites geared toward keeping children entertained and engaged.
From the fun and creative to the energy-burning and physically challenging — there are plenty of kid activity websites to choose from. Thankfully, there are hundreds of things to do with your kids while at home (arts and crafts, coloring, games, storytelling, and reading books, to name a few). If your mind is too preoccupied to brainstorm, here are a few great websites to check out.
1. How Wee Learn
The How Wee Learn website offers so much information and tons of fun activities for the parents of young children. Hosted by Sara, a part-time kindergarten teacher and mother of three has a passion for living simply. The ideas aim to cut the fuss and bring children into a spirit of play and adventure.
Sara shares tips on how to add fun to a simple nature walk and offers so many excellent, inexpensive, and fun ways to pass the time. Perhaps her best and most unique offering is in the sharing of how to create clever “quiet bins” — these practical and straightforward bins will no doubt bring peace to homes that grew busier, louder, and more active overnight.
● Related: 10 Websites That Make Learning At Home Fun
2. Kidsactivities.com
The kidsactivities.com website offers a list of 40 virtual field trips to keep your kids inspired and on the move – if only digitally for the moment. Amazing trips around the globe, like a virtual tour of the Great Wall of China to the mysteries of Ancient Greece. How about an African Safari, checking out the wildlife and beauty of the Etosha National Park in Namibia in Africa.
From tours of the White House, access to various Aquarium and Zoo cams, and crafts, your kid will be occupied for hours having fun on this site.
3. Smart School House
Kelly Dixon offers DIY craft and gift ideas, along with fun recipes at Smart School House. The instructions are straightforward and easy to follow along with. From how to make inexpensive homemade glue with three common pantry ingredients, to DIY holiday ornaments for every member of the family, Smart Schoolhouse offers so many options to bust at home boredom.
One of the activities includes how to make homemade paint. The necessary ingredients to make your own paint include flour, salt, water, and food coloring. Let them have at it, who knows you might be unleashing the next Picasso.
4. Project Nursery + Junior
If relaxation is more appealing, consider a DIY spa day with your kids. This is a really neat project, but it is not for the faint at heart. The way it’s presented, it is a full pampering of you and your daughters. Project Nursery + junior breaks down the basics behind creating the perfect zen experience. From face masks made from basics found in your fridge and pantry, to creating a pedicure station – this website makes planning a special spa day easy. Making and eating fancy crustless cucumber sandwiches and delicate cupcakes will certainly create wonderful memories!
Another fun activity is “Faces in Nature: An Art Activity from Your Own Backyard.” You can go on a nature walk at a nearby park and gather things to make artwork, like twigs, wildflowers, flower petals, weeds, stones, and anything else you gather. I like this because it teaches our children to see the beauty in everyday things and how to see beauty and purpose in something that might seem useless.
● Read: 25 Things to Do for Free This Summer
5. Mommy Poppins
For a more active afternoon, check out the Mommy Poppins website. One blog post features 25 exercise games and indoor activities. Kids and movement naturally go together, so headstands, wheelbarrow racing, and jump roping are all on the list. Also on the list – a do-it-yourself obstacle course.
Hopscotch and pillow fights are other suggestions – remember, the simpler, the better holds true when the goal is to make your kids happy. And given that music brings joy, freeze dance and dance parties also made the cut. However you choose to move, know that it is a great mood lifter for kids – and parents too. We can all do with a little more music and movement in our days!
6. StoryJumper
What better way for your child to be creative than to write their own book! With StoryJumper, your little one can create their own book online for free. They have the opportunity to create, collaborate, illustrate, and narrate their own book from beginning to end. You can also listen to or read existing books that other people have created.
Let your kid be a published author for the day. Who knows, maybe they'll find their next hobby!
7. Disney's Imagineering in a Box
Kahn Academy and Disney teamed up to create Imagineering in a Box, which is an online resource that allows your kids to see how artists, designers, and engineers work together to create theme parks. Your child will be able to design a theme park of their very own with tools and supplies found around the house.
Kids will start by building their own world, which will later be where they create their own attractions. What I love most about Imagineering in a Box is the amount of detail Kahn Academy and Disney put into this resource. Each lesson will descriptively walk your child through each step, whether that be drawing their character or watching a video on how engineers put together their favorite roller coaster.
8. ZiggityZoom
ZiggityZoom is the place to go if you're looking for daily adventures for your whole family. The creators, Kristin and Sharon, are a mother-daughter duo who believes that creativity and adventure begin at home. They offer tons of free activities, from cooking holiday-themed treats to making homemade moon slime.
ZiggityZoom also offers pretend play environments, as well as an extensive list of games that the whole family can play on family game night. Your child can easily spend hours on this site, navigating through the activities with ease and allowing their creative mind to show!
9. KidSites.com
KidSites.com is an extremely reliable and reputable site that has many options to choose from. First, you will need to select a category in which you wish to explore. KidSites will then provide a list of websites that you can choose from within that category. There are resources for parents and teachers there as well.
What I love most about KidSites is the extensive list of websites for your child to look through. They have options ranging from exploring sports exhibits to doing crafts at home using supplies found around the house. Whatever they find to do, they will be kept busy exploring and letting their creativity flow.
10. The Budget Mom loves to have fun, too
Last but not least, a couple of selections from my favorite blog! I know we focus on a lot of serious stuff, but we like to have fun, too. If your child wants to cook, why not make these Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins together? This is a perfect recipe if you have some bananas that are getting a little old.
If your child gets bored with taking a bath, you might want to try my DIY Lego Bath Fizzies. It will let your little ones keep the fun times rolling in the bath. These are easy to make, and what you do is place a small toy, like a Lego character, inside. As the fizzy ball fizzles out, your child will discover a toy in the middle. If Legos are not their thing, you can substitute any other small toy for the same happy surprise effect. I hope your kid loves this craft idea as much as my son!
There’s some great tips here. I’m desperate to watch the imagineers this on Disney plus too!