We’ve finally reached the dog days of summer! Because social distancing guidelines limit the places that are open and safe to visit, finding activities to do as a family can be tough. But luckily, there are plenty of options for crafts to make and games to play using things you may already have around the house.
We’ve put together a list of 30 DIY activities and games that you and your children can make from everyday items. Whether your family is in the mood for two-ingredient playdough, paper doll crafts, or even laundry basket Skee-Ball, you’ll find an exciting new way to spend an afternoon together.
1. All you need to make this birdhouse are popsicle sticks, twine, glue, and scissors.
2. Draw this sidewalk chalk obstacle course on your driveway to get your children moving and having fun.
3. If you have a few flowers to spare, this paint and paper craft can be a colorful way to spend an afternoon.
4. This fishing game has the potential to keep children entertained and learning about shapes for hours on a rainy day.
5. Put together a cereal box guitar, then see if you can learn to play a song with it.
6. Create some paper finger puppets, then make up a story for them to act out.
7. If you have a shoebox that you can repurpose, make a mini theater for your new finger puppets.
8. Set up a masking tape track for a new way to have fun with race car toys.
9. Make your own indoor bowling pins, then set them up to see how many you can knock down with a ball.
10. Mix up some edible finger paint to make an art project that looks as good as it tastes.
11. If there’s an adult free to supervise, these paper balloon animals can make for an easy and adorable craft.
12. Using colorful paper, make some crawling paper caterpillars and race them to the finish line of your choice.
13. This DIY game of indoor croquet can be a great way to help younger children learn to count.
14. Play laundry basket Skee-Ball for an at-home twist on the classic arcade game.
15. With just pipe cleaners, you can make your own cute and colorful flower rings.
16. If you have pencils, paper, and sewing pins at home, you can make some DIY pinwheels.
17. Ice painting can be a creative activity that will also keep kids cool during the hot summer months.
18. Print out these Disney-themed “Would You Rather?” cards, then have fun as a family answering the different questions.
19. Two or more family members can play a game of clothespin tag.
20. Try balloon hockey—a kid-friendly twist on hockey in which players round up all the balloons into a cardboard box.
21. Make some two-ingredient playdough, then see how many different things your children can sculpt from it.
22. Play a few of these Minute to Win It games as a family, like “Pink Elephant” or “Noodling Around.”
23. This version of the beanbag toss game is super easy to set up and can be made from everyday items. If you don’t have any beanbags around the house, try playing with a similarly-sized ball.
24. Put together monster bookmarks as a craft that will encourage your children to read.
25. Young children can practice fine motor skills while giving a haircut to this yarn paper doll craft.
26. This tape shape game is tons of fun and especially helpful for teaching younger children about letters or shapes.
27. If you have yarn at home, teach your children a fun new skill: finger knitting.
28. Fold up a few origami jumping frogs, then see which one can jump the farthest.
29. Make use of empty milk jugs with this milk jug toss game.
30. Print out these ABC cards, then use them as a way to exercise as a family while practicing the alphabet.
