Disclosure: This is a collaborative post

Kids love to play and be active. It is important for their development but also lets them learn how to socialize with others in a fun way, without too much stress.

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Here Are The Top 13 Kids Activities:

Playdough

This simple activity is always a favourite among kids. All you need is a big ball of playdough and a bunch of different shaped cookie cutters! If your child isn’t old enough to use sharp objects or doesn’t know how to use them yet, make sure you supervise them closely when they are using them, though. Playing with playdough also helps improve their fine motor skills, so it really is a win-win.

Bubble Wrap Sculptures

Bubble wrap makes the perfect canvas for kids to create wonderful things with! All you have to do is tape down a piece of bubble wrap and let your child go nuts. You can even provide them with some paint or markers if they want to make a more colourful creation. 

Of course, you should also give them small objects like those plastic Easter eggs from those chocolate egg hunts, along with those cool wooden beads typically used as sensory toys, and maybe even their favourite toy cars. Just don’t let them play with the items alone, though, as the little wheels and beads may pose choking hazards.

Chalk Drawings

This one is perfect if your child enjoys playing outdoors. All you need is a box of sidewalk chalk, and you are good to go! You can let them draw whatever they want or make up their own designs. Letting your child express themselves this way will also help them develop their creative side as well as their motor skills, along with giving them a great sense of accomplishment once completed too.

Snow Art

If it snows in the winter where you live, then this is definitely an activity for you and your child to enjoy together! All you have to do is put some food colouring into water and either let it freeze overnight or just stick it in the freezer for about twenty minutes. Then all they have to do is take it out and play! It also gives them a chance to develop their fine motor skills as well.

Self Portraits

Even the youngest of children can enjoy this activity; all you have to do is give them an empty cereal box and some crayons or markers. Letting your child draw themselves will help them improve their hand-eye coordination as well as their concentration too. 

If they want to go the extra mile with it, ask them what kind of hair and eye colour they’d like to have! Not only does it teach a little bit about colours, but it also gives them free imagination time, which is good for kids at any age.

Take A Walk To The Park

Even just taking a walk to holiday parks is enough activity for this list. Simply packing some snacks, water bottles, and sunscreen in your child’s backpack along with their swimsuit can be enough to get both of you out of the house! During the summer months, everyone needs more time outdoors anyway after being cooped up all winter long—just don’t forget the insect repellent!

Marshmallow Catapults

All you need for this activity is a cup and some marshmallows or plastic spoons. Simply put the marshmallow in the cup, then let them take turns launching it into another cup! If your child wants even more fun, make it a contest and see who can launch their marshmallow the farthest! You can also create different sizes of cups to make things interesting. It allows kids to work on their fine motor skills as well as their aim too.

Shadow Pictures

This one is perfect for springtime since there will be plenty of sunshine available during that time of year. All you have to do is tape a piece of white paper onto the window and give your child some coloured markers. They then draw on the paper with their back towards the window, and when they turn around to look at it, you’ll see their shadow! It’s a great way for them to express themselves as well as encourage creativity.

Tie-Dye Shirts

This activity is perfect any time of year since all you need are some t-shirts and sharpies. You can also pre-wash your t-shirt to make it easier on yourself or let your child help do it. Then simply have your child colour away! This allows them to work on their fine motor skills as well as develop their imagination too. You may even want to give them a few stencils, so they don’t get bored with this one quickly, either.

Scavenger Hunt

One of the easiest activities on this list, simply give your child or children their own “list”, which should include things they may find outdoors, such as bugs, rocks, flowers, leaves, sticks, etc. 

They should then proceed to go out and find the items listed in the scavenger hunt! Not only does it encourage imagination and creativity, but it also gets them outside in the sun. It’s a great way to spend time with your kids, too, if you need some bonding time this summer.

Chalk Obstacle Course

This activity is perfect for older children who are past colouring on paper since you’ll need larger pieces of paper for this one—such as poster board or cardboard boxes (but not cereal boxes!). 

Simply draw an obstacle course similar to what you see at a carnival or circus on a sheet of paper. Then, give them sidewalk chalk and have them take turns racing each other through the course. It encourages physical activity as well as teamwork and imagination too—what more could you ask for in a fun summertime activity?

Outdoor Zumba

One of the many favourite summertime activities is Zumba, since moving around is actually encouraged in this aerobic workout routine! Of course, little kids probably won’t want to do the whole thing just yet—but they’ll have fun doing part of it with you. If your child likes movement, then this is definitely an excellent option for the warmer summer months.

Hide & Seek Tag

This activity is just like traditional hide and seek, except instead of tagging someone who they found first, the hiders try to tag those who are still hiding! This way, everyone gets to run around playing the game—and hopefully having fun too.

It encourages which can help reduce stress as well as a physical activity since it’s no fun hiding if you’re exhausted from running around. Plus, it increases communication skills when they have to ask others for help locating the hiders.