Things to Do With Kids

By: smart-mums

1. Meet with friends at a park and play with the kids on the playground. Push them on the swings or catch them on the slides.
2. Go to a local cycle way/bike track and go rollerblading. A great way to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine and exercise.
3. Go ice-skating - rug up in your warm clothes and head to the closest ice-rink.
4. Have a movie afternoon - great for a rainy day. Rent a couple of good kids movies, make some popcorn and snuggle up with blankets and enjoy the movies.
5. Cook some special treats or family favourites like Gingerbread men. See our Kids in the Kitchen - Cooking Section
6. Go to an indoor play centre (if the weather’s not great outside). Let the kids try out the playground and you can have a coffee with a friend.
7. Try Tenpin Bowling - make sure the bumper bars are up for the littlies.
8. Explore your local wildlife park or the zoo to see all the animals, birds and reptiles.
9. Grab your bike helmets and go for a bike ride.
10. Organise a KidSwap with friends who work. Your kids get to have their friends over for the day to play, and their are lots more participants for games.
11. Browse through your local museum, great to show the kids how things use to be.
12. Try Horse-riding lots of riding centers provide lessons or short rides for younger children.
13. Visit a farm and see all the farm animals, you maybe be able to feed and pat some of the tamer ones.
14. Take a Day trips to a historic towns or a local attractions. Sometimes we never visit the attractions in our local area.
15. Spend the Day at the beach go for a walk and play some games, take the frisbee.
16. Camp Out in the back yard - kids of all ages will love this experience.
17. Have a Picnic or BBQ lunch at the local park - let the kids help pack their favourite lunch and snacks.
18. Do some Gardening with the kids - make a herb garden pot, they are fantastic and useful too!
19. Smile! Get the camera out and let the kids take some photos - download them on the computer and create a slide show.
20. Play dough - buy some or make your own - this will provide hours of fun for you and the kids.
21. Have a Story writing competitions, of help younger children write and illustrate a story.
22. Create a Treasure hunt in the backyard - write out a list of things to find, and let them start hunting.
23. Bury a heap of old dinosaur toys and ‘artifacts’ in a sectioned off part of the garden and give all the kids little shovels.
24. Blow bubbles, try different shape bubble blowers for lots of fun..
25. Buy some cheap timber photo frames and get the kids to paint and decorate them for their rooms.
26. Paper mache…messy but always fun - create a bowl or a piggy bank.
27. Make masks from paper plates, with stick on ears and eyeholes.
28. Create a masterpiece - let the children express their creativity with Painting.
29. Play lets pretend - play shopkeeper or mum/baby or anything you like.
30. Teach the kids to sew or thread with lacing cards.
31. Have a theme days - make it blue day so everyone wears blue, you eat blue food, use blue paints/materials for craft work, sing blue songs, etc.
32. Have a lazy day where everyone gets to stay in their PJ’s and relax.
33. Write and create a play see who is great at drama and acting.
34. Conduct some simple Science experiments.
35. Try your hand at scrap booking, with some coloured paper, kids photos and embellishments.
36. Grocery shopping - take the kids to the Supermarket and let them help you shop, cross of the items on your shopping list. Buy something easy to make for lunch.
37. Board games - Monopoly, Scrabble, Hungry Hippos, and more if there are a few kids have a tournament.
38. Card games - from the simple Snap to Go Fish to Canasta for the older ones. Have lollies or chocolates for prizes.
39. Do a Jigsaw, set up a special area and let everyone help - the harder the better.
40. Make a Kite then take it outside on a windy day to fly it.
41. Go fishing or crabbing and try to catch dinner.
42. Catch local transport - take a ferry, train or bus ride around the City.
43. National Parks and Wildlife run some great holiday programs - have a look here - Australia National Parks Links for your closest park.
44. Lots of Local Libraries hold story-telling workshops during school holidays, and then the kids can borrow some new stories to read.
45. Go Swimming head to the local indoor pool or to the beach or river.
46. See the latest Movie at the Cinema, lots of Cinema’s offer Special Adult prices during School holidays.
47. See what’s on at the Theatre or a live show - the kids will love you for this.
48. Make some music, play some music instruments or sing along to their favourite tunes.
49. Dress Ups - a family favourite find some outfits and play dress ups.
50. Make Plaster Models and then paint them in your favourite colours.
51. Make a collage - go to the park or beach and collect bark, seaweed etc and make a collage.
52. Bush Walk - head of the beaten path and go for a bush or nature walk.
53. Make a Movie - grab the video camera, write a plot, dress up and film your family as the stars of your very own movie.
54. Feed the Birds or the Ducks - get some stale bread and feed these feathered friends.
55. Make Paper Dolls - make a chain of paperdolls and color them all in different colours.
56. Create a puppet show, use soft toys or make small puppets from socks or wooden spoons and put on your own show.
57. Beading - make some jewellery by threading beads, macaroni or small pieces of cut up straws on to string.
58. Build a giant sandcastle or sand scuplture - lots of fun for the beach or a challenge in the Sandpit.
59. Throw hoops - for small children try and throw a ball into a bucket and move it further away, or for older kids use a netball or basket ball ring.
60. Make juice - choose your favourite fruits and squeeze to make lovely fresh juice.
61. Have a skip-a-thon get the skipping rope out and practise your skipping - who can skip the fastest, the longest, try running in together.
62. Go bird watching at the local park or wetlands make a list of birds you see.
63. Do some leaf rubbings, collect an assortment of leaves and place them under paper then use a crayon/pencil to rub over the top.
64. Color experiments - add flowers or celery to jars of different coloured food dyes. Wait and see what colours they go. Works best with white flowers.
65. Play detectives - get some magnifying glasses and a notebook and go exploring write down what you see.
66. Face Painting is lots of fun and you can practice your skills on their trusting little faces.
67. Have a special morning/afternoon tea in the garden. With milkshakes or hot chocolate for the kids and lots of yummy treats. You could even invite Grandma.
68. Play rock, paper, scissors - have a prize for the best out of 10 games.
69. Do some colouring in - there are some great print outs in our Fun & Games Section.
70. Visit the children’s grandparents or another special friend, take a picture or something the children have made.
71. Play computer games with the Kids, find out which ones are their favourites, and which ones you can beat them.
72. Have a game of hide and seek - lots of fun for the little ones.
73. Inside Treasure Hunt - make maps and have the kids follow the maps around the house to locate the prize.
74. Kick the soccer ball, set up some goals and try your luck.
75. Jump in Puddles, great wet weather fun, forget about getting wet and remember the fun of being a kid again.
76. Practise hitting the tennis ball to each other or hit it up in the air and see who can catch it.
77. Play Twister with the Kids - get the game out and start spinning.
78. Put the music on grab the kids and dance around the lounge room.
79. Have a game of t-ball in the backyard or the park.
80. - Have Fun! -

This article is courtesy of Sandy Prosdocimo, Owner/Editor of Smart-Mums