Fun activities children can do by themselves
- 5-10 minutes
- 3+
Mini missions: send your children to complete these indoor challenges.
1 Can they build a rainbow? They have to find different coloured objects and create a rainbow on the floor.
2 Drive a bus? Tell them to take their favourite teddy on a bus journey and visit every room in the house.
3 Be a unicorn? See how many different shiny things they can collect.
4 Wear all their clothes? How many pairs of leggings, tops, socks and hats can they wear all at once?
5 Play sink or float? Give them a pot of water and then send them off to collect different objects for their experiment.
6 Collect letters? How many things can they find that have the first letter of their name on?
7 Look for shapes? Can they bring you a circle, triangle, square and rectangle?
8 Draw a monster? But they have to go to each room in your house to draw a different part of his body.
9 Find patterns? Can they find something spotty, stripy, checked and flowery?
10 Drive a train? They have to make a train out of a row of cushions and put a favourite toy on each one.
5 Minute Fun Activity Cards have 50 instant ideas like these in an easy-to-use pack. Tell me more.
Easiest ever makes: no tricky step-by-steps to study, just quick ideas that will keep kids busy.
11 Can your child make a googly sock puppet? They simply stick eyes on a sock.
Extend the activity: they can make lots of silly socks.
More googly eye crafts.
12 Create a paper cup hat? Kids can decorate a paper cup to turn it into a hat to wear. Later, tape some string inside so they can tie it onto their head.
More paper cup makes.
13 Craft a raisin box monster? Your child covers a raisin box with paper and then draws a face and/or adds googly eyes.
Try more raisin box ideas.
14 Turn a kitchen roll tube into a pretend telescope? Tell them to cover it in paper and decorate it with stickers, sequins or buttons.
Extend the activity: can they use the telescope to look for birds out of the window?
15 Make a card for someone special? Fold a piece of paper or card for your child to draw a picture on. They can add stickers and glue on craft supplies to make it look extra special.
Extend the activity: Can they write their name and/or a message to someone they love inside. Then post it together.
More great ways to make cards.
16 Turn a hand into a sloth? They draw around their hand, cut out the handprint, and colour it brown. Then draw a sloth’s face on the thumb and toes on the end of each finger.
More super sloths.
17 Decorate biscuits? Just give your child icing pens to give their biscuit a funny face.
Try more great biscuit designs.
18 Create a calm collage? Give them magazines, a blank piece of paper, safe scissors and a glue stick. Can they create a picture by snipping and sticking images they like?
More calm ideas.
19 Take a play clay challenge? Can they roll the dough to make a snake? Turn the snake into a snail? How about turning a ball of clay into a fish?
See more easy play dough sculptures.
20 Make their own lunch? Just give them the bread and fillings to make a sandwich. Then they use cutters to make them into fun shapes.
See more healthy lunch ideas.