Entertain your kids at home on a budget

We’re conscious of cost-of-living burdens that are still sky-high, so we didn’t want to suggest anything that’ll risk breaking the bank. 

Instead, here are 10 activities you could use to entertain the kids from home while keeping costs low. 

1. Host a mini-Olympics 

Consider a quick relay with a homemade torch (maybe using cardboard and orange/red tissue paper) and a short opening ceremony to kick things off. 

Then jump onto events that make sense for your backyard. You could mimic real Olympic events with athletic races, long jump, swimming (if you have a pool) and even a triathlon. 

But you don’t have to be limited to ‘real’ Olympic events, either – there’s plenty of fun to be had with water balloon races, tunnel hurdles or an obstacle course. Plus, you could get creative with ten-pin bowling, or old classics like a three-legged race or egg and spoon race. 

To add to the fun, you can include some medals - whether you choose homemade, plastic ones bought cheap, or perhaps some gold-foil wrapped chocolate coins. 

 
2. Make a time capsule 

Here’s a great way to preserve some memories and save for a future date (whether that’s months or years from now). 

First, choose a container. You could use a simple cardboard or plastic box for inside storage, or perhaps a well-sealed metal box for outdoors (especially if you plan to bury it). Then it’s time to choose some mementos to include. 

Maybe the kids could put in artwork, a school project or a favourite toy. You could also include a lock of hair, a current newspaper or maybe a ticket from a recent outing. On top of that, you might like to throw in current height and weight measurements, photos and even get the kids to write an ‘About Me’ page (or a short letter to their future self). 

Once you’ve decided where you’ll store it and you’ve got all your items together, pack your container and say goodbye (at least until re-opening day). 

 
3. Backyard cinema 

Here’s a simple classic: an at-home cinema experience to rival going to the movies… without the eye-watering ticket prices. 

Very quick and easy to set up – simply bring the TV outside and line up chairs in front just like at a real cinema. Perhaps you could have kids sitting up in the front row and the adults behind them. Just make sure you watch out for the weather (or set up shop under some cover). 

To round out the experience, you can add some authentic movie snacks like popcorn, drinks served in large cups and maybe some ice cream. 

You should only be out the cost of the snacks (but at supermarket prices), especially if you watch something on one of your existing streaming platforms.
 

4. Story time  

Another fun activity that will get the creativity going is to have your kids work on a story book. The book could be as simple as some A4 paper stapled together (or bound using a hole-punch and some string). 

Match the focus on how old the kids are: if they’re younger, they could draw pictures, and if they’re older, it could be a written story. Or if you have kids of varying ages, you could put the two ideas together and have the older kids write a story to match pictures drawn by the little ones. 

Make sure you have a good set of crafting supplies on hand to make the story book as pretty as possible. And when it’s finished, carve out some time to read the story (or stories) all together as a family. 

 
5. Treasure hunt 

For this you can navigate around the house and the backyard, and even include parts of the neighbourhood. Create some clues to hide at certain locations and get your kids on the hunt for them, leading all the way to a prize at the end. 

You can tailor the difficulty of the clues to the ages of the kids involved. For example, you might use pictures for younger children and some word games (including anagrams or short riddles) for older kids. 

To get started, you’ll just need some paper and pens to create the clues, along with a cool prize (or prizes) for the kids at the finish line. 

 
6. Scavenger hunt 

A scavenger hunt could be just as much fun for the kids, and pretty easy for you to set up around the house and yard. But instead of searching for treasure, you’ll get them on the hunt to collect a series of items. 

You could get the kids chasing down a checklist of different things, set up a colour hunt (where you give the kids colours on a page and they find and collect objects that match those colours) or even a theme-based hunt (like cooking or the garden). 

As with the treasure hunt, match the skill level to your kids’ ages and decide if they’re working in teams or running solo. Prepare some fun prizes and then you’ll be ready to rock and roll. 

 
7. Host a tea party or make an at-home restaurant 

This is a great way to get the imagination going and have the kids jump in the kitchen. 

Get them to start by creating a menu. If it’s a tea party it could be a simple cake or biscuits, but if it’s a restaurant, they might like to come up with three courses to serve. They can also choose how they’d like to decorate, perhaps with some special serviettes and homemade table settings. 

Help the kids out every step of the way to make their little party a success and consider making it a real event: you could invite over some of their friends, or perhaps the grandparents could pop over and take part. 

8. Fashion parade 

Of course, playing dress ups is an old classic, and now could be a great time to dust it off for the kids. You can turn it into a proper fashion parade and photo shoot, with your children trying out a variety of outfits, which could include some creations of their own. 

Getting them in some of Mum and Dad’s clothes could add to the fun, and you could even throw in some contests like ‘silliest hat’ or ‘craziest costume’. 

9. Backyard camping 

There’s nothing quite like pulling out the tent for the kids for some at-home camping. You could start out the adventure with a backyard picnic, including games and some lunch. From there you could help the kids erect your tent for the camping fun to begin. 

The kids could spend time in the tent in the afternoon, perhaps playing games or some quiet time reading (or even taking a nap). To take it to the next level, at dinner, you could make an authentic camping-style meal to eat in the backyard together. 

And then depending on their ages and enthusiasm, the kids could have a sleepover in the tent (even if they don’t quite make it all the way to the next morning). 

 
10. Making music 

This last idea could end up being a touch loud, so you might want to give the neighbours a bit of a head’s up first. But if you go for it, it could provide the kids with hours of fun. 

The goal: create a music wall using everyday items from around the house. 

You’ll need a sturdy fence or wall to set up the music station, along with a stack of objects that kids can bang, shake, blow into or rattle. You can use string to hang pots, pan lids, and cooling racks. Plus, you can add old paint cans filled with dried beans, plastic tubing and biscuit tins, along with anything that has ridging or fluting (like a quiche tin) and whistles. 

Then all your kids will need is a couple of wooden spoons to get making their very own tunes.