Things to Do With Kids: 40 Ideas for Any Day

Good things to do with kids don't need to be expensive: build a fort, bake something simple, go on a nature scavenger hunt, visit the library, put on a puppet show, or have a picnic in the living room. The best plan for today depends on the weather, your child's age and how much energy everyone has. Here are 40 ideas sorted by setting, plus a table by age and a few tips for local outings.

Indoor things to do with kids

1. Build a blanket fort with chairs, sheets and pillows.
2. Bake together: muffins, cookies or pizza from scratch.
3. Indoor treasure hunt with picture clues for younger kids, riddles for older ones.
4. Puppet show with socks or paper bags.
5. Living room picnic on a blanket.
6. Dance party with freeze dance and musical statues.
7. Cardboard box city: turn boxes into houses, cars or a rocket.
8. Science in the kitchen: baking soda and vinegar "volcano", sink-or-float tests.
9. Board games and card games like snap, memory or Go Fish.
10. Write and illustrate a story together.
11. Play shop or restaurant with toy food and real coins (coins are a choking hazard, so only with children over 3 and an adult nearby).
12. Sorting games: sort buttons, LEGO or laundry by color (buttons and small bricks only for children over 3).
13. Build a marble run from paper towel tubes (marbles are a choking hazard for under-3s).
14. Listen to an audio story while drawing. See audio stories for kids.

Outdoor things to do with kids

1. Nature scavenger hunt: find a feather, a smooth stone, something red.
2. Sidewalk chalk art, hopscotch or a chalk road for scooters.
3. Bike or scooter ride to a new park.
4. Bug safari with a magnifying glass.
5. Cloud spotting: lie on a blanket and name the shapes.
6. Plant something: herbs on a windowsill or seeds in a pot.
7. Water play on warm days: sponges, buckets, a washing-up "car wash" for toys, always with an adult right there.
8. Puddle jumping in rain boots.
9. Backyard obstacle course.
10. Stargazing on a clear evening.

Free and low-cost outings

1. Library story time and borrowing a stack of books.
2. Free museum days; many museums offer them, so check your local museum's website.
3. Playground tour: visit three playgrounds in one morning.
4. Farmers' market: let kids pick one fruit to try.
5. Train or bus ride just for the ride.
6. Hiking trail or nature reserve.
7. Fire station or community events; some hold open days.
8. Pet store or aquarium store visit to look at the fish.

Rainy-day projects

1. Make play dough from flour, salt, water and a little oil.
2. Create a family newspaper with news, drawings and interviews.
3. Paint rocks to hide in the park later.
4. Start a family journal with one drawing per day.
5. Make a "time capsule" to open next year.

Calm evening activities

1. Jigsaw puzzles on a tray.
2. "Best and hardest part of today" chat at dinner.
3. A bedtime story, perhaps a short tale from our five-minute stories.

Ideas by age

Things to do with kids this weekend: a sample plan

Finding things to do with kids near you

• Check your public library's events calendar; many have free story times and crafts.
• Look at your city or parks department website for family events.
• Museums, zoos and science centers often list family days and discounted times.
• Local parent groups share playgroups and outings.

Things to do with kids by season

Whatever the season, involve your child in choosing. Even a three-year-old can pick between two options, and older children can plan a whole afternoon, including what to pack and when to come home. Planning is a skill, and it makes the day feel like theirs.

Ending the day well

Busy days are happier when they end calmly. A bath, pajamas and a short story signal that the adventures are over for today. Here is an original story about a day just like the ones above:

Today, Max built a fort. He found a feather, a red leaf and a smooth gray stone. He ate a picnic sandwich on the living room floor. Now it was night. Max put the feather, the leaf and the stone on his windowsill. "Goodnight, feather. You can fly in my dreams. Goodnight, leaf. You can float in my dreams. Goodnight, stone. You can keep everything safe." The stone said nothing, because stones are very good at keeping still. And Max, tired from his big day, kept very still too, until he was fast asleep.

How Nori Tales fits in

Nori Tales creates a personalized 7-chapter book each week starring your child and their favorite heroes, one chapter per night, in text, illustrated or audio formats. It turns the end of every day into a little adventure of its own. See the programme for ages 4–6.

Things to do with kids when you are tired

Not every day can be an adventure. On low-energy days, choose activities where children are busy and you can sit:

• "Doctor" or "hairdresser": your child looks after you while you lie on the sofa.
• Sticker books or coloring at the kitchen table.
• Audio stories while building with blocks.
• Bath play with cups and toys (always supervised).
• A walk to the nearest park, where you sit on the bench and they run.
• Library visit to choose a new stack of books.

Turning ideas into a routine

Children thrive on a predictable rhythm, even on free days. A simple shape works well: something active in the morning, something creative after lunch, and something calm in the evening. Write a few ideas on cards and let your child pick one from each pile. It gives them a sense of control and saves you from deciding every time. Keeping meals, naps for younger children and bedtime at roughly the same time helps everyone, especially after busy outings.

Frequently asked questions

What are fun things to do with kids today?

Pick one active and one calm activity: for example a nature scavenger hunt or playground visit, then baking or a blanket fort. Check the weather and your child's energy first.

What can I do with kids indoors?

Blanket forts, baking, treasure hunts, puppet shows, dance parties, cardboard box building, simple kitchen science and board games all work well indoors.

What are free things to do with kids?

Library story times, parks, playground tours, nature walks, sidewalk chalk, stargazing, free museum days and community events cost little or nothing.

What can I do with kids this weekend?

Mix one outing (library, park, market or hike) with one home project (baking, forts, games) each day, and keep a calm evening before the school week.

How do I find things to do with kids near me?

Check your library's events calendar, your city or parks department website, local museums and zoos, and local parent groups for upcoming family activities.

Tonight's adventure

End today with a story. Read chapter 1 free, no account needed, then create a free account to get a weekly personalized book with your child's name.