50 fun activities for children during lockdown

The nation has learned a lot about how to keep ourselves sufficiently entertained with less over the past few months spent in lockdown.

However, even harder than keeping just yourself busy, is trying to keep on top of your child's restless energy.

Now that most lockdown restrictions have been lifted, more of us are spending time outdoors and restarting our old activities. However, for the rainy days ahead, we can all use our lessons learned from lockdown to keep the boredom at bay.

From encouraging your child’s inner Van Gogh with arts and crafts, to unleashing their star potential with karaoke (just to name a few), here are 50 activities that can be done in the comfort of your own home, garden or local area.

Finger painting

Let your child express their creative side with this messy but fun way to paint - put down a plastic sheet or newspapers and let them get stuck in.

Origami

This can keep the kids entertained for hours (especially if you make their favourite animals) and it makes very little mess. Win-win.

Bake a cake

This is a great way to teach your child the basics of baking and is sure to go down a treat.

Play hide and seek

If you make sure to make all the nooks and crannies in your home as child-safe as possible before playing, this will provide fun for all the family.

Make salt dough jewellery

Salt dough jewellery is an inexpensive way to let your child expand its fashion choices

Make wooden spoon puppets

Easy and simple to make, you can create anything from a dragon to a ballerina.

Stage a historical re-enactment

This is a great, educational activity for kids with lots of energy and a dramatic streak.

Create plastic bottle rockets

If your child is less than interested in science at school, this experiment could certainly change that.

Play scrabble

A family game of scrabble is a great way for older children to brush up on their spelling and vocabulary.

Story time

Take it in turns to read stories to each other. Try to use different voices for each character, to really make the tale come alive.

Make a scrapbook

Grab your child’s favourite little trinkets, along with old tickets from fun days out, postcards from holidays, photographs from their earliest years (and whatever else you wish) and put them in a scrapbook together for safe keeping.

Make gingerbread people

Why not make yourself and your child into a gingerbread person for a fun creative activity and a yummy snack.

Indoor gardening

Give each child a pot plant to care for and watch it grow, along with your child’s gardening skills.

Make a colourful baking soda volcano

This is another fun science experiment which will not only entertain but can teach your children about chemical reactions.

Make scented playdough

Making your own playdough not only saves you money but also provides great family fun both during and after the activity.

Make a paper train

Not too different from origami, this paper train template, created by c2c Rail, will certainly help keep kids entertained during lockdown. All you need is a paper, a printer, some scissors, some glue and some colouring pencils.

Make birthday cards

Whip out your yearly planner and make a note of all of your loved ones birthdays’ coming up. Then start making extra personalised cards for each of them with photos, drawings, and glitter.

Shrink a crisp packet science experiment

Use this step-by-step guide to shrink a crisp packet, then turn it into a keyring by puncturing a small hole in its corner and feeding the ring through.

Make a rainbow sensory bottle

Afterwards, place a light under the bottle, to let the colour fill your room.

Wash the car

Kids love any excuse to play with garden hose pipes and water guns. So now the summer weather is approaching, try asking them to help give your car a rinse.

Decorate some garden rocks

When you next go outside to exercise, try to collect as many smooth rocks as you can. Back indoors, get inspired by this video and then get decorating.

Play charades

This popular family game will help get you all moving.

Do a Joe Wicks online exercise class

These classes will help make sure the kids are getting plenty of exercise during lockdown.

Make bookmark creatures

These unique bookmarks are fun to make and could help inspire your child’s love of reading.

Cook dinner together

Now that the evening commute is a distant memory for many, why not use this extra time to teach your child this very necessary life skill?

Go on a bike ride

Use your daily exercise to see more of your local area by bike - just make sure to keep a safe distance from others.

Play hopscotch

Put the phones and tablets down and grab some coloured chalk for some outdoor fun on your driveway.

Karaoke

With so many different karaoke songs to choose from on YouTube, this activity could unleash your child's inner star.

Write a short story or comic book

Give your kid a notebook and a pen and get brainstorming story ideas. It’s likely your child will surprise you with their endless imagination.

Play skipping games

If you have some outdoor space to call your own, grab a skipping rope or two and teach your child the catchy skipping rhymes you used to chant in your school days. If your memory fails you, try these golden oldies.

Binge the Harry Potter series

First get them to read the books, if they haven't already, before sitting down as a family to enjoy the film series together. This will help transport them to a fantastic world far removed from the current lockdown.

Learn a foreign language

With the help of online tools such as Duolingo, Gus on the Go, and Little Pim, to name a few, you’ll be a multilingual household before you can say bravo.

Play fetch with the dog

Use your exercise time to play a simple game of fetch with your family’s best friend.

Do a TikTok dance challenge

This social media app has seen huge numbers of people across the world get up and start dancing to a variety of popular songs with upbeat choreography. So why not join in the fun?

Try your hand at poetry

There's more to poetry than reading Shakespeare and Wordsworth. It can be an exciting way for your child to express themselves. Try these unique ways to get your child’s inner poet to surface.

Dig a flower bed

If you have a garden, you’ll no doubt be wanting to spend as much time in it as possible during lockdown. So why not make it look as beautiful as possible, with added flowers. Kids love getting messy, so this muddy task will certainly brighten their day.

Stretch it out with some yoga

This helpful YouTube channel promises to make your kids stronger, calmer and wiser. What’s not to love?

Make a healthy smoothie

Follow these easy yummy recipes together, to enjoy the sunny weather with a healthy smoothie in hand.

Make Ice lollies

Use an ice lolly mould and some fruit juice to create some scrumptious ice lollies to enjoy when the sun shines.

Learn an instrument

Many instruments can be bought online. So even if you child doesn't already play an instrument, now is a great time to do so, while they are currently free from the distraction of school life.

Race paper airplanes

Use this helpful guide to create many different shaped paper airplanes. Then use your bedroom window as a launch site, to see which ones fly the furthest and the fastest. If you don’t own a garden, try racing the planes in your living room, to avoid littering.

Play with the cat

Cats can be just as playful as dogs, so get out the laser pointer and toy mouse to give your feline friend some focus. If you don't own any toys, a simple string tied to a stick is sure to keep your child and your cat entertained.

Build a hut

When you are out on your next family walk, try to collect as many sticks as you can. If you have a garden, these can be used for many hours of hut building. Later on, if the weather permits it, you can use it to sleep out under the stars.

Decorate their bedrooms

You and your children are probably missing the novelties of everyday life. So why not let them spruce up their bedrooms with fresh new paint, or rearrange their furniture, to help stave off the boredom during lockdown.

Clean the dog

Let your child show your pooch some extra love and attention, with a home bath.

Facetime the grandparents

Many of us are missing our Grandparents during lockdown. Even a quick call is sure to keep your children and your parents happy. Afterall, a virtual hug from grandma is better than no hug at all.

Enter a photography competition

There are now several photo competitions online to help young people get the most out of lockdown. With a quick search, you’ll soon find the one that best suits you and your child. Here are some awesome ideas for nature photography during lockdown to get you started.

Expand their musical knowledge

Share with them your favourite bands and artists from the past, for some musical based bonding.

Have fun with their hair

Whether you and your child’s hair is long or short, there are many fun styles to try on each other. Since school is not set to reopen anytime soon, why not use some wash out colours to let your child temporarily experiment with their look.

Build a pillow fort

Everyone loves a well built fort, whether you are an adult or a child. So grab some sofa cushions, bed sheets and fairy lights and make a cosy fort to escape to when lockdown blues kick in.