Kids are constantly on the go.  Their energy is boundless and their zest for life is contagious.  One of the best things about having kids is that they can bring out the child in us. However, it’s easy for parents to get bored with the same old activities.

I’ve been in the same situation.  The monotony of the usual activities was driving me nuts, so I decided to create a list of fun activities to do with kids.

Doing fun things together builds a strong bond and a connection that is important for kids and parents to have.

There are a variety of activities to do with kids and this list is just a sampling.

This post is part of the series “31 Days to Household Happiness”. If you would like to join in on the rest of the series, you can CLICK HERE.

Why activities with kids are important:

If you think back on what brought you joy in your childhood, it probably had something to do with an adult that was involved in your life.  The connection that kids feel with adults is what will get them through life.

Our bonds and our relationships we form as kids, are the cornerstones for everything else that goes on in life.

Being intentional and seeking out things that you can do with your kids not only strengthens your relationship with your kids, but also breaks up the common routine that you might have fallen into.  I’m guilty as charged on that one!

Activities with your kids don’t have to be expensive, or extravagant.  In fact, some of my kids’ favorite memories are of things we did that were free, and often right in our backyard.

Fun activities with kids:

1. Fly kites.
2. Go to a water park.
3. Have a picnic in the backyard.
4. Go to a magic show.
5. Make homemade ice cream.
6. Skip rocks at a lake or river.
7. Go on a nature hike.  You can do some fun activities while you’re exploring.
8. Go to the local library and check out books.
9. Start a vegetable and fruit garden.
10. Go to a children’s museum.
11. Teach your child an instrument or other hobby you can enjoy together.
12. Blow bubbles with wands, or use a fun bubble blower.
13. Go to an aquarium.
14. Create decoupage art with Mod Podge.
15. Ride bicycles around your neighborhood.
16. Paint portraits of each other.
17. Play “Simon Says”.
18. Go to a sand festival.
19. Make your own ant farm.
20. Play a board game together.
21. Have your child interview you, using these interview questions.
22. Take a pottery painting class.
23. Play hide and seek.
24. Fill water balloons and try to throw them in a pail.
25. Go kayaking or canoeing.
26. Create a recipe together.  Trial and error style!
27. Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
28. Look at your child’s baby book together.
29. Go to a skate park.
30. Play a card game.
31. Go to the closest beach.
32. Have a water fight.
33. Play with sidewalk chalk.
34. Plan a vacation to another city/state/country.
35. Build a snowman.  
36. Create a fairy garden.
37. Go to a sporting event.
38. Ride a train together.
39. Send a care package to someone serving in the military.
40. Go to the Farmer’s Market and pick out some fresh food.
41. Go shopping at a toy store.
42. Create bags of self-care items to give out to homeless people.
43. Go to an air balloon festival.
44. Cook a 4-course breakfast together.
45. Curl up on the couch and read books together.
46. Dress up and go to a fancy dinner.
47. Sing karaoke together.
48. Create a butterfly garden.
49. Take silly selfies.
50. Push each other on the swings.
51. Go on a camping trip.
52. Pitch a tent in your living room and have an at-home camping trip.
53. Use magazines to make a collage of things you enjoy.  
54. Tour a factory.
55. Go sledding together.
56. Do a puzzle together.
57. Spend time outside playing.
58. Play “I spy”.
59. Go to an air show.
60. Make a mud pie.
61. Volunteer at your local food pantry.
62. Make paper airplanes.
63. Do yoga together.
64. Go to your local park and explore.
65. Make homemade bath bombs.  
66. Play tennis together.
67. Look through family pictures together and make a photo album.
68. Go window shopping together.
69. Have a date night, kids’ choice on where to go.
70. Create a night sky canvas with lights.
71. Go to a bookstore and read together.
72. Have a pillow fight.
73. Make your own play-doh.  
74. Sing in the rain.
75. Go to the local fair.
76. Play some math games (they’ll never know they’re learning!)
77. Have a dance party.
78. Go see a play at a theater.
79. Make a bird feeder (DIY bird feeder)
80. Have a Lego building contest.
81. Go fishing together.
82. Chat over an ice cream cone.
83. Paint rocks and leave them around town.
84. Build a tree house.
85. Go to a trampoline park together.
86. Explore your city.
87. Choose a city within driving distance and go exploring.  You can use this fun Road Trip Journal!  
88. Build a fort in the living room.
89. Go to a train museum.
90. Make a time capsule and bury it.
91. Rent a bounce house and jump the day away.
92. Volunteer at the local nursing home.
93. Make no-sew tablemats.  
94. Make up a new game and play it.
95. Go for a walk and look at everything around you.
96. Make a bucket list.
97. Learn a secret handshake.
98. Dress up and have a photo op.
99. Race remote control cars.

Other Parenting Posts You Might Enjoy:

>> Parenting Skills:  What Does it Take to Be a Good Parent?
>> How to Stop Temper Tantrums Before They Start
>> Raising Whole Kids in a Broken World

If you’re looking for even more ways to be intentional with your kids and activities you can do together, you can also take  The 7-day Fun-With-Kids Activity Challenge by Kindsmind.org.