Kids already have what seems like an unlimited amount of energy. Combine that with orders to stay at home and keep a distance from friends and you’ll get some pretty wired results. Whether you have a toddler or a child in grade school, these fun activities will keep you and your cutie busy for days on end.
Make Time for Creative Play
Get crafty with these hands-on art ideas.
- Make your own salt dough to play with.
- Paint with pudding.
- Draw with chalk outside.
- Make your own slime.
- Create your own board game.
- Make jewelry out of pasta or cereal.
- Write notes and draw pictures to mail to friends and family.
- Order a DIY craft kit from Etsy.
Use Your Imagination
Put on your thinking caps and dream up a new reality.
- Pretend to be at the hair salon and take turns giving each other different hair styles.
- Play school (while actually getting schoolwork done!).
- Let your kids set up their own mini restaurant. They can draw the menus, take your order, and prepare you and their siblings simple meals, like a PB&J or cereal.
- Have a spa day—put on face masks, paint your nails, and take turns giving each other massages.
- Make your own haunted house.
- Play dress up.
- Cook breakfast for dinner and have a pajama party.
- Pitch a tent and go camping in your backyard.
- Host a family talent show.
- Pretend you’re on a camping trip and make s’mores over your stovetop (parental supervision required).
Embrace a Little Screen Time
Unwind with some free entertainment.
- Search Disney ride-throughs on YouTube and pretend you’re at the magical theme park.
- Listen to your favorite books read by celebrities on Storyline Online.
- Join Mo Willems for daily lunch doodles on YouTube.
- Sing along to your favorite songs with Laurie Berkner on Facebook on weekday mornings.
- Venture out on an augmented reality tour of one of the Colorado State Parks.
Support Small Business from Home
Surprise your kids by ordering something fun from one of these local shops.
- Pick up a box of cupcakes from Happy Bakeshop in Denver to decorate at home or order a dozen online from My Make Studio to bake and frost when you’re craving something sweet.
- Surprise your kids with some new games, puzzles, or toys from Grand Rabbits Toy Shoppe or Timbuk Toys—both stores offer shipping!
- Stock up on some new books to read from Bookbar, The Bookies Bookstore, Tattered Cover Book Store, or Second Star to the Right, all of which are shipping online orders.
- Place an order for a craft kit from The Craftsman & Apprentice or Fancy Tiger Crafts. You can create anything from a rolling car or a mini monster to your own felt succulent!
Burn Some Energy
Get your bodies moving after being cooped up all day.
- Slide down your stairs in a pillowcase.
- Snorkel in the bathtub.
- Make up a family dance routine.
- Set up an obstacle course in your living room.
- Use a deck of cards to encourage your kids to be active. Assign a different exercise to each suit and do that exercise as many times as the number on the card states. For example, a six of spades could mean six jumping jacks while a three of hearts represents three arm circles. If you pull a king, queen, or jack, do 10 reps of another exercise of your choice.
- Make a trail of pillows throughout your house and have your kids hop from one to the other. Don’t fall off—the floor is lava!
- Make a treasure map and organize a scavenger hunt around your house and backyard.
- Build a fort with blankets and pillows.
- Play iSpy in your backyard.
