This year, I am looking for ways to spend less and enjoy more quality time with my kids – without spending money. Now, I know.
Finding free activities for kids is a tall order. But here I am, eagerly searching for ways for us to get out of the house without spending a dime. So I searched to discover the best ideas to try myself and share with you.
Inside, you will find 70+ free activities for kids broken down into two categories: Free activities to do at home and free activities to do in your city. Ready to get started? Yes, please!
RELATED: Want quick and easy ideas for home? You’ll love our activity cards.
Fun and Free Preschool Activities
Free Activities for Kids at Home
- Blanket forts for reading with a flashlight
- Box forts
- Bubble Wrap Art (Days with Grey)
- Changing seasons fashion show – parenting hack – preschooler, is showing mom what still fits.
- Color Noodles (Days with Grey)
- Color Sorting (Days with Grey)
- Cookie sheet painting (Happily Ever Mom)
- Create a box road (Days with Grey)
- Create with that box of pom poms sitting in your closet. (Days with Grey)
- Cut spaghetti (Days with Grey)
- Cutting stations (Days with Grey)
- Design a cardboard box tree (Days with Grey)
- DIY movement dice (Days with Grey)
- Draw under the table on large kraft paper
- Flashlight games
- Freeze dance
- GIANT tic-tac-toe (Days with Grey)
- Indoor obstacle courses with furniture
- Indoor picnic
- Introduce a sensory bin. Here is everything you need to get started. (Days with Grey)
- Make a DIY rainbow game (Days with Grey)
- Make a fort
- Make a measurement game with your blocks (Days with Grey)
- Make a nature mural (Days with Grey)
- Make a treasure map (Days with Grey)
- Make decorations for the upcoming holiday
- Match alike stickers (Days with Grey)
- Paint Ice (Days with Grey)
- Paint – Painting for Beginners (Days with Grey)
- Paint rocks – then hide in the house to find
- Paint some more – Here are 40+ Painting Ideas for Kids to keep everyone going! (Days with Grey)
- Painter’s tape secret road (Days with Grey)
- Play birthday party – Allow your preschooler to wrap gifts (toys) in tissue paper, and you guess what is inside.
- Play Go-Find-It (Days with Grey)
- Playing restaurant
- Pom pom matching game (Days with Grey)
- Popsicle bath – (Busy Toddler)
- Practice balancing to improve reading (Days with Grey)
- Practice your phone number (Days with Grey)
- Pretend camping with forts and a fire pit (kraft paper and blankets)
- Pretend movie theater
- Reverse rolls – preschooler becomes the parent, the parent becomes the preschooler, OR preschooler becomes the Dr., the parent becomes the patient, etc.
- Save paper tubes and try one of these 40+ paper tube easy ideas. (Days with Grey)
- Sort transportation toys (Days with Grey)
- Tea parties
- Try a Breakfast Invitation (Days with Grey)
- Try a cardboard name build (Days with Grey)
- Use bottle caps for size exploration (Days with Grey)
- Water Play (Days with Grey)
Free Activities for Kids Outside of the Home
- Bring a basket outside to search for things that roll
- Clean out the pantry and visit a local fire department
- Collect flowers (Days with Grey)
- Collect rocks
- Cut the grass with scissors
- Explore the Target toy aisle – take pictures of toys you want to remember (wink, wink)
- Find a local pump track to practice riding bikes.
- Find somewhere that has a map and use it as you walk. Find a map in our 30+ Scavenger Hunts list. (Days with Grey)
- Go for a Walk
- Go to your local nursery
- Google “free movie near me.”
- Google “kids eat free near me.”
- Google “parks near me” – visit a new one!
- Grab a Camera and walk out the door – take pictures of what you find. (Days with Grey)
- Library – Look to see if there is a toddler time.
- Measure hunt – Take the tape measure outside to measure what you find
- Nature Color Hunt (Days with Grey)
- Nature Scavenger Hunt (Days with Grey)
- Outdoor painting (Days with Grey)
- Outdoor picnic at a nearby park
- Play in a toy store
- Play with the toy cars at CVS
- Read books at a local bookstore (Days with Grey)
- Search for story times at your library
- Search your local calendar for a parade
- Shaving Cream Play (Days with Grey)
- Squirt Colored Water Outside
- Tricycle Wash (Days with Grey)
- Use Chalk to Color Bricks
- Visit a local tree farm
- Visit a nearby skate park
- Visit Home Depot to play with PVC Piping (Just put it back in the correct bin)
- Wash the windows (Days with Grey)
RELATED: Rainy day? Take a peek at these 40 Indoor Games for Kids!
What Kind of Activities Do Children Enjoy?
This answer is so much easier than we think.
Kids want to:
- Be wanted
- Feel loved
- Spend time with family members
We can attain this without spending money. So whether it’s a simple idea for your toddler to do at home (such as playing with soap and water) or taking your preschooler on a new bike path, the answer always comes back to free or inexpensive ideas.
Just like this list of toddler activities, or these ideas for one-year-olds, this list of free activities will help pass the time during the long days at home with kids.
Children do not need you to spend money to feel complete. They ask us to spend time with them as a family.
RELATED: 50+ Play Ideas are right at your fingertips! Try these activities next!
Try Out These Free Activities!
Doing things with the kids doesn’t have to be expensive (in fact, I recommend it isn’t!). Instead, try out something new that doesn’t cost a penny. Which free activity will you try first?
Want More Activities for the Kids?
Activities on Demand
Want great ideas without the ads? Download these 20 hands-on learning games for kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t overlook what switching scenery can do for your day. 1. Bring a favorite toy outside 2. Pack a lunch and eat it at the park 3. Roll pinecones down a hill (I clearly remember this long day with two toddlers) 4. Google parks in your area for a new adventure 5. Toss a kid’s camera in the bag and have your child document the day.
Kids need time to play at home. Easier said than done, I know. We like to begin the day with a Breakfast Invitation sparks learning and creativity. This jumpstart to our day is typically what the boys need to take play into their own hands.
Kids enjoy doing simple activities. Don’t be fooled by the perfect cut-out Pinterest activities. Chances are an adult completed them. Setting up activities for kids should have a maximum five supply rule allowing them to do most of the construction.
Leaving the house with kids is not easy. Begin with short periods in places you are most comfortable with. Here is how to take a day trip with kids.
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