We have four daughters who are currently 7, 5, 3, and 1. I used to refer frequently to an ongoing list I kept on my phone, titled “For Days We Need a Change of Scenery.” I stored ideas that came to me during a creative moment here, and could easily access many options when everyone was melting down and we needed a fresh idea NOW!
Novelty seemed to boost everyone’s mood.
We would head off to the library, visit a new park, or go to our local Children’s museums . . . with most options closed right now, I have started including ideas we can do at home like make our own play dough, string fruit loops on pipe cleaners to make bracelets, do a scavenger hunt for colorful items in the house, and bake.
I feel equipped when I know where to turn if we need a little creativity mixed into our day.
Here are 7 of my current favorite ideas:
- Bath Time!
With the tiniest bit of preparation (I emphasize tiniest, because it requires less than five minutes of intentionality and rewards you with many minutes of peace and joy), an ordinary bath can be transformed into a memorable adventure.
My favorite easy way to change up bath time is to add some colorful plastic buttons and call it Button Soup! Bonus points if you add in kitchen utensils such as plastic measuring cups, bowls, or a funnel.
There are so many other bath time ideas online. Here are some other ideas I hope to try soon: Artful Parent’s Bathtub Paint, B-Inspired Mama Post on 22 Bath Activities for Kids, and Growing a Jeweled Rose’s Glow in the Dark Bath Activities .
***DISCLAIMER: You know your children, so only do this and all other ideas mentioned when it is age appropriate, safe, and while the children are being supervised by you, the adult.*** - My favorite: Listening to Scripture!
This is my favorite one because it has eternal value, plants seeds of faith in our children (we are told Scripture will not return void), and it doesn’t require constant supervision when I need to finish a meal.
I love to get our daughters set up with something to keep their hands busy (legos, brain flakes, art, chores, etc . . . ) and then turn on the audio Bible through my Dwell App (Added Bonus: 20% off annual or lifetime subscription by signing up here!).
Just as I learn so much from a podcast while I am driving, doing laundry, or washing dishes, my kids can learn so much with their mind by listening while working with their hands. - The Blanket Game!
My mom just taught our daughters this and she remembers her mom doing this while raising her, as one of six kids. I’ve seen this work for kids as young as 2.
To Play:
* Have everyone gather a few household items and hide them in a brown bag next to their seat
* Put all the participant’s chairs in a circle and put one blanket on top of everyone’s laps
* The first person removes their household item and passes it under the blanket to the person next to them
* Each participant tries to guess what the item is
* If you want to keep score, every person who guesses correctly receives one point
* You can continue going around the circle until everyone has had the opportunity to pass around their own household item
* Bonus points could be rewarded to all players who put away their household items without whining or complaining at the end of all the rounds!
I love free games that utilize items you already have on hand!
This is a great sensory game and it has educational benefits, all without requiring work up front from the caregiver.
I hope you give it a try! Let me know the most puzzling items you came up with!
For more creative ideas related to play, check out Finding Your Purpose as a Mom. - Do a project together!
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Victor Frankl was a Holocaust survivor, esteemed author, neurologist, and psychiatrist. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he writes,
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”
In a very small way, work gives humans purpose . . . even the smallest of humans.
Work was created by God prior to the fall and entrance of sin. Giving children work can give them meaning and purpose in their day AND it can help you out as the parent. (I love win-wins!!!)
I will list a few projects we have done together, although it is best for you to come up with your own list. You can go throughout your home, note what projects you would feel better about once they are accomplished, and if you find one that is doable with children, go for it!
Enthusiastically participating side-by-side takes the drudgery out of chores.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:- Clean out your vehicle. Bring every single item inside, clean, dispose of, or organize it, and then return it to its proper place, whether that is back in your vehicle or in a new home.
- Organize your family’s shoes. Gather them all together and come up with a system where they should “live” while not being worn. Ask the children for input about what ongoing system for shoe organization would be easiest for them to maintain.
- Go through clothing. Empty the children’s closets or drawers and allow them to try on each piece for you. Together you can decide if it goes back in the closet or drawer, gets passed along to a sibling or friend, or gets thrown in the garbage. You can turn this into a game by trying to beat the timer as you try on clothes quickly, or have a fashion show.
Our daughters love the latter option!
- Blanket Fort!
I borrowed this idea from Hope Ware’s message: Financially Stress-Free at Christmas.
Charge the kids to build a blanket fort that sprawls the entire room and then give them flashlights. They can read and play inside once it is complete. If this is done in a room you do not use on a daily basis, you can get multiple days of use and benefit from the small amount of time investment it requires up front! - Read-Aloud!
I will give you 10 of our family’s favorite books to get started, ranging from beginner picture books to longer chapter books.- Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Set by Betty MacDonald (chapter books)
- The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman (rhyming picture book)
- Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Book by Stella Baggott (sensory book for babies)
- Love Does by Bob Goff (chapter book for upper elementary aged kids or older)
- The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith (silly picture book)
- Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (chapter book)
- Biblioburro: A True Story from Columbia by Jeanette Winter (short and inspirational true story picture book)
- Little Pea or Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (clever picture books for the littlest of readers)
- A Chair for My Mother by Vera B Williams (compassionate picture book)
- Adele & Simon by Barbara McClintock (beautiful artwork within this interactive story picture book)
For more read-aloud ideas, be sure to check out Promoting a Family Culture of Reading and Inspiring Your Children to Be Readers. Both times, the guest is Megan Kaeb.
- Random Acts of Kindness!
You can really get creative with this idea!
When the original 2020 stay at home orders swept through our area, our favorite activity became mailing letters.
Children (well, all of us, really) delight in receiving a piece of mail with their name on it!
For extra fun, you can include pictures, homemade art, gum, stickers, stamps, or gift cards.
Our girls would get especially excited to write a secret message with a white crayon on a white sheet of paper. That way, the recipient could only decode the message when they either used watercolors to paint the picture or lightly colored with their own crayons to reveal the hidden message underneath.
One family even sent back a half-designed picture, and they invited our daughters to complete the design themselves.
This interactive game built community, encouraged cooperation, and was a natural lesson in patience as they waited to hear back from friends.
It was one creative idea from quarantine that became a favorite memory!
This idea, and many others were mentioned in Thriving with Kids. You can also find more ideas for generosity on Ideas for Spreading Generosity.
What creativity have you and your kids come up with? Is there an idea this post is missing?
I can’t wait to hear the stories you will share!
Love Always,
Laura
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