100 Fun Stay at Home Activities for Children Under 7

Finding suitable stay at home activities for children under 7 can be a challenge, and staying at home with young children for days on end has its ups and downs too. Some days can be really good fun and you go to bed having felt you have made some really good memories, whilst others, you will be reaching for the wine by lunchtime.

In light of the looming lockdown of Coronavirus, I have had several requests from panicking parents asking what are they going with their children at home all day every day for weeks on end. It’s important that we stay positive during the pandemic and hopefully these are some ways to enjoy yourself with the children and stay active through lockdown.

Let’s face it, it will be a tough time for everyone for so many reasons so I have come up with 100 ideas of how you can stay sane and keep the kids entertained all day long, with these fun things to do at home, some quiet activities for kids and others more boisterous. Whether you are looking for home play ideas for 2 year olds or activities for 6 year olds. Let me know if you have any other ideas that I can add to the list. As well as the below activities, there are so many virtual tours and experiences to help children learn and stay occupied.

stay at home activities for children under 7 – Art and Craft Ideas

• Rock Painting

• Make some easy and healthy ice lollies

• Print out or order photos and make a photo album from the year just gone. If you have an instant camera, you can make garlands out of the photos you take that day

• Use craft tape to make letters on the windows

• Do junk modelling

• Learn to knit

• Decorate a large cardboard box

• Turn a box into a playhouse

• Paint cardboard boxes

• Stamp with apples / potatoes

• Finger painting

• Paint/decorate flower pots

• Stamp with sponges

• Paper cutting

• Make cards ready for Christmas

• Make Easter Cards   There are some great ideas in this link!

• Make and play with playdough

• Make salt dough, create and paint

• Play with stickers

• Trace pictures/letters

• Send a letter to family or friends

• Make Cakes

• Create a menu for the week

• Google ‘How to Draw a….’ and have a go

• Decorate some cupcakes

• Make a paper aeroplane

• Make a collage from old magazines

• Make jewellery

• Make sock puppets

• Have a go at balloon modelling

• Make homemade pizza

• Cook dinner

• Make chef’s hats

• Play with kinetic sand

• Pasta jewellery

• Make a snack

• Use old travel brochures and make a holiday collage

• Make finger puppets

• Grow egg cress

• Make paper chains and decorate the house

• Do some face painting

• Hand printing and turn into animals of the alphabet

• Make a treasure map

• Make and decorate a mask

stay at home activities for children under 7 – Games & Make Believe

• Dress up

• Play Osmo learning app, the games have everything from learning games, drawing and creativity and make believe

• Make a zoo out of all the animals in the house

• Camp indoors and watch movies

• Play hide and seek

• Play board games

• Build a den

• Play Simon says

• Give your toys a bath

• Do kids yoga

• Put on a play

• Do a dance show

• Play shops

• Build with Lego or Duplo and have a competition with your friends – send each other pictures

• Give your toys a bath

• Play duck, duck, goose

• Have a tea party

• Play with the dolls house / castle / treehouse

• Play in the play kitchen or get the plastic picnic set out with the saucepans

• Do a treasure hunt

• Bath your action figures / Barbies

• Facetime friends and family

• Listen to audiobooks

• Read books together

• Have a puppet show

• Have a teddy bears picnic tea

• Play party games

• Have a dance party

• Use a camera and go on an alphabet photography hunt

• Make up stories / Make a book

• Sing songs

• Indoor bowling

stay at home activities for children under 7 – In the Garden

• Set up an obstacle course

• Pick daisies

• Do the weeding

• Play with bubbles

• Play with water, cups and your tea set

• Make a mud kitchen and dig in the dirt

• Play catch

• Throw a frisby

• Do some chalk drawings on the patio

• Do some tree rubbings

• Make an animal garden

• Plant some seeds

• Make fairy houses out of plan pots

• Make a fairy garden

• Make bird feeders

• Have a mini sports day

• Build sandcastles in the sandpit

• Build a den

• Hunt for mini beasts

• Make mud animals

• Make pictures with natural things around the garden like sticks, stones, flowers

• Act out your favourite book like ‘The Three Little Pigs’.

• Use a camera to take photos around the garden

• Make mud pies

See how many activities you can tick off this whole list!

You  may also like to look at some ideas about playing with phonics or reading together.

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