Finding family fun activities at home can be tricky. Here are 25 free ideas to get you started, whether you have toddlers, teens, or anyone in between.
Family fun activities at home
Ever feel stuck on what to do with your family? How to sneak in a little quality time, make everyone smile, and have some fun on a rainy day?
There are a million ideas for how to have fun together, but it’s still really easy to feel stuck. Every family tends to find their routine, figure out what works, and then just keep coming back to the same favorites again and again.
Well, sometimes, we need to branch out! Try new things. Increase the quality time that we’re enjoying with our people.
That’s why today, I’m sharing 25 simple ideas for family fun activities you can do at home.
These ideas are free, realistic, and they work for toddlers or teens, without needing to always hop in the car or turn on technology to have fun together.
Let’s have some fun!
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When you think about how important it is to have fun with your family, you might have some questions pop up.
- How much is that going to cost?
- Can I squeeze this into our busy schedule?
- Do I really have the energy for a big outing?
We often think that “fun family activities” is all about going on a big outing, spending a lot of money, and investing a lot of time.
Well, sure. That can be fun! And from time to time, you might want to invest the time, money, and energy for a big adventure like that.
But if you wait until that’s all in place, you’re going to miss some great opportunities for family fun.
Having fun with your family even when you're tired
I’ve got 25 ideas for you for how to have fun with your family, for free, without ever leaving your home.
Because here’s the reality: You’re busy.
Now, maybe you’re an extrovert, and you just love to get out of the house and go on big outings. That’s great! Go for it!
But if you’re anything like me, you don’t always have the energy for that.
And on the normal days around the house, with cleaning and playtime and spilled juice and cranky toddlers, you still want to have some fun with your people.
Ultimately, if you want to have family fun, you need to keep a positive attitude and make a decision for it to happen. On the good days and the tough days. When you’re tired and when you’re full of energy.
So I hope that some of these ideas will spark your creativity and get you started!
25 ideas for family fun activities at home
- Have a dance party in the living room (or any room).
- Put on silly costumes, or let your toddler pick your outfit… let’s be honest, it will probably make someone laugh.
- Pick a yummy looking recipe and bake it together.
- Turn on some music and take turns listening to one of everyone’s favorite songs.
- Read a book out loud together.
- Color pictures together. Yes, even with your teens! Coloring is calming and fun. It’s one of my favorite counselor coping skills to encourage people to try.
- Play a simple game together that you don’t have to pay close attention to, such as Go Fish or checkers.
- Create a family challenge to participate in together. Who can get the most steps today? Or maybe try my Family Faith Challenge Activity together.
- Blow bubbles together. Everyone loves bubbles, even grumpy teens! And these days, they are not so sticky so you can even blow bubbles inside.
- Have a family date night. Yes, you could leave the house and get ice cream. But you could also light candles and dress up and have fun around the kitchen table. Just make it special.
- Let everyone have a turn being Queen/King for a day (or an hour).
- Grab some old magazines or newspapers and cut pictures out to make a collage. Give a theme if you want such as “who do you want to be when you grow up.”
- Create a scavenger hunt. Indoors or outdoors, this is fun! My Kids Bible Activities Pack includes a look-in-the-Bible scavenger hunt.
- Play a trivia game – or create a family trivia game! I have some fun holiday trivia games on the Etsy shop
- Enjoy your meal with a picnic, even if it’s indoors in the living room.
- Play a classic childhood game, like the staring game (who will blink first?), the tickle game, or a pillow fight.
- Let your (little) kids do your make-up. If you have older daughters, maybe do your make-up together. Let your sons try some hair mouse to make a mohawk hairdo.
- Build something together… legos work for the littles, but even with teens you could build an obstacle course, a robot, or a model airplane.
- Watch a movie or TV show together.
- Go online and find a fun DIY craft to do together. Take a picture of your finished product!
- Do some “memory art” as I call it… a handprint art picture or a self-portrait for older kids. I have handprint art for Mom gifts and Dad gifts to get you started.
- Write letters. You could write to each other, to extended family, to your pastor, or to missionaries.
- Lay outside in the grass and imagine or talk together. Imagine what shapes the clouds are, or have an “ask me anything” time with your teen.
- Look up some funny clips on You Tube to laugh together. You might want to be the one to look them up first, to make sure they are family-friendly like you prefer.
- Create a playlist with your favorite songs. Or, write a song together!
Listen to Episode #119.5
The Friday Faith Follow-Up
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