11 Simple Kids Activities
Have you ever had a week that you just need some simple kids activities? We spent the weekend seeing grandparents and so none of our regular weekend chores got done, so we spent Monday feeling like we were playing catch up. By the time we got to our four o’clock fun, I needed something simple and easy! And I figured you all probably have days like this too, so I thought I would share some of our favorite simple activities that keep my kids happy and busy. Remember four o’clock fun isn’t about being elaborate, it is about being intentional!
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#1- Board Games
We love to play board games as a family! And a game that can span several age groups will bring you through to dinner time. Here are a few of our favorites.
Preschool Games
-Outfoxed (This is a new favorite!!)
Elementary Games
-Card Games (Garbage, Golf, War)
#2- Puzzles
We actually did a big puzzle together on our busy day this week! Puzzles are so good for your child’s brain, but younger kids can get frustrated quickly. When we do it as a group though little ones do a lot better! We love to do puzzles together that are 100 to 300 pieces. Below are some great options!Â
Wreck It Ralph 300 piece puzzle
#3- Cook or Bake together
Sometimes you can just kill two birds with one stone and make dinner together! Or we have had fun making banana bread, Popsicles, smoothies, rice krispie bars, dirt and worms, or ice cream in a bag. Because my kids seems to need 12,000 snacks a day, this summer we are spending one of our four o’clock fun sessions each week making a snack together!
#4- Directed Drawings
My elementary aged kids LOVE these. Our favorite kid friendly place to find directed drawings is Art for Kids Hub. You can find hundreds of directed drawings from them HERE. You can see in the picture above my kids picked to draw the poop emoji. Yes, we are that classy. Obviously you can tell which one my preschooler drew, but he had fun and stayed busy!
#5- Activity Books
My kids love activity books and so do I!! They engage their brain and they help when I need just a little quiet! 🙂 When you haven’t had the best day and you are craving some calm at 4 o’clock, have each of your kids grab one of these books and let them have fun while you make dinner.
– Disney Dry Erase Alphabet Book
-Logic Puzzles- Perplexors (There are definitely for more elementary students, but my oldest loves them!)
#6- Playdoh
I think one of the keys to success with playdoh is to have the right tools. My kids love to have scissors and cut outs and stamps. Personally, if a playdoh set has a piece that kids have to put playdoh in and squeeze it out, we stear clear. It looks like so much fun, but rarely can they do this independently. I have included links to some of our favorite tool sets below!
-Create a Mr. Potato Head-like person with this set.
#7- Sidewalk Chalk
These next few are outdoor activities because sometimes on a long day we just need to take the party outside. We did the fun painter tape abstract art activity that was circling around social media last summer and it kept them busy and engaged for a whole hour.
#8- Water Table
Fill it with water and let the creativity flow. My kids are especially fond of making potions in their water table. You could provide them with leaves, sticks, pom poms, sequins etc and let them create their own potion.
 #9- Mother May I
This is a classic game from childhood. One person is the mother and they stand at one end, the other people stand at the other end of our area. Each person takes a turn asking the mother if they can take a number and type of step. For example, Mother May I take 5 baby steps. The person must say mother may I or they don’t get to move. The mother also has the right to grant or deny their request. Let your kids be creative thinking about different types of steps.
#10-Red Light, Green Light
Another childhood classic! Again, one person is the leader and stands at one end of your yard, and the rest are lined up at the opposite end. The leader stands with their back to the rest and says “green light”. They can say “red light” and try around whenever they want. If they catch anyone moving after they say red light that person has to go back to the beginning.
#11- Mommy Monster
 This is a family original game. Honestly, I am not sure how it started, but basically mom hides and then all the kids come look for me. I get to jump out whenever they get close and growl like a monster and chase them down. If I get them I usually tickle them and throw them in our designate jail. My kids also have a base where I can’t get them. This has supplied endless amounts of fun over the years at our house.
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