30 Free Things to Do With Kids That Make Unforgettable Moments

These free things to do with kids highlight exciting and relaxing ways to make the most of your quality time together. You’ll strengthen relationships without spending a dime!
We live in a world where you are trained to spend money in search of happiness. But it’s not true. Happiness is right in front of you. And it doesn’t cost much. It’s in the simple joys of being together.
“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness”
Charles Spurgeon
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30 Free Activities Your Kids Will Beg to Do Again
1. Take a Sunset Nature Walk or Hike
Explore local parks, trails, or nature reserves in your area. And go at a time that you can watch the changing colors of the sky.
Get fresh air and exercise on a trail or bring paper and crayons to make leaf rubbings or sketch the scenery.
2. Make a DIY Obstacle Course
Use household items to create an obstacle course in your yard or living room. Incorporate crawling under chairs, jumping over cushions, or balancing on a taped line.
3. Have a Backyard Camping Adventure
Set up a tent in your backyard (or build a fort if you don’t have a tent). Tell stories, stargaze, and make shadow puppets with a flashlight.
Add a free nature scavenger hunt to make it extra fun.
4. Host a Movie or Game Night
You already have access to the games in your cabinet and the movies on your streaming services. Utilize them!
Build a fort in your living room and start playing or watching.
You could even turn this idea into a “marathon” for a weekend or week. This idea is flexible to whatever your interests are.
- Movie marathon
- TV show marathon
- Board game tournament
- Card game tournament
- Video game tournament
- Pickleball tournament (I’ve done this. It’s awesome!)
5. Enjoy a Picnic in the Park
Pack homemade snacks or meals and a blanket. Then, enjoy lounging, playing, and walking at a nearby park with your family.
Do you have young kids? Host a teddy bear picnic with all your favorite stuffed animals!
6. Start a Read Aloud or Book Club
Start a read aloud of a book your family can’t put down. Then discuss your favorite parts. We also love reading the book and then watching the movie – like with Harry Potter.
Bonus: Sit by a fire while you read and make a cup of tea or hot cocoa (whatever you have!) You can make it special with a few small touches.
7. Shop Your Freezer
Challenge your kids to help you create a meal or snack using only what you already have. Let them “shop” your pantry and freezer to find fun combinations.
You might be surprised how creative your kids can get!
Related: Try the Pantry Challenge or Freezer Challenge
8. Do a Photo Scavenger Hunt
Create a list of items for your kids to find and photograph around your home or neighborhood. Start with something round, something blue, or something that makes you laugh.
9. Rearrage Bedrooms & Furniture
I’ve always felt that by just moving furniture around, you can liven up an old space. Re-arrange the kids’ bedroom, living room, or any other room that needs a bit of life.
10. Have a Dance Party (Or a Dance Off!)
Turn on your favorite playlist and dance around the living room. The shared joy and movement release feel-good endorphins.
11. Pretend to Be Mad Scientists
Use items from around the house for fun experiments, like making a volcano with baking soda and vinegar or exploring density with layered liquids in a glass.
Find great science experiments for kids >>
12. Cook or Bake Together
Prepare a meal or bake something simple as a team. Let the kids help with mixing, measuring, or decorating. Shared activities in the kitchen foster teamwork and pride.
13. Revitalize Your Home Space
As a mom of three kids, I can tell you that kids come with LOTS of stuff. Spend time cleaning out old things to save your sanity. Have the kids help and separate into boxes for garage sale, donation, and trash.
You’ll love how fresh and clean the space feels, the kids will appreciate re-discovering buried items, and everyone can make a little money too!
Related:
14. Work Out in the Garden
Gardening connects you to nature, provides fresh air and sunshine, and is great light exercise. If you can’t get outside, care for your indoor plants.
15. Have a Chalk Art Contest
Assign themes like “Underwater World” or “Outer Space” and see who can come up with the most creative drawing.
16. Stargaze or Cloud Watch
Lie outside and look up at the stars or watch clouds drift by. Quiet moments like these encourage meaningful conversations.
17. Become Legendary Spies
All you need for this clever activity is some string or yarn (red works best), sticky tape, and a hallway. Create a web-like grid with the string, challenging kids to navigate through it without touching the “lasers.” If they do touch a laser, they must return to the starting point and try again.
Start with a simple design and increase the difficulty based on their age. This engaging challenge will keep them entertained for hours—and you might even want to join in the fun!
18. Volunteer Together
Find a way to give back as a family, like cleaning up a park, writing cards for a nursing home, or helping a neighbor. Acts of kindness increase happiness and teach empathy.
19. Workout Together at Home
Practice yoga, cardio, or strength training exercises at home using online videos or apps. My girls love doing yoga with me!
20. Repair & Teach
Chances are good that you already have the supplies needed to fix something in your home. Now’s the time to tackle a small home improvement project you’ve been putting off. It’s also an opportunity to teach your kids a useful skill!
21. Go on a Geocaching Adventure
Download a free geocaching app and explore your area to find hidden treasures. It’s like a real-life treasure hunt and great for getting kids moving.
22. Library Treasure Hunt
Visit your local library and create a list of “treasures” to find, like a book with a blue cover or one about dinosaurs.
After, encourage your kids to pick out a book they’ve never read before.
23. Tongue Twisters & Jokes
Have a blast with silly tongue twisters and laugh-out-loud jokes. Take turns seeing who can say the twisters fastest or share your favorite jokes to keep everyone giggling.
24. Try a Lego Challenge
Gather your Legos and pick a challenge! Build the tallest tower, a themed creation, or something from your imagination. It’s a fun way to spark creativity together.
25. Go to the Playground
Head to a nearby playground for some outdoor fun! Climb, swing, slide, and enjoy quality time while burning off energy in the fresh air.
26. Wash the Car
Kids love washing things! If you can, get them in on washing the car.
If not, assign a toy washing station inside. Place their favorite toys in the bathtub. Then, give them a few washcloths and a bucket of soap. As long as they’re in the bathtub, clean-up should be a cinch!
27. Build a Highway system out of tape
Use masking or painter’s tape to create a pretend highway on the floor. Add toy cars, traffic signs, and intersections for hours of imaginative play and creativity.
28. Play Question Games
Ask fun and thought-provoking questions with games like “Would You Rather” or “21 Questions” It’s a great way to spark laughter and learn more about each other.
29. Get Out The Dominoes
A simple set of dominoes could keep them going for hours. This is one of my favorite at-home activities for kids, as imaginations run wild.
30. Plan Future Adventures
It’s costs zero to dream. But research shows that having something to look forward to provides a major happiness boost (source).
Research and plan future trips or activities that make you excited without spending money now.
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