Just because we are stuck in quarantine doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. Here are 30 Real Estate family activities you can do at home.
1. Photo Albums
Children are fascinated by photos of themselves and love reliving family memories together. They also enjoy seeing their parents as children and hearing stories about them growing up.
2. Family Shields
Another way to build family identity is to create a dream board. Shields, banners and flags with mottos, goals, creeds and values that you want to cultivate and uphold as a family.
3. Board Games and Card Games
Play in teams with older and younger pairs; younger children count squares, move counters and hold the cards while older family members deal with the strategy side of the game.
4. Trampoline Star-Gazing
On a clear night, take sleeping bags, pillows and blankets onto the trampoline to watch the stars and find as many constellations, satellites, airplanes or falling stars as you can. Take some kind of treat to snack on while you do it and be prepared for the little ones to be jumping all over you while you do it. Perhaps combine this with a good sock wrestle. (See below.)
5. Sock Wrestling
Every family member puts on socks (the longer the better, but only one pair allowed!) The simple rules are that the last person left wearing a sock wins. You may like to confine the wrestling to a certain place or make it a fast paced, wide-ranging game that moves throughout the house.
Ground-rules are necessary and older children must be taught how to look after the little ones and how to make it fun for them ie. NOT removing both their socks in the first 3 seconds of the game or handling them too roughly.
6. Dark Hide and Seek
A variation on traditional hide and seek which is also lots of fun. Wait until the sun goes down and turn off all the lights in the house.
7. Giant Ice Cream Sundays
Provide a stack of yummy ingredients and everyone helps to create one large masterpiece. All dig in with spoons to the same dish to enjoy the creation once complete. A large serving tray or similar works well.
8. Bake Off
Choose you favorite biscuit and/or cake recipes and hold a bake-off. Pair older and younger participants.
9. Art and Craft Night
Find some simple craft activities the whole family can enjoy. Things that require mess and/or effort that you wouldn’t normally get around to. There are unlimited ideas available online.
10. Neighborhood Walk
See how many different kinds of plants and flowers you can identify. Prepare a list of items to spot along the way.
11. Movie Night
Make caramel popcorn or another suitable movie style treat. Set up a snack stand and “sell” the treats and drinks for Monopoly money. Roll out the red carpet (bath mats, towels, sheet etc) and make pretend tickets for the kids to distribute. Darken the room and have ushers seat guests by torch-light. Set out pillows, beanbags and cushions.
12. Make Your Own Pizza
Roll out the dough and top it with sauce. Set out a selection of toppings and let the kids choose their own. Don’t forget to make a dessert pizza too.
13. Puzzle Night
Choose some difficult and some easy puzzles to work on as a family. For the younger kids, hide puzzle pieces around the room and have them search until they have completed the puzzle. Perhaps have a race against the grown-ups or older children to see who can complete theirs first.
14. Watch Home Videos
Most of us take home videos from time to time so sit down and enjoy watching them together. Kids love to see themselves on TV.
15. Make Home Movies
Sing songs, perform plays, read radio dramas, record favorite stories to make your own read-along audio tapes complete with sound effects, record video “letters” to friends or family who live a distance away, write scripts and act them out or try scripted funny home movies.
16. Obstacle Course
Use household items and equipment to set up an indoor or outdoor obstacle course and run time trials. Place time handicaps on older participants or have them do it running backwards etc.
17. Old-fashioned Games Night
Go bobbing for apples, play jacks, hopscotch and other traditional games.
18. Scavenger Hunt
Collect all of the items on a written or pictorial list as quickly as possible.
19. Treasure Hunt
Follow clues to get to the location for the next clue or look up bible verses to provide answers to questions that must be complete before the next clue is handed out. Don’t forget to have a “prize” at the end; perhaps a special snack to share together.
20. Playdough Pictionary
Use suitable cards from Pictionary or create your own. One member from each team looks at the card and both race to create the object using playdough. The first team to guess what it is wins a point.
21. Charades
Play in teams and dress-up in costumes and props from around the house.
22. Bike Rides
Bike riding is always fun. Use tag-alongs, baby seats or toddler trailers for the little ones and take the bikes, scooters or skateboards to the local bike path, unused basketball or netball courts or just for a cycle around the local neighborhood.
23. Wet Weather Exploring
Wet weather gear, get out the rain boots and go for a rain walk, jumping in as many puddles as you can find along the way.
24. Karaoke Idol
Rehearse and perform for a family concert. Organize a ticket booth and snack bar as for movie night. Video proceedings for a laugh later.
25. Dress Up
Choose from the dress-up box or Mom and Dad’s wardrobe if you’re game. The kids will love it, especially the shoes. There’s just something about shoes! Have a photo session with everyone in crazy attire, followed by a disco dance session to boppy music with a couple of rounds of musical bobs and musical statues.
26. Cooperative Drawing
Cover the table with a huge roll of paper and everyone draws. Try blindfold drawing. Everyone closes their eyes to draw a picture and has a laugh at the results.
27. Pamper Night
Give everyone makeovers (yes, even Dad!), paint nails, give the girl’s “up do’s,” spike up the boys’ hair and get dressed-up in fancy clothes. Take family photos now that everyone looks so nice. The photos could be serious (set up lighting, use a tripod) or silly (weird clothes, expressions and poses.)
28. Story Telling
Combine this with a sleep-over, star-gazing or other family night idea. Take turns adding one sentence at a time to the story. Play “Fortunately/Unfortunately” where each person adds on a small section of the story at a time, alternating between fortunately and unfortunately. (1st person: We were driving along in the car when unfortunately the tire blew. 2nd person: Fortunately we had a jack in the trunk. 3rd person: Unfortunately the spare tire was missing.)
29. Junk Modeling
Collect boxes, tubes, containers and decorative bibs and bobs of all kinds. Use them to create sculptures and amazing creations as a family. (If the creations are suitable, the children may like to keep them in their rooms for a few weeks to play with castles, 10 story building etc.)
30. Puppet Shows
Set up pairs of chairs with sheets draped across as makeshift theaters. Use old socks, paper bags, bottles, wooden spoons or other simple items to make puppets. Use your puppets to rehearse and put on a puppet show for each other
Thanks to Ticor Title for this fun list! What other creative at home activities does your family do?
