22 Ideas for Beating Cabin Fever with Kids

22 Ideas for Beating Cabin Fever with Kids

The thought of an unexpected, weeks-long isolation period at home with bored children will send chills down the spine of many parents. If you are looking for some fun things to do with kids while you’re stuck at home, here are 22 ideas:

1: Bake Together

Cookies, cakes, brownies. Anything! Baking is a great lesson in measuring, ingredients, and of course, making delicious goodies.

2: Set Up a Treasure Hunt

Treasure hunts are pretty easy and depending on how many items there are, could last a while. Hide anywhere from 10 to 20 items around the house or outside to keep kids occupied for a few hours.

3: Watch the Cincinnati Zoo livestream

The Cincinnati Zoo will be live-streaming animals on their Facebook page daily at 3PM.

4: Have an indoor picnic

Grab a sheet, whatever food you have, and enjoy a living room picnic (without the ants). You can even play that memory game at the same time: “I’m going to a picnic and I’m bringing…” Each person takes turns remembering (in order) what everyone is bringing and then adds one thing each turn.

5: Train the dog

No, seriously, this could be a good one. If the family dog doesn’t know how to sit or stay, start there. If he’s ready to move onto more complex tricks, try focusing on training an hour a day. You can move onto down and roll-over.

6: Listen to Josh Gad’s story readings on Twitter

Josh Gad just gets it. (He’s a dad, after all.) To make it easier on all of us, the voice of Olaf has been broadcasting readings of different kids’ stories on Twitter.

7: Start an independent novel project

Read a book together and, as an added educational component, have the kids write up an independent novel project once it’s finished. The novel project can feature a summary and reaction.

8: Make a sensory bin

Fill it with anything and everything, give the kids some shovels, and they’ll be excavating for hours.

9: Write a letter

Break out the envelopes, the stamps, the pens, and paper. No, we’re not talking e-mails; we’re talking old-fashion snail mail. Write a mail a letter to someone you love, like grandma and grandpa, or a family member who lives far away.

10: Set a goal and complete a home project

Whether it is cleaning the garage, organizing the basement, or redecorating the spare bedroom, find ways to let the kids help.

11: Break out the board games

Scrabble, Monopoly, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders…

12: Go for a walk

It costs nothing!

13: Host a paint night

Grab some canvases, brushes, and paints, and do a paint night at home.

14: Make a pizza

It’s miscellaneous toppings night. Whatever you have laying around the house, that’s what’s going on your homemade pizza!

15: Write in a diary

Writing down your thoughts is a classic way to pass the time.

16: Create your own splash pad and/ or slip n slide

A tarp and sprinkler will make for a fun day of splashing! Add a little soap to make it extra slippy.

17: Make giant bubbles that bounce

This is a fantastic science project that keeps kids entertained for hours.

18: Do chores bingo

Squares can include “put away your clothes,” “brush your teeth,” “put the dishes in the sink,” etc.

19: Make a time capsule.

Have each family member write down something they are grateful for and include a special item in the time capsule. Then, store it away until a designated date. You can open it as early as Thanksgiving or as far off as high school graduation.

20: Build a Fort

The art of building a super-secret hideaway is pretty simple. If you leave it up to your kids’ imaginations, amazing things will appear. (A pile of pillows, a stack of sheets, and some clothespins will also help this creative cause.)

21: Reader’s Theater

This is awesome and will help your kids get moving, inspire creativity and allow them to be whatever character they wish to play. 

22: Dance Party

And of course, the beloved dance party. We incorporate this everyday as well. It is so much fun and if the kids are doing great listening we’ll let them request songs as well. For the most part we’ve had Frozen, Frozen 2, Moana, and Lion King on repeat during our dance parties. The kids can’t get enough!!