30 Activities for Kids at Home, by Age (1 to 8)

In short: thirty activities for children at home, grouped by age from one to eight. Most use things you already have — water, boxes, paper, spoons. Pick one or two a day and let your child lead.

Activities for 1-year-olds (12–18 months)

1. Posting box: a cardboard box with a hole cut in the lid, and rolled-up socks or big blocks to post in and take out.
2. Kitchen band: pots and wooden spoons — a real drum kit.
3. Family photo book: print family photos into a small album to turn and name.
4. Tissue pull: an empty tissue box filled with cloth napkins to pull out one by one.
5. Ball ramp: a tilted board or cardboard sheet to roll a ball down and chase.

Activities for 2-year-olds

6. Pouring water: two plastic cups and a basin — pour from one to the other (always supervised).
7. Colour sorting: coloured plates and household objects to sort onto the matching plate.
8. I spy: “Where’s something red?” — point and name.
9. Painting with water: a brush and water on the tiles, or on the Water Colouring Mat — no mess.
10. Laundry helper: match the socks into pairs.

Activities for 3-year-olds

11. Pasta threading: tube pasta on a thick string — great for hand muscles.
12. Treasure hunt: hide five things and give clues: “next to the sofa, under the cushion”.
13. Little chef: stirring, pouring and laying biscuits on a tray.
14. Cut and stick: child-safe scissors and old magazines to make a collage of favourite pictures.
15. Statues: play music; when it stops, everyone freezes — a movement game indoors.

Activities for 4-year-olds

16. Obstacle course: cushions to jump on, a chair to go round, a rope to walk along.
17. Sock puppet theatre: old socks, paper eyes and a story they make up.
18. Bottle bowling: empty plastic bottles and a ball — count what falls.
19. Shape hunt: draw shapes on paper and find things around the house that match.
20. Jigsaws: start with 24 or 48 pieces and build up — see our puzzles.

Activities for ages 5 to 8

21. Float or sink: predict first, then test.
22. Grow a bean: a bean on wet cotton, and a growth diary.
23. Name, place, animal, thing: the classic pen-and-paper game.
24. Cardboard city: boxes and blocks, then draw its map.
25. Kitchen maths: measure the ingredients for a simple recipe.
26. Write a letter: to a grandparent or a friend, with a hand-drawn stamp.
27. Challenge puzzles: logic games with graded cards to solve alone — see our brain teasers.
28. A bigger science project: like the Grow-a-Maze Kit, followed over several days.
29. Dress-up show: old clothes and a story with a beginning and an end, performed for the family.
30. Reading den: two cushions, a torch and a book — read together. Ideas in children’s books by age.

Holidays at home: shaping the day

• Something active in the morning, something calm after lunch, reading before bed.
• One new activity a day is enough; the rest is free play.
• Offer a choice of two, so the day feels like theirs.
• Group games when cousins or friends visit: 15 group games with no equipment.

Safety

• Any activity with water needs an adult watching, however little water there is.
• Under three: keep anything small enough to fit in the mouth (buttons, beads, coins) away.
• Scissors and sharp tools: child-safe scissors and supervision.

Frequently asked questions

What can a 3-year-old do at home?

Pasta threading, a treasure hunt, cut and stick, and statues — they build hand strength, focus and movement. For longer play, see toys for ages 3 to 5.

My child gets bored of activities quickly. What should I do?

Keep it to ten minutes, stop while it’s still fun, and bring the activity back a few days later with a twist.

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