50 Free and Budget-Friendly Things to Do With Kids at Home

Sometimes the best days are the ones that cost nothing. Whether it's a rainy afternoon, a long school holiday, or just a day when you want to slow down and be together, this list has you  covered. Here are 50 genuinely fun, free things to do with kids at home — no screens, no expensive equipment, just imagination and a bit of time.

Bookmark this page and come back to it whenever you hear those two dreaded words: "I'm bored." If you need more inspiration, read Part 2 for another 50 ideas.

🎮 Indoor Games

1. Hide and Seek — the timeless classic. One person counts, everyone else hides. Simple, brilliant, endlessly replayable.
2. Hot and Cold — hide an object anywhere in the house, then guide the seeker with "hot" (close) or "cold" (far away). Great for toddlers and older children alike.
3. The Floor is Lava — the floor becomes molten lava and everyone must move around the room using only cushions, furniture, and whatever else they can find. Chaos guaranteed.
4. I Spy — "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with..." Perfect for all ages and works anywhere in the house.
5. Charades — act out a film, book, or TV show without speaking while everyone else guesses. Hilarious for the whole family.
6. Guess the Film from Drawings — draw a scene from a film and see who can guess it first. No artistic talent required — in fact, the worse the drawing, the funnier it is.
7. 20 Questions — think of a person, place, or thing. Everyone else gets 20 yes/no questions to figure out what it is.
8. Simon Says — only follow instructions that start with "Simon says". A brilliant game for younger children that also builds listening skills.
9. Musical Statues — dance when the music plays, freeze when it stops. Anyone who moves is out.
10. Sleeping Lions — everyone lies on the floor as still as possible. One person tries to make them move without touching them. Perfect for winding down.
11. Play Board Games — dust off whatever's in the cupboard. Classics like Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, and Uno never get old.
12. Have a Quiz Night — write questions on different topics — animals, geography, films, music — and host a family quiz. Award a prize to the winner.
13. Play Consequences — each person writes a sentence on a piece of paper, folds it over so it can't be seen, and passes it on. The resulting story is always wonderfully absurd.
14. Have a Talent Show — everyone prepares a "talent" to perform — a joke, a song, a magic trick, a gymnastics move. Family votes for the winner.
15. Have a Joke Competition — everyone finds or makes up their best joke. Family votes for the funniest. Terrible puns are strongly encouraged.
16. Play Detectives — one person "commits a crime" (steals a biscuit, moves an object) and leaves clues. The others must solve the mystery.
17. Have a No Talking Challenge — for 10 minutes, no one is allowed to speak. Communicate only through actions, gestures, and expressions. Surprisingly hilarious.
18. Name That Tune — hum or tap the rhythm of a song and see who can guess it first.
19. Have a Lip Sync Battle — choose a song each and perform it as dramatically as possible. Judges score on performance, not accuracy.
20. Have a Blind Taste Test — blindfold each person and give them different foods to taste and identify. Surprisingly tricky and very funny.

🎨 Creative Activities

21. Family Colouring Session — print out some colouring pages and colour together as a family. Surprisingly relaxing and a lovely way to chat without pressure. Our printable colouring books are perfect for this — something for every age.
22. Draw Self Portraits — everyone draws themselves (or each other) and compares the results. Frame the best ones for instant free wall art.
23. Design Your Dream Bedroom — give children a piece of paper and ask them to design their perfect bedroom. No limits — a slide instead of stairs, a swimming pool, whatever they can imagine.
24. Make Paper Chains — cut strips of paper, loop and glue them together. Make them as long as possible and use them to decorate the house.
25. Make Paper Flowers — fold and cut paper into flower shapes, layer them up, and add a paper stem. A lovely craft that produces something beautiful.
26. Make Paper Hats — fold newspaper or paper into hats, crowns, or pirate tricorns. Decorate with felt tips and wear them for the rest of the day.
27. Design Your Own Superhero Outfit — draw your superhero costume and describe your superpower. What would your hero name be? What would you fight against?
28. Make Cards for Birthdays or Christmas — colour a printable page, fold it in half, and write a message inside. Try our 4-in-1 Kids Colouring Book Collection for brilliant card-making pages.
29. Write a Letter to Someone Special — write a letter to a grandparent, friend, or anyone they love, telling them exactly why they're special. Then actually post it.
30. Make Secret Messages with Lemon Juice — write a message on paper using lemon juice and a cotton bud. Let it dry — it's invisible! Hold it near a warm lamp or radiator to reveal the hidden message.
31. Make Homemade Shakers — fill an empty plastic bottle with rice, dried pasta, or small stones and seal it tightly. Instant musical instrument. Make several and start a family band.
32. Make Paper Aeroplanes — fold paper into different aeroplane designs and have a distance competition. Who can fly theirs the furthest?
33. Make Paper Boats and Race Them in the Bath — fold paper into boats, fill the bath with a little water, and race them across. Blow them with your breath or create waves with your hands.
34. Make Puppets and Put on a Show — make simple puppets from socks or paper bags, write a short script, and perform it for the family from behind a sofa.
35. Write and Illustrate Your Own Book — fold several sheets of paper in half and staple them together. Write a story and draw the pictures.
36. Make a Family Newspaper — write, illustrate, and "publish" a family newspaper with news, jokes, reviews, and interviews. Keep it as a keepsake.
37. Make a Scrapbook — collect photos, drawings, tickets, and memories and stick them into a scrapbook.
38. Make a Vision Board — cut pictures and words from old magazines and stick them onto a large piece of paper to represent your dreams and goals.
39. Learn Origami — free origami tutorials are available on YouTube for all skill levels. Start with a simple crane or boat and work up to more complex designs.
40. Do a Colouring Marathon — print a stack of colouring pages and see how many you can complete in an afternoon. Our 4-in-1 Kids Colouring Book Collection gives you plenty to work through.

📖 Learning Through Play

41. Sort Coins by Size and Value — tip out a jar of coins and sort them together. Talk about what each coin is worth, how many make a pound, and what you could buy.
42. Open a Pretend Café — set up a café in the kitchen. One person is the waiter, one is the customer. Write a menu, take orders, and serve food. Take turns so everyone gets a go at both roles.
43. Play Shop — set up a pretend shop with items from around the house, make price tags, and practise giving change.
44. Play Schools — one child is the teacher, others are the pupils. Use our printable worksheets as the lesson materials — children take this very seriously.
45. Play Vets — set up a vet's surgery with stuffed animals as patients. One child is the vet, others bring in their poorly toys for treatment.
46. Have a Spelling Competition — take turns calling out words for each other to spell. Start easy and get progressively harder. Keep score and crown a spelling champion.
47. Play the Memory Tray Game — place 10–20 random objects on a tray, let everyone study them for 60 seconds, then cover the tray. Who can remember the most items?
48. Learn a Sentence in Another Language — pick a language and learn to say hello, thank you, or "the floor is lava" in it.
49. Do a Science Experiment — baking soda and vinegar volcano, walking water with food colouring, or making slime. Free instructions on YouTube.
50. Learn to Tie a Knot — look up different knot types and practise together. A genuinely useful life skill that children feel very proud of mastering.

You Might Also Like

👉 Kids Learning Bundle | Pre-School to Year 4 — everything you need for fun, structured learning at home

👉 Kids Educational Collection — browse all our educational printables for children

👉 Colouring Books Collection — printable colouring books for all ages

👉 Planners & Checklists — help children (and parents!) stay organised

👉 Best Sellers — our most popular printables, loved by families across the UK

👉 50 More Free Things to Do With Kids at Home — Part 2 of this list with 50 brand new ideas

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some free things to do with kids at home? Loads! From classic games like Hide and Seek and Charades to creative activities like origami, puppet shows, and colouring marathons — this list has 50 ideas that cost nothing and need no special equipment.

How do I keep kids entertained on a rainy day? Have a list ready before boredom strikes! Indoor games like The Floor is Lava, Sleeping Lions, and a family quiz work brilliantly on rainy days. Den building and puppet shows are also firm favourites.

What creative activities can kids do at home for free? Paper aeroplanes, origami, making puppets, writing and illustrating their own book, or doing a colouring marathon are all brilliant free creative activities. Our printable colouring books are great value too — pay once and print as many times as you like.

Are there more ideas beyond this list? Yes! See our Part 2 list for 50 more free and budget-friendly things to do with kids at home.