If you loved our Part 1 list, you're in the right place. Here are 50 more genuinely fun, free and budget-friendly things to do with kids at home — fresh ideas with no repeats. Whether it's a rainy afternoon, a long school holiday, or you've simply run out of things to do, bookmark this page and come back whenever you need it.
1. Make a Den — use sofa cushions, blankets, and chairs to build the ultimate indoor den. Add fairy lights if you have them.
2. Do a Jigsaw Puzzle — dig out an old puzzle and work on it together as a family. Or make your own — print a page from our free printable colouring books, colour it in, then cut it into pieces and reassemble. Use card for best results.
3. Have a Sock Puppet Theatre — make characters from odd socks and put on an improvised show.
4. Play Noughts and Crosses Tournament — best of 10 rounds. Keep a tally and crown a champion.
5. Make a Time Capsule — fill a box with drawings, notes, and small objects. Seal it and agree not to open it for a year.
6. Do a Nature Scavenger Hunt — make a list of things to find in the garden or on a walk (a feather, something yellow, a smooth stone). The Wildlife Trusts has free printable scavenger hunt sheets to get you started.
7. Make Friendship Bracelets — use wool or string to make simple plaited bracelets for each other.
8. Have a Storytelling Round — one person starts a story with one sentence, the next person adds another, and so on. See where it goes.
9. Do a Gratitude List — everyone writes down 10 things they're grateful for. Share them and talk about why.
10. Make a Bird Feeder — tie string around a pine cone, roll it in peanut butter and birdseed, and hang it outside.
11. Play Battleships — draw grids on paper and play the classic game.
12. Have a Handwriting Challenge — copy out a favourite poem or quote as neatly as possible. Frame the best one.
13. Make a Treasure Hunt — write clues that lead around the house or garden to a small prize at the end.
14. Do a Maths Challenge — set each other maths puzzles appropriate to each child's age. Our KS1 English & Maths Workbook and Year 3 Maths Workbook are great for structured practice.
15. Learn a Magic Trick — look up a simple card trick on YouTube and practise until you can perform it.
16. Read a Book with Different Voices — give every character a different voice. The sillier the better.
17. Tell Funny Stories from When You Were Younger — share embarrassing or funny stories from your own childhood.
18. Make a Chore Chart — design a weekly chore chart together and let children decorate it.
19. Plan Next Week's Meals — involve children in planning the family's meals. Let them choose one dinner each.
20. Set a Savings Goal — help children identify something they want to save up for and make a savings chart.
21. Do a Mindfulness Colouring Session — slow, quiet colouring with calming music. Brilliant for all ages. Try our 4-in-1 Kids Colouring Book Collection — four beautiful books in one download.
22. Play Hangman — classic word-guessing game, great for spelling practice too.
23. Make a Sock Ball and Play Indoor Bowling — roll up socks into balls and knock down plastic bottles or toilet roll tubes.
24. Have a Pillow Fight — set rules (no faces, no jumping on furniture) and go for it.
25. Make a Collage — cut up old magazines and newspapers to make a themed collage (animals, colours, food, holidays).
26. Do a Family Fitness Challenge — how many star jumps, press-ups, or squats can each person do? Keep a record and try to beat it next time.
27. Make Up a Family Dance Routine — choose a song and choreograph a routine together. Perform it at the end of the day.
28. Do a Breathing Exercise — breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, out for 4. Repeat five times. Young Minds has brilliant free resources on children's mental wellbeing.
29. Build a Marble Run — use cardboard tubes, books, and tape to build a marble run. Test it, adjust it, and see how fast you can make the marble travel.
30. Make Smoothies — blend whatever fruit you have with yoghurt or milk. Let children choose the ingredients and name their creation. BBC Good Food has loads of easy kids' smoothie recipes.
31. Play Snap — grab a pack of cards and play the classic game. Fast, simple, and surprisingly competitive.
32. Make Homemade Play Dough — flour, salt, water, and food colouring. Simple recipe, hours of play.
33. Have a Tongue Twister Challenge — find the hardest tongue twisters you can and see who can say them fastest without stumbling.
34. Write a Poem Together — each person contributes a line. It doesn't have to rhyme — just be creative and silly.
35. Have a Quiet Reading Hour — everyone chooses a book and reads in comfortable silence for an hour. Make it cosy with blankets and hot chocolate.
36. Do Some Yoga Together — Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube is brilliant. A lovely way to start or end the day.
37. Have a Bake Off — Biscuit Edition — everyone decorates a plain biscuit with icing and sprinkles. Judge on creativity, not taste. BBC Good Food's kids' baking collection has brilliant simple recipes.
38. Make a Cardboard Box City — collect cardboard boxes and build a city, castle, or spaceship. Decorate with felt tips and populate it with toys.
39. Act Out a Favourite Book or Film — assign characters, make simple costumes from whatever's to hand, and perform your own version. No script needed.
40. Have a Fashion Show — Fancy Dress Edition — raid every dressing-up box, wardrobe, and drawer in the house. The more outrageous the outfit, the better.
41. Family Sports Day in the Garden — egg and spoon, sack race (use pillowcases), long jump, and sprint. Award medals made from paper.
42. Go on a Bike Ride — explore your local area on bikes. The National Trust has a brilliant guide to free family cycling routes across the UK.
43. Draw a Hopscotch — chalk a hopscotch grid on the pavement or patio. Classic, free, and children never tire of it.
44. Make a Bug Hotel — stack sticks, leaves, and stones in a corner of the garden to create a habitat for insects. The RSPB has a free step-by-step guide to making one.
45. Have a Water Fight — on a warm day, fill up water pistols or balloons and go for it. Simple, free, and absolutely brilliant.
46. Cloud Watching — lie on the grass and look up. What shapes can you see? A dragon? A rabbit? The Cloud Appreciation Society is a wonderfully quirky resource for budding cloud spotters.
47. Make an Obstacle Course — use garden furniture, hula hoops, and whatever else you have to build an obstacle course. Time each other and try to beat your personal best.
48. Do a Random Act of Kindness — write a kind note for a neighbour, draw a picture for a friend, or bake something for someone who needs cheering up. Action for Happiness has free kindness activity ideas the whole family can try.
49. Make a "Things I Love About You" Challenge — set a timer and see how many things each person can write about another family member before it goes off.
50. Just Be Together — sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing in particular. Sit together, chat, laugh, and enjoy each other's company. No activity required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are some budget-friendly things to do with kids at home? The best budget-friendly activities use things you already have at home — paper, cardboard boxes, old magazines, and a bit of imagination. Printable resources like colouring books and worksheets are also brilliant value, as you pay once and print as many times as you like.
How do I keep kids entertained on a rainy day? Have a list ready before boredom strikes! Activities like den building, puppet shows, baking, and family quizzes work brilliantly on rainy days.
What free and budget friendly activities can kids do at home? Dozens — from cloud watching and nature scavenger hunts to storytelling and origami. See our Part 1 list for 50 more free ideas.
Are printable activity resources worth buying? Absolutely — pay once and print unlimited copies whenever you need them. Browse our full range of printable resources for ideas.
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