When all the jigsaws are done and the puzzle books are filled, here’s how to keep children of all ages entertained on holiday or at home this summer. These 20 inspiring kids activities include indoor, outdoor and educational ideas for having fun.

OUTDOOR Kids Activities 

Getting outside into nature will always be one of the most positive things you can do as a family. Just being in the great outdoors, with sunlight and fresh air is good for you all.

1. HOMEMADE PICNIC 

Having a picnic at a beauty spot can be even more fun when you make a lot of the foods yourself. It’s a great way to fill a full day of activities by making the foods and drinks before going out to enjoy them.

A day or so before, ask your children to choose from a list of their favourite picnic foods, including sandwiches or rolls, quiches or pies, chips and dips and cakes or cookies. Buy all the ingredients they will need to make their dream picnic and then spend the morning helping them to make it.

It’s a wonderful way to teach your children how to bake cupcakes or cookies or just to show small children how to make a sandwich. You could even try making your own dips, bread or no-bake energy balls. For drinks, you could make your own lemonade by juicing lemons and adding to soda water with a little dissolved sugar or syrup or make pink lemonade by adding sieved raspberries.

Once the picnic foods are all made, pack them into a hamper or bag and set off with a blanket (and some hand sanitizer or wet wipes) to find a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the homemade goodies and the view. Your children are likely to feel very proud of their edible creations so take some photos as a lovely keepsake of the whole day.

2. FAMILY SPORTS DAY

If the weather is fine and you have more than one child, you can put on a family sports day. All you need is a large green space and a lot of enthusiasm. Plan several different types of fun sporting events including a running race, a mini football match, a three-legged race, an egg and spoon or even a dressing up silly walks race! 

To make a full day of it, get your children to design and make badges for 1st and 2nd place and award prizes to winners or just to everyone for taking part and having fun.

3. History tour

For an educational activity, plan a day out around the grounds or gardens of a nearby place of historical interest such as a castle or a stately home. You don’t have to go inside or join a guided tour when you create your own.

Before you go, take a look at the website or Google to find out the history of the place you are going to visit. Save facts and figures or interesting stories to discuss during your walk so you either act as a tour guide for your children or better still, your children do the research and be the tour guide for you.

After your history tour, ask your children to draw or write about what they have learned. You could suggest they write a short poem or a play about it to perform for the family or keep as a memento of the walk. And if you can’t get out of the house, visit one of these amazing National Trust virtual tours.

More ideas for outdoor activities include:

4. Create an outdoor hunt with rhyming couplets and prizes to find

5. Make a bird feeder and then watch the birds as they visit

6. Play wildflower bingo when out spotting flowers 

7. Make your own hopscotch course with chalk and play

8. Fly a kite on a windy day

9. Go for a family walk or bike ride on local trails

10. Stargaze at night 

INDOOR Kids Activities 

When the weather isn’t dry, it can be challenging thinking up kids holiday activities day after day. With a little imagination, you can create some fun indoor kids activities that your children will want to do again and again. 

1. Home cinema

Rainy days are perfect for a home cinema day. Plan your afternoon of leisurely film watching by spending the morning or the day before deciding what films to watch, designing the ultimate comfortable cushioned seating arrangements for everyone and making your own home cinema snacks. If your children love arts and crafts you could even get them to design their own cinema tickets.

Make mini-ice creams or fruity frozen yogurts and plain or flavoured popcorn, nachos and dips or healthy hot dogs, whatever you love as a family. You could even have an interval between films when you or your children bring in a homemade ice-cream tray for the rest of the family. Then simply close the curtains, get comfortable and enjoy the show together.

2. Kitchen disco

Some of us just live to dance. If you can’t get outside and you love music or dance, then a kitchen disco is just the thing to get you all up and dancing, having fun together.

Plan your disco by making a playlist of all your family favourites, decorate the room with coloured fairy lights and have some amazing homemade mocktails made with fruit smoothies and crushed ice to serve as refreshments when anyone needs a break from dancing.

A kitchen disco is a great kids activity after an early evening dinner to ensure your children sleep well that night.

3. Yoga and meditation

One of the most amazing things you can do for your children is to introduce them to yoga and meditation. The gentle exercise and calming grounding can help your children to find their own peace of mind while keeping fit and toned.

All you need is a space long enough to lie down and stretch your arms out fully to the sides and either a book on yoga or any of the free yoga sessions on YouTube aimed at families. It’s a lot of fun trying out poses such as the ‘Downward Facing Dog’ and stretching out and jumping up in the ‘Salute to the Sun’ to get your pulse racing and make you all feel amazing.

Finish a short yoga session with a guided meditation and a visualisation, either online or read aloud, for the ultimate in relaxation.

More ideas for indoor activities include:

4. Write and perform a play where you dress up and put on silly voices 

5. Make jewellery with dried pasta and ribbons

6. Make a home spa and enjoy putting on face masks or makeup together

7. Learn origami to create animals from folded paper

8. Make musical instruments and be a band (best for remote places!)

9. Be stand-up comics for a day with kid-friendly jokes to perform 

10. Invent your own board game and play it

And you can find more kids holiday inspiration including easy pizza and cookie recipes in Rainy Day Activities for Children and Adults Indoors.