We try to get outside anytime we can. But right now, it’s HOT. Getting outside in the middle of the day without a body of water involved can be tough right now. I want to share 5 fun activities you can do inside TODAY without buying a thing.

First I want to remind you: boredom is a good thing. Allowing your child to get bored enough to figure out something fun to do on their own is an important aspect of their growth, development, creativity and autonomy. Red more HERE.

That said, sometimes taking 20 minutes and engaging with our kids in a meaningful and intentional way can have a lasting impact. It’s amazing how much bonding can occur in those 20 minutes and how content they are afterwards. Potentially earning you a burst of time afterwards to get things done or take care of yourself for a moment!

Mama- your kids adore you. No matter how many special or crazy activities you plan for them or not, how many trips to the library or pool or Disney World you take… or not. Loving them the way God teaches us to love and discipline and care for our children is a gift. And exhausting one! But truly a gift. And it happens in the small and every day moments. My hope in this blog post is to encourage you towards those simple moments, spent together.

Say a prayer of thanks for those babies in your care and then grab a few supplies and engage with them for a little bit. You might be blown away by what you learn from and about them in those few minutes.

Here we go!

1. Build a Tower!

Grab those manga tiles or Lego’s or boxes from the attic and get stacking. Build it as high as you can, knock it down like King Kong and do it over again! Pro tip: take a slow motion video and they will be tickled to death watching it over and over again.

2. Give them a bath in the middle of the day!

Bath time is usually rushed and all business. Doing it in the middle of the day is essentially taking them to the pool… right? Get out those bath crayons you never have time for in the evening, make it a bubble bath, or better yet close the door, turn off the lights and make it a glow bath with blow sticks!

3. Let them color with PENS.

Hear me out for a second. Kids are always given crayons or maybe you are “cool mom” and let them do markers. But when was the last time they colored with colorful pens? Give them a clip board and put them on carpet and the pens won’t accidentally write on the floor. Lay down and color with them! Write their names, make little doodles, play tic tac toe… let your creativity run wild!

4. Cook something!

You have to eat anyways, right? Bake some muffins or cookies for a neighbor, make a smoothie or pizza for lunch. Use whatever you have on hand! Involve them in the whole process: let them help you find the supplies you need from the fridge and pantry. Lay it all out on the counter. Read the recipe together step by step. Let them pour in the ingredients- it’s okay if they spill! (Repeat with me- it’s okay if it gets messy 😝) Talk about measurements with your older kids. Get them involved to the fullest extent their age and skill level allow. This will take TIME. It will take PATIENCE. But I promise you will both be so proud of the result! And while it’s baking, it’s clean up time! Put on some good music and give clear and simple instructions they can follow. Hand them things to put back in the pantry. Let them rinse off all the dishes before you come behind and wash them. Give them a towel and let them dry. Pro tip: remind them from the beginning that while it’s baking we will clean together! This helps set their expectations before you even begin. When it’s done, have a picnic or go deliver them to your neighbor, enjoy!

5. Play dress up!

You don’t have to have any fancy dress up clothes for this. Grab a few of your old necklaces or daddy’s hats and ties, your kitchen apron, old Halloween costumes, bandana’s, garden gloves, etc. Let them mix and match their own clothes! We happen to have a lot of random dress up items at home but if you don’t, try to get creative and see what you have! Then make the funniest costumes you can and be sure to take photos! Bonus: costume dance party! 🎶

Bonus Activity: if you happen to own a small bounce house, see if it will fit inside somewhere! They will LOVE it simply because of the novelty of something for outside coming inside.