50 Things To Do Together
Playing and Learning Together
31 - 50 of the list focuses on all the fun activities you can do together which helps your child's learning and development.
31. Make your Own Board Game
Great for creativity and all you need is some large paper or card, dice and something to use as counters. With younger children your may need to lead this ask them about what characters do they want, what is the scene and what is the aim of the game. You could use their favourite book, film or toys as inspiration and make up your own adventure game. Older children will surprise you with their ideas and the rules they enforce. Great for working together, listening to each other's ideas and really encouraging there imagination and creativity.
32. Make a Den Inside or Outside
Den building is always a fun activity that children of all ages love this can be as simple as placing a blanket over two chairs and sitting inside. Or more complex by making a fortress with the cushions from your sofa. When outdoors try making a den in the forest using sticks. Whichever way you choose children will love the space you create together.
33. Make a Treasure Basket / Box
Treasure baskets are a form of heuristic play for babies and toddlers where a selection of objects are provided in a open basket for children to explore using their senses. They can be made using all types of household items.
Older children you could make their own treasure box by decorating an old shoe box then fill the box with items that are special to them. This could be photo's, memories or things they like this is a lovely way to talk to your child about what makes them the person they are.
34. Play with Puppets
The simplest of toys are sometimes the best ones and puppets can be used in so many ways that your child will love. From bringing stories to life, role play, reading, games and more your child will benefit and be entertained by puppets.
- Make show puppets with your hands and try to guess which animals you are making this handy guide may give you some ideas - hand shadow puppets
- Make your own puppets to accompany your child's favourite story like these Gruffalo finger puppets
35. Be an Artist
As Picasso says "every child is an artist" so unleash your child's creativity and make some art. Painting and drawing allow children to express themselves give your child the freedom to create their own masterpiece. Try not to be too prescriptive and let your child enjoy the creative process without worrying about how their picture looks.
- Try this app from the National Gallery - The Keeper of Paintings and the Palette of Perception is a mobile-based immersive adventure that encourages children to explore and learn about one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world.
- Start for Life activities - mark making is the creation of different patterns, lines and shapes that we make, and this doesn’t have to be with paper and pencils. These marks will gradually develop into writing and drawing as your child gets older. Encouraging mark making with young children is really important to strengthen those early writing skills. It can be as simple as sticks in mud, flour and glitter in a tray or pens and paper.
36. Have a Mindful Moment
Mindfulness techniques can help with well-being, and to improve health in ways such as reducing stress and helping to improve sleep. Encourage children to take a mindful moment by suggesting some simple breathing activities or by focusing on their surrounding for a minute to promote relaxation and awareness.
37. Make a Sensory Bottle
Sensory bottles are often water-filled bottles that also contain materials to create a fun sensory experience for children and young people.
Why not try - making a calming glitter jar? All you need is a plastic bottle or jar, eco glitter, glitter glue, warm water and food colouring. Simply fill the bottle up with warm water to a third then add the glitter glue and mix together. Add a small amount of food colouring if you use too much it will go too dark, and you won't be able to see the glitter. Then add in some glitter, sequins or both then top up with warm water. Secure the lid and shake up the bottle it can be very calming watching the glitter float around in the water.
38. Explore Messy Play
Make your own Gloop - This is one of the easiest messy play ideas around. Simply place cornflour into a bowl and slowly add water. Gloop is fascinating as it feels like both a liquid and a solid. You can add colour with food colouring or scents with flavours you can even add in your child's favourite toys, its also great for making marks in with a lollypop stick as the marks magically disappear. Have a look at our video showing you how to make gloop.
Slime Time - Kids love slime and making your own provides opportunities to explore, be imaginative and problem solve perfect combination for any budding scientist!
39. Make and play with Play Dough
Making play dough at home is a fun way of letting your child be creative. You can completely change the play dough to suit your mood. Whether you want minty fresh green play dough or a lemon drizzle play dough with a bumpy texture and sparkle. You can add colourings, flavours, textures and glitter to add some creativity.
40. Bake Together
Baking is such a good way of introducing your child to cooking and children love all the stage especially the tasting at the end!
Name all the ingredients to your child and let them smell, touch and see all of them. Get your child involved with measuring out the ingredients, mixing, setting the timer on the oven. You could watch the cake rise and check how long it has left! Provide ingredients to decorate their bake once its cooked and they can add their own creative touch to there hard work. Children can also witness the changing of ingredients such as the fascinating process of melting chocolate then it setting again in the fridge this process can spark some scientific thinking.
41. Help a Friend
The more a child is encouraged to do acts of kindness, the more they will want to do them. You could do as a thank you, to cheer someone up or as an act of appreciation. Involve your child in the process what do you think they would like; a picture, some flowers, a kind gesture? Whatever you choose it feels good to be kind!
42. Write and Post a Letter
Everyone loves getting letters and children are very excited to receive their own post. You could send your selves a letter or send a letter to family and encourage them to reply - your kids will love it!
43. Have a Movie Night!
Grab some popcorn, a blanket and a film and get comfy ready for a snuggly film night together. This is one of our most popular 50 things and will quickly become a family tradition!
Put time and effort into carefully picking a great movie, provide a variety of special treats like popcorn and encourage any older children to put their phones away while you watch.
44. Read a Book
Sharing a book with a child is fun! It's a time for closeness, laughing and talking together – and it can also give children a flying start in life and help them become lifelong readers.
With young children encourage them to talk about the picture they may even know the story of by heart and will re tell the story. This can help them with their talking, self-confidence and literacy. It doesn't matter if your child holds the book upside down, reads left to right or even just uses their imagination to describe what is in the pictures.
As children get older, with lots of other activities competing for their time, BookTrust have some top tips to encourage a love of reading. We particularly like how it suggests to keep reading together and try older books like the Harry Potter series.
45. Bake a Salt Dough Decoration
Salt dough is an easy to make dough which will harden. All you need is plain flour, salt and water (4 cups of flour to 1 cup of salt and 1 1/2 cups of warm water). Mix these together and knead the dough, you can use cutters to make different shapes or let your child make their own creation. Bake it in the oven or leave overnight and once cooled, decorate using paints, felt tips and eco friendly glitter.
46. Make a Homemade Musical Instrument
There are many ways of making musical instruments and your child will love making their own music. They can use their own instruments for dancing and singing maybe even put on a show!
- Make a Shaker - simply add rice to empty, clean and dry plastic bottle. You can add more items to make it look fun try pom poms and eco-friendly glitter. You could even make different bottles with Pasta and listen to the different sounds you can make. Always ensure the lids are secure.
47. Love our Planet
Inspire children to love our planet by engaging in eco-friendly activities, like planting trees, reducing waste, and exploring nature. Share the importance of caring for the environment to create a sense of responsibility and appreciation for the world around them.
48. Go on a Treasure Hunt
How exciting, set the scene - your child is a pirate looking for the lost treasures of Cheshire East. They are hunting around their garden, home or outside area. They have the tools needed to find the treasure – a basket/bag, binoculars, digging tools or a tea stained treasure map. They can also dress in fancy dress to add to the role. This can be as large or small as you want. Why not try searching for golden coins or laminated treasures.
49. Make a Junk Modelling creation
Save all your recycling and provide some tape, glue, paints, pens. Let your child do the rest! This is also great activity for encouraging creativity, story telling as they tell you about there creation and for developing problem solving skills as they work out what they can and can't stick together. You could make absolutely anything with a little imagination. Use paints and other craft materials to really bring life to your model.
50. Toast Marshmallows
We have saved the best for last!! Everyone loves a toasted marshmallow this is a great activity to do anytime of year perfect after a summer BBQ or even better on an Autumn evening.
- Remember to be safe around a fire with little ones
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Page last reviewed: 09 September 2024
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