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This list of fun things to do with the family is a must have.  Keep it on hand and draw ideas from it all year long.

As you scan the latest school newsletter, one certain date catches your eye.

Because next to that date are two little words that demolish your usual schedule.

“No school.”

Why the kids have a random day off of school in October is neither here nor there.

Either way, you need to figure out what that day is going to look like.

Hey, I’m all for having a lazy day where we sit around in pajamas and do nothing.  (For once.)

And letting the kids learn to be bored can pay off big time.

But if you want to go just.one.day without the kids at each other’s throats (because he said no girls are allowed upstairs…and she hit me first)…then what you need is a plan.

And after you print off this list of fun things to do as a family, they’ll be too busy having fun to fight.

Well, fingers crossed anyway.

The Best List of Fun Things To Do With Friends

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Now I know you’ve probably checked Groupon for deals on family activities before.

BUT

Did you know they have deals on things you can do right at home?

Me?  I had no idea.  Until I stumbled across this gem. 

You can do an escape room right in your own house!  Everyone has to work together to solve the puzzles before time runs out.

Just go to Groupon and search “Escape Team”.  You should be able to get it for as low as $2!  (And trust me, all my kids loved it!)

Now…here’s your super long list of activities. 

(Scroll all the way down to find out how to get access to the free printable.)

  1. Bake cookies.
  2. Write an actual letter to a friend.
  3. Make stained glass jars.
  4. Read a book.
  5. Do a crossword or word search.  (Free printables here…you can even make your own word search for extra fun!)
  6. Clean something (Turn it into a scavenger hunt or a race!)
  7. Paint rocks.  Turn them into pet rocks or paint 10 to create a tic tac toe game.  Or hide them in a public place for others to find.
  8. Do a good deed for someone else without letting them catch you.
  9. Play on an educational website.
  10. Do a Lego challenge.  Fun things to do as a family
  11. Create an obstacle course (inside or outside).
  12. Check out a new magazine.
  13. Rearrange a bedroom to a fun new look.
  14. Have friends over.
  15. Find Just Dance videos on Youtube and try them out.
  16. Pick a topic…rain, for example.  Try to come up with as many songs that use that word as possible.  Make teams and see who can go the longest without running out of ideas.
  17. Costume party! 
  18. Choose clothes no one wants anymore and find someone to bless them with.  (A big family would especially love this!)
  19. Make trail mix from what you have on hand (cereal, nuts, candy, dried fruit, etc).
  20. Create a comic strip.  Come up with characters and jokes!
  21. Invent something that would make your life easier. 
  22. Set up a yard sale or lemonade stand and let the kids use the money for something fun.
  23. Use trail signs to create a trail for someone else to follow.  Put a snack or treat at the end for them to find.
  24. Do logic puzzles.  You can print them or use an app like Einstein Riddle.
  25. Set up targets for Nerf guns, BB guns, bow and arrows, or whatever you have on hand.  Stacks of cups, old milk jugs, and cans set on a fence or hung from a branch work well.
  26. Go geocaching.
  27. Make Jumbo Wood Dice and play a game of backyard Yatzee…er, Yardzee!                                               Fun things to do as a family
  28. Make a baking soda and vinegar volcano.
  29. Or kick it up a notch with this baking soda and vinegar activity.
  30. See who can make the longest snake out of Play Doh.  (Make your own Play Doh.)
  31. Water gun fight!  (You can even rinse out old ketchup bottles and use them as water guns!)
  32. Learn a new language.  Check out Rosetta Stone CDs from your library or try Duolingo (it’s free!).
  33. Make slime (we call it oobleck!).
  34. Try sewing cards (here are some free printables).
  35. Learn to play the recorder or harmonica.
  36. Make a friendship bracelet.
  37. Make paper airplanes and see who can fly the furthest. 
  38. Create a skit based on your favorite book.
  39. Paint your nails.
  40. Make pinewood derby cars and race them.
  41. Learn a new line dance.
  42. Do shaving cream art
  43. Go fishing.  Use poles you own (or borrow) and dig worms from the backyard.  Enjoy a pond at a local park.
  44. Run through a sprinkler (if it’s warm enough).
  45. Plan your dream vacation.  Fun things to do as a family
  46. Teach them how to cook their favorite food.
  47. Set up your living room or bedroom to play balloon ball.  Hang leftover streamers from that party you threw…then play volleyball using the balloon. You can also use an inflatable bat and balloon for some indoor baseball. (Watch out for the breakables!)
  48. Take a midday bubble bath with extra bubbles.
  49. Have a race.  Time each other to see if you can beat your own fastest time.
  50. Hide and seek. 
  51. See how long a line you can make using all of the stuffed animals you own.
  52. Use water color paints and create an art show. 
  53. Bird watch.
  54. Pull together a care package for any soldier.
  55. Learn how to build furniture from scratch.
  56. Make a fairy garden from things around the house.
  57. Make a flip book.  
  58. Play 20 questions.  (Here’s how.)
  59. Ask Google what random holiday is celebrated today…then celebrate it.
  60. Learn how to take better pictures and have a photo session.
  61. Tell jokes.
  62. Train for a 5K.
  63. Make a time capsule. 
  64. Make leaf rubbings.
  65. Play with sidewalk chalk (over 45 ideas here!)
  66. Look through old pictures.
  67. Play Mad Libs.
  68. Find out what programs or things you can check out from your library that you didn’t even know about.
  69. Find all the letters of the alphabet in your room or outside.  Like this: Play the abc game with your family!
  70. Plant flowers or herbs in pots.
  71. Play a card game.  Try spades, trash, speed, or euchre.
  72. Karaoke.  (Music from the radio and a hairbrush works fine!)
  73. Make glasses sing.  Try to set up several glasses to play Row Row Row Your Boat.
  74. Play wiffle ball.  Or kick ball.
  75. Fly kites.
  76. Play “will it float” with a giant bowl of water and household items.  Guess if each item will float or sink. 
  77. Play HORSE or PIG with a basketball.  Try this indoor set for bad weather.
  78. Find a place to pick your own strawberries (or other fruit).
  79. Learn origami.
  80. Take the Jeopardy test to see if you can be a contestant.
  81. Make puppets and put on a show.
  82. Have a fashion show.
  83. Try a new hairdo. 
  84. Go for a drive and look for new sights.
  85. Have a mini Olympics.
  86. Make a tire swing.  Or, you could also make a swing from a board or an old chair with the legs cut off.  
  87. Do a giant puzzle together.  (You’ll find tons at yard sales or thrift stores.)
  88. Try on make up.
  89. Make s’mores.
  90. Have a campfire and camp in the yard.  
  91. Play “try not to laugh”.  Or pterodactyl. 
  92. Tell scary stories.
  93. Make candles.
  94. Set out ingredients and see who can make the best wrap (or other food).
  95. Tie dye shirts.
  96. Make an ice cream sundae bar.
  97. Set up a lemonade stand.
  98. Make an old fashioned can and string phone.  (Yarn and solo cups work great!)
  99. Make a cloud.
  100. Create a life sized board game using construction paper for the spaces and yourself as the game piece.
  101. Ask your kids to come up with 100 fun ideas.
  102. BE BORED.  You will survive it…and you might even be surprised at what you’ll learn on your own!

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These fun things to do as a family should keep you busy for a while!

Enjoy that school break with your kids!  You’ll have as much fun with these activities as they will.

You might also like this idea for teaching kindness to kids while having a ton of fun.

What cheap or free things do you like to do for fun?

Many of these fun family activities can be done at home with the whole family. From toddlers to teens, preschool kids to adults, everyone will love this quality time! These fun ideas are cheap and many are free. Enjoy these games on a summer weekend or a winter day indoors.

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