Things You Can Use Around the House to Entertain the Kids

These are just a few ideas, there are a multitude of things you can use normal household items for when you're trying to come up with some ideas to entertain the kids. All you need is to use your imagination a little bit and entertaining the kids doesn't have to cost you a fortune.

• Empty bottles half filled with rice or uncooked pasta make great shakers
• Odd socks filled with rice and then stitched shut can be used as bean bags
• Pots and pans and a wooden spoon make good drums (very noisy!)
• Small variety pack cereal boxes when empty can be reused and covered with clear contact and used for playing shops
• Old boxes from large household appliances make great cubby houses
• Coloured pegs can be used for colour sorting games or counting games
• Egg cartons can be used for many different arts and crafts projects
• Sheets and towels and chairs can be arranged to make a cubby house
• Packing boxes or medium to large boxes can be painted or drawn on to make cars, trains, planes etc.
• You can make a tunnel from chairs and sheets
• Used toilet rolls or paper towel rolls can be used as pins, add a ball and you have a bowling alley at home
• If you don't mind the wastage some cheap toilet paper can be great for the kids to wrap each other up like mummies
• Any odds and ends at home such as buttons, bits of ribbon, scraps of tin foil, scrap paper, bits of felt or fabric, can all be used as art and craft supplies for collage making
• Play-doh can be made with kitchen cupboard supplies (check our website for the recipe)
• Bits of kitchen sponge and home-made paint will keep the kids occupied for a while (check our website for the recipe for the paint)
• A smallish box (that you can pick up free at places like supermarkets and Bunnings) can be drawn on to make a cash register, and any empty food containers can be used for playing shops. Make sure you wash any plastic containers.
• You can cut the insides out of paper plates to form a ring and use a paper towel holder or toilet roll stick as a ring toss game
• Anything around the house can be used to create a treasure hunt for the kids, give them some clues to lead them to each item and then make something exciting the main treasure - maybe a picnic lunch out in the backyard.
• Old toilet rolls taped together can make a pair of binoculars
• Kitchen cupboard supplies can be used to make homemade glue for craft projects (check our website for the recipe)
• Mum and dad's clothes and shoes can be used for dress-ups
• Basic pantry supplies can be used to make homemade goo (check our website for the recipe)