Tired of hearing "I'm bored"? From simple-yet-effective to epic, these ideas will not only give kids something to do, they'll give you a break.
As a mom of two rambunctious boys who are off in the summer, I have two goals: keep them active and keep my calm. If you have kids yourself, you know this is no easy feat. To accomplish this, we have tried and tested hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of items designed to keep kids engaged and active, the best combo for happy kids who are ready for bed. Here are my top ten tested items that kept my kids’ activity levels high and my stress levels low.
While I avoided getting a bounce house for years due to its size and cost, it has been one of our top hits for hours of active and engaged fun for my kids and all their friends. I can put it up and take it down in less than two minutes, it folds up compactly into a bag, and the thick material has survived every test we threw it at (including my dog).
My kids, like most, get bored quickly, so having variety at their fingertips is key; and we were able to find this with a ninja slackline. It's perfect for easy physical activities right in your backyard. It is secured to two posts or trees and has hooks to hang a variety of fun activities that help kids stay active and busy for hours on end. Some of my kids’ favourites to hang on the ninja slackline have been a rope ladder, gym rings, trapeze bars and the swing below.
This swing is different from any other swing we’ve seen before and is always the first choice for all the kids. Kids of all ages from one to 13 have used this swing and loved it so much, as it is as comfortable as it is fun. Additionally, if you have a sensory-seeking child like my eldest, it provides exceptional proprioceptive and vestibular input, resulting in a great nervous system calming tool. It can be used outdoors and indoors by simply adding a hook like this one to any beam in your home.
I love going for bike rides, but as much as I wanted to include my kids, they were either missing out on the activity by sitting in a seat or trailer or when they were old enough to ride on their own, we were stopping every five seconds to look at bugs or rocks. This made the Trailgator a game-changer. It is a bar that attaches the adult's bike to the child’s bike, raising the front wheel. This allows for both the adult and the child to pedal, while also ensuring a reasonable and continuous pace. The bonus with the Trailgator is it can easily collapse and attach only to the adult bike mid-ride, in case your child wants to start the ride on their own but gets tired in the middle.
After spending many summers getting headaches from blowing hundreds of bubbles for my kids, as well as countless bubble containers mistakenly poured out, I decided to get a bubble machine. Not only does it save my head and stress level, but it keeps my kids entertained. They can spend a good chunk of time running around catching the bubbles or having a freeze-dance bubble party with their friends.
When we think of tarps, we don’t usually think of kid-friendly activities; however, take a white tarp, hang it on a fence or deck (we use bungee cords), and it suddenly becomes a giant canvas for arts and crafts. We love using paint and have also discovered the beauty of washable tempera paint sticks. The color pay-off is amazing and it makes cleanup a breeze. Our kids have done everything with the paint tarp from playing games and practicing writing letters and words to tracing their own bodies. It’s hours of fun that easily washes away with a hose.
When the weather is right, we love to keep the kids busy with an outdoor movie. There’s just something about enjoying a meal or snacks outside on a beautiful night while watching a movie that hits different. Depending on your setup, you can get a projector screen with a stand or for a less costly option, one that can be hung up with bungee cords (you can use the white tarp mentioned above). Projectors are also much more affordable than they used to be. My kids love swinging on their ninja slackline or jumping in the bouncy house around while they watch the movie. Win, win!
One of our longest-lasting favourites over the years to keep my kids active and busy is this 2-in-1 scooter. My kids have been using them as young as 20 months old and they are still going well at five years old. The benefit of this three-wheel scooter is that it can be used as a regular scooter, but there is also a fold-down seat, turning it into a sit-down push bike. The handlebar and fold-down seat are height-adjustable, kids can easily steer by leaning, and it has light-up wheels. My favourite feature is when your child inevitably tires, you can put the seat down and they can rest their feet on foot pads while you easily push them along holding a handlebar. No more having to carry it all the way home!
The first time I discovered stomp rockets, I knew they’d be a hit with my kids. A big jump followed by something flying high in the air? Easy win. The factor that made this a long-lasting activity for my kids was having either a double stomp rocket with two launchers or two single ones. This allows them to compete on whose rocket can go the highest or farthest since the launcher's direction can also be adapted. There is something about a healthy element of competition that keeps a game going for a long time.
A historical favourite when I was a kid, walkie-talkies have evolved greatly over the years, but still bring the same fun and level of activity. My kids will use these walkie-talkies for hours both inside and outside the house. It brings their imagination alive with the various games they come up with; from pretending to be spies on a mission to running a rescue mission for ice cream. I recommend the linked pack of three walkie-talkies, as this allows for multiple kids (or parents) to join in.
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Kathryn Ross is a teacher specializing in learning exceptionalities, registered social worker, and certified sleep consultant. She is a mom of two boys and a corgi named Buddy and enjoys sharing her honest journey as a mother on her instagram blog, mama.poule.