Super Fun Projects for Kids to do at Home

With schools still closed and playdates temporarily on hold, we know it can be tough to keep kids engaged and entertained. Well, the team at Innovative Pediatric Dentistry is here to help! We’ve rounded up some super fun projects for kids to do at home while you’re social distancing. From DIY experiments to arts and crafts with household items, these ideas will add a little excitement to your child’s day.

Start a Garden

Gardening isn’t just for adults. It’s also a great activity to do with kids! Get your little ones involved by letting them pick what you’re going to grow and having them plant seeds, pull weeds, water the garden and do most of the legwork. Not only is it fun, it’s also educational and kids are often more likely to eat their veggies if they grow them themselves. If you have limited outdoor space, you can try an indoor herb garden too.

Create a Family Tree

Creating a visual family tree is one of our favorite projects for kids because they get in touch with their roots and history. Sit down with your kiddos and talk about your grandparents and great grandparents. You might even want to do some research on the different places your ancestors hail from and go through old family photos. There are free family tree templates you can print out and fill in. 

Do Some DIY Science Projects for Kids

There are tons of science projects kids can do at home with household stuff. Here are a few STEM projects we rounded up:

•  Teach kids about chain reactions by setting up craft sticks or popsicle sticks in a certain pattern and then watching them all fly apart. You can find the instructions on KiwiCo.
• Make an egg bounce without breaking it and learn about osmosis with the Magic Egg experiment. You’ll need one boiled egg, white vinegar and a glass jar. Explorable has the details.
• Explore some chemistry concepts with magic ink. Scientific American has a tutorial for creating invisible messages using lemon juice.

Put on a Puppet Show

Puppet shows are fun things to do with kids and since they involve multiple steps and planning, it will keep them occupied for a little while. You can create a theater out of a cardboard box and construction paper or wrapping paper. The kids can use paints or crayons to make a background. Then, they can make puppets out of construction paper, string and whatever else you have around before sticking them to popsicle sticks or skewers. Ask your kids to write a script and perform the show for you. You can even invite grandparents and have a Zoom puppet show. PBS has a great tutorial, as well as printables here.

Do Arts and Crafts

You’d be surprised by the number of art projects for kids that use things you probably already have around your home. Here are a few arts and crafts ideas we love:

•  Make a masterpiece using three-ingredient, DIY foam paint. You can make the paint using glue, shaving cream and food coloring. The paint will actually dry and solidify overnight. Dabbles & Babbles has instructions.
• Create a bowl using recycled egg cartons. Fave Crafts published a tutorial for making these. The concept is similar to paper mache and you get to give your old egg cartons a new life!
•  Mini Eco has a paper beads project for kids. Little ones can make cute beads out of paper, glue and glitter (optional) and then thread them onto string to create necklaces, garlands or bracelets.

Build a Fort Out of Cardboard Boxes

Building forts is always a popular activity for kids to do at home. If you have boxes lying around in the basement, have your kids create an amazing structure. They can decorate the boxes with crayons or paint and stack or tape them together. She Knows has instructions for a simple but sturdy cardboard playhouse.

Bake Something Together

Baking and decorating treats are awesome projects for kids to do at home. For younger kids, make something simple and have them be the designated mixer. For older children, you can have them choose the recipe and take the lead with measuring. Things like cakes, cupcakes and cookies are great because you can also spend time having them decorate their creations. King Arthur Flour has a list of recipes to bake with kids you may want to try.

We hope these ideas for fun projects for kids to do at home help. We also hope you’re all doing well and staying safe! We can’t wait to see all of our patients and their families again soon. In the meantime, if your child has a dental emergency, we have a Naperville pediatric dentist on call, so please, don’t hesitate to contact us at (630) 848-PEDO or info@innovativepediatricdentistry.com.