Fun And Affordable Family Activities To Do At Home

In our home, I am always looking for some easy, fun, and affordable activities for our family to do together. If you’re like us, spending time with your kids is important, and you’re hoping to find some ideas that will be fun for everybody. But you’re also hoping to do it on a budget!

Look no further! 

I’ve given this lots of thought, and have put together a list of great ideas you can do with your family that are suitable for both younger children and older children. Whether you enjoy getting outside with your family, keeping the fun in your living room, or both, I’ve got you covered!

Board games (good for ALL ages)

Playing a great game together is a wonderful way to get everyone laughing and having fun! Some of our biggest belly laughs have happened during a board game when my husband acts silly and pretends to cry when he loses….the kids think that’s hilarious!

Also, if you are a homeschooling family, playing a board game makes a fantastic addition to your day! If you happen to be considering homeschooling but have some questions, click here to read some recent statistics on homeschooling benefits and outcomes.

Board games are great, but some are too complicated for little kids.  So here is a list of some of our favourite board games, that both little kids and older kids can do: 

“Sorry”

• In order to play this game, all your kids need to know is how to count! And for really little kids, you can help them count their spaces on their turn. I grew up playing this game with my family and have so many fond memories of it! It’s a game that doesn’t require much skill (the older kids will be able to strategize a bit), but the little kids can simply move their game piece the number of spaces drawn and be able to play along no problem! This really is a game that every member of the family will enjoy. I highly recommend it! 

“Chutes and Ladders”

• This is such a classic game! When I was little, it was called “Snakes and Ladders”, but it’s essentially the same thing. Again, all the little ones need to know how to do is count, and they are good to go! This game is all luck and zero skill, so it makes it really fair when you have younger children playing against the older ones.

“Candy Land”

• Another classic! This one is also a game of all luck and zero skill, so it is another wonderful option for multiple age groups. My kids have always loved the images on the game board of this one – so bright and fun! Because of how this game is played, using this as a way for little kids to practice their colour recognition would be a fun way for them to learn their colours. If you are a homeschool family with toddlers or preschool aged children, you could come up with some fun lesson ideas that include this game!

“Picture Charades”

• Not a board game exactly…but along the same lines. This is a fantastic take on the typical game of Charades. It’s basically the same concept – you look at what you have to act out and then do so without making any noise. The difference though is that THIS one works great for both older kids and little kids because there’s no reading involved! Rather than choosing a card and reading what you have to act out, each card has a very easy to understand picture of what needs to be performed. You just look at the picture and act it out. It’s super easy and loads of fun!

Board Games (Good for older kids)

If finding a board game that needs to be suitable for little kids isn’t where you’re at, then this section is for you! Our oldest child is 10, so we’ve been able to branch out into some board games that require a bit more strategy and reading comprehension. It’s so much fun playing games like these with your older kids, because it gives you an opportunity to watch them strategize and think up ways to advance. It’s especially exciting for THEM when they actually beat you! You know you’ve arrived at a new phase of life when that happens! 

Here is a list of our favourite board games that you should try playing with your older kids:

“Scrabble”

• I doubt this one needs any explanation. Everyone knows Scrabble! But just in case, I’ll give it a brief overview. In this game, everyone is given some letter tiles that they have to make words with on the game board. Each letter has a certain points value, as does certain areas of the game board. You make as many words as you can, and whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins. This is definitely a game that requires skill, but it also contains a bit of luck as you don’t know which letter tiles you will receive each time you take them. If you homeschool, or if you have a child that needs some help with spelling, this is a really fun game to play with them! I’ve used this with my daughter many times as it’s an excellent way for her to practice her spelling, without it feeling like “school work”.

“The Game of Life”

• This is yet another classic game! (I think the classic games are the best because every generation loves them!) This game requires some strategizing as you decide which path of ‘life’ you will take throughout the game. There’s a lot of reading in this one, and even some math. This is a great game to get kids thinking about things beyond their level, such as career choices, hypothetical incomes and budgets, housing, etc. Add some snacks and make this a great family night activity! 

“Monopoly – All Themes”

• Monopoly has come a long way since I was a kid! It seems that there is always a new monopoly game theme being released. Right now, there are currently over 3000 versions of Monopoly! That’s a bit intimidating when it comes to trying to choose a theme to play. However, because there’s so many, you are sure to find one you love! They are all played roughly the same way however, and do require a decent amount of skill and strategizing. Typically this game does take longer to play, so just make sure your kids have the attention span for it. But we always have a great time when we play this one!

If board games aren’t your thing

Not everyone is into board games, and that’s perfectly okay! And sometimes, even if you do enjoy them, you need to switch it up a bit. 

All good, I’ve still got you covered!

Here is a list of some game/activity ideas you can do with your whole family, including both younger children and older children:

“Scavenger Hunt”

• Scavenger hunts have become a favourite activity in our house, and they’re also a really good way to get everyone up and moving around! I personally, really enjoy creating the hunts! I will take pieces of paper and write out various different clues as I walk all around our home and property. This is a really great game to take outside as well.  A scavenger hunt is such a fun activity because you can literally make it from scratch, meaning it will cost you nothing, and you can get as creative as you want! And depending on the number of people in your family, you could break off into teams or take turns to try and find the next clue. If you have never made your own scavenger hunt and aren’t sure where to start, click here for 30 different family scavenger hunt ideas.

“Obstacle Course”

• Children absolutely LOVE a good obstacle course! It’s a fantastic method of spending time together as a family, and  a great way to encourage physical exercise within your family. This is another fun activity where you can be as creative as you want, and use whatever space or resources you have on hand. If you have really little kids, it can be as simple as putting a few pillows on the floor and marking where they have to step with a slip of paper! For older kids, you can make things a bit trickier by making them climb over and under things, walk through a bunch of balloons without moving any, time them and make it a competition, etc. You can also use your backyard and set up rocks to jump over, and include a sprint or some cartwheels as part of the course. The options here are endless! This really is a good way for the family to have fun together and it will ensure lots of laughs!

“Sentence Game”

• This game will DEFINITELY get your family members laughing! Its very simple so even the really little kids can join in the fun! Everybody sits around the room, and one person starts by saying a word. Just one word. Then the next person says one word that follows the word the last person said. Each person can only say one word at a time, and as you go around the room you start to form a ridiculous story based on everyone’s “one word” input. You basically just keep going until you’re done or you’re laughing too hard to talk! This is another fun activity that won’t cost you a single dime, and your whole family will love it!

Non-Game Activities

Playing a game is loads of fun, but it certainly isn’t the only way to have some fun family time together! Depending on the ages or physical abilities of the people in your family, you may be looking for some quieter and calmer activities. Or perhaps you just want to get outside and enjoy nature together. Here are a few good examples of activity ideas that aren’t games:

Indoor Activities

• Do a family scripture study
• Put a puzzle together
• Invite extended family over and have everyone share stories with each other – this is a great way to teach kids about their family history
• Create an ice cream bar with everyone’s favourite toppings
• Get some art supplies and create your family tree to put up on the wall – another great way for children to learn family history
• Turn off all the lights, light some candles and just sit around together in the candlelight talking – (we used to do this growing up and they’re some of my favourite memories)
• Choose something as a family that you all want to learn, look up a simple lesson on the topic, and start learning it together
• Bake your favourite treats together in the kitchen while listening to some good music
• Watch a family friendly movie and make some homemade popcorn
• Make some food, invite over some older aged family members or friends, and ask them to come prepared with a word of wisdom to share with your children – (this is a great idea when you have older kids who are perhaps heading off to college or university soon)
• Start a “beautiful world” study, where you pick an evening every week to learn about a certain part of the world

Outdoor Activities

• Go for a walk or bike ride around your neighbourhood
• Play a game of soccer in your backyard
• Go for a hike
• Go Geocaching in your area
• Play outdoor hide and seek
• Have a bonfire
• Stargaze
• Have a camp out in your backyard
• Build an outdoor fort using patio furniture and any outdoor supplies you have
• Watch an outdoor movie with a projector or go to a drive in movie theatre if you have one close by

No matter what fun activities or games you choose to do with your family, what’s important is that you are prioritizing time together. Life is busy and it’s hard sometimes to make time for each other. But planning regular activity days, or evenings, is an easy way to make sure spending time together doesn’t get lost in the hustle and bustle. 

I encourage you to get some family times marked on your calendar, tell your kids about them and let the excitement build! It’s often the simple times together that make the most lasting impact on children, and create the most cherished memories. 

Blessings!

~Maryann