21 Creative Stay-at-Home Activities for Kids & Family
21 creative stay-at-home activities for kids & family: make educational projects, fun DIY arts and crafts, lots of things to do ideas with simple & free materials!
There are times when we have to stay at home, it could be a rainy day, or something so unexpected like the pandemic quarantine and stay home lock downs! However, we can make the best of our stay at home days and do things together that are inspiring and enriching for kids and everyone in the family.

We can use this time to learn new things, create beautiful arts and crafts, explore nature and science through fun projects, plant a mini garden, make heartwarming gifts for loved ones, and so much more!
Here are some of our favorite creative ideas of Stay-at-Home crafts and educational activities for kids & the whole family! They are mostly either free, or super low cost, using up-cycled materials or a few simple arts and crafts supplies.
Table of Contents
- 1. Make painted rock art
- 2. Regrow kitchen scraps: free gardening activities for kids and family
- 3. Build cardboard furniture : fun educational activities for kids and adults
- 4. Up-cycle a container into an interactive toy
- 5. Make pop up cards
- 6. Create a mini jungle terrarium
- 7. Make an indoor water garden
- 8. Grow a kitchen and bath sponge
- 9. Make stickers and labels from packing tape
- 10. Make collage wall art: things to do on a rainy day at home
- 11. Color mandalas: art activities for kids and adults
- 12. Make leaf prints: fun nature craft activities for kids and adults
- 13. Make giant flower decorations from nature finds
- 14. Make pinecone wreath
- 15. Make a wreath with leaves and cardboard : free craft activities for kids and family
- 16. Paint bubble flowers: fun and easy art activities for kids
- 17. Paint watercolor flowers
- 18. Sharpie art on mugs and bowls
- 19. Make a 3d calendar: paper craft activities for kids
- 20. Make paper flowers : paper craft activities for kids and family
- 21. 3D paper birds and mobile art
1. Make painted rock art
*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

Rocks are free materials that offer endless creative possibilities. Take some acrylic craft paints or white paint pens , and create a family portrait or write inspirational quotes on rocks and pebbles. Here are some great ideas and tutorials!
2. Regrow kitchen scraps: free gardening activities for kids and family

These are really fun and educational activities for kids and adults! Save your avocado pits and mango seeds, let’s grow avocado and mango trees! You can also grow beautiful greens and plants from a sweet potato, a carrot top, onion trimmings, and lots more! Check out all the kitchen scraps you can regrow magically!
3. Build cardboard furniture : fun educational activities for kids and adults

Learn to build furniture using recycled cardboard and duct tape. It is a great family activity: the adults can cut the cardboard, and kids can do the assembling and decorating.
4. Up-cycle a container into an interactive toy

Make a candy pooping reindeer from a potato chip container and simple materials you already have at home, and learn some basic mechanics through the fun process.
5. Make pop up cards

Send a little happy surprise to a loved one with a big pop up flower hidden in a handmade card, free templates here! We can all appreciate a little extra love during a challenging time of social distancing and quarantine.
6. Create a mini jungle terrarium

Find a glass jar and create a mini tropical jungle that lasts for months with minimal care. Here’s how to make terrarium in 3 easy steps!
7. Make an indoor water garden

Use Recycled glass jars to make a little indoor garden with some plant cuttings that grows happily in water. Learn which common plants will grow in water here.
8. Grow a kitchen and bath sponge

Grow your natural sponge and eat it too! Sounds too good? Learn about this wonderful Luffa plant here and grow some in your garden this year! You can find Luffa seeds here.
9. Make stickers and labels from packing tape

So many things you could do with unique stickers. See how to Make your own stickers from packing tape in this easy craft tutorial.
10. Make collage wall art: things to do on a rainy day at home

Got paper and glue? Let’s make this beautiful large wall art in no time!
11. Color mandalas: art activities for kids and adults

Kids and adults all love coloring. Mandalas are believed to bring more harmony and well-being with good vibrations. Download some free coloring pages here!
12. Make leaf prints: fun nature craft activities for kids and adults

These beautiful DIY leaf prints can be used as wall art and greeting cards. You can use leaves from any season. They are so much fun to make!
13. Make giant flower decorations from nature finds

Another creative nature craft for all ages. These giant flowers will last for months. Tutorial here!
14. Make pinecone wreath

Take fun nature walk and collect some pine cones to make this easy DIY pinecone wreath.
15. Make a wreath with leaves and cardboard : free craft activities for kids and family

This easy and beautiful DIY magnolia wreath is practically free to make!
16. Paint bubble flowers: fun and easy art activities for kids

It’s not just a fun arts and crafts project for kids. It is also quite irresistible for grownups! Tutorial here.
17. Paint watercolor flowers

Learn how to paint watercolor flowers in this easy step by step tutorial.
18. Sharpie art on mugs and bowls

Learn how to Create art on bowls and mugs using your sharpie markers. No baking needed.
19. Make a 3d calendar: paper craft activities for kids

This easy paper craft you give you an unique calendar while you learn about the geometry of a dodecahedron – one of the platonic solids. Free templates here.
20. Make paper flowers : paper craft activities for kids and family

Everyone loves paper flowers. Here are some tutorials to make paper cherry blossoms, and paper poppy flowers.
21. 3D paper birds and mobile art

Make a magical mobile art with some branches and easy 3d paper birds. Free templates here!
Stay well friends! And happy crafting!
When the pandemic hits the globe, it’s very difficult to manage things especially when you are surrounded by small kids. So this is the Wonderful list of creative activities for kids!! Can’t wait to try some of these out with my kids this time.
Great ideas. It’s funny how there are so many things to do beyond buying new toys, and which also brings more connection. Thanks for reminding us!
yes the connection is a really important part! 🙂
We have really enjoyed some of these activities with our 3 kids. Thank you!!
This is a great post with alot of exciting ways to actually have fun with your children , even though i feel like some of these activities might not be for young kids. Its worth a shot
Thanks so much
I like these activities. These activities make my days more busy and I also can make some fun with my kids. Thanks for your creative ideas! Please keep sharing!
That is a creative idea. I always try to share some activity with my kids also some science projects can make our kids happy through a fun activity. Thanks for sharing your awesome idea with us.
Thank you for the cool ideas!! There are so many activities I want to try with my kids.
Your weekly bulletins are so inspirational, thank you. We are all better off for taking time out to be creative and never more so than at this difficult time.
I do have a question though. I’m not the most computer literate person, but I can’t access the template for the hanging birds in the latest bulletin. The link at the end of that segment just takes me back to the start of the same article. Please can you help me?
hi liz, we emailed you the page link! take care and happy creating!! 🙂
These are all great ideas! I love the giant flower art. We might have to give that a try.
hi michelle! thank you! happy creating and stay well!!! xx
THANK YOU!!! Our kids are 9 and 12, and they are going to LOVE many of these activities!!! We are in one of those shelter in place cities, and it has been really challenging. These crafts and gardening activities will be enjoyed by our family!
thank you Christina! stay well and enjoy your creative time with family! 🙂