A to Z Activities for Kids and Parents to Enjoy Together

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Updated on 02/23/22

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Alphabet Ball

Alphabet ball is a game that grows with your child. After a one-time setup with a ball and alphabet stickers, this game will be ready to go anytime. This activity is also educational, but the kids will never know because they'll be having so much fun playing.

Bubble Party

Throw a bubble party in your backyard. Make your own bubbles recipes and head outdoors with bubble wands made out of straws, cups, fly swatters, or try a more elaborate project that will give you huge bubbles.

Cook

You prepare three meals plus snacks by yourself every day. Put on those aprons and get into the kitchen together. Cooking with your kids is actually a learning experience disguised as fun. They can use those reading skills to follow recipes and use math to measure out ingredients.

Do Good Together

Charity work is an excellent lesson for your kids while also giving you quality family time together. There are plenty of charity events for children and their parents that are age-appropriate and allow you all to help others who are less fortunate.

Explore World Cultures

What is a willy willy? Where would you find horse-drawn delivery carts? Answer these questions and more with a worldly expedition right in your own home. Explore world cultures with your kids and take them around the globe to learn about how other children live, eat, and even play.

Forts

Who doesn't love blanket forts? Rip off the covers, grab some chairs, and build a secret hideaway with the kids. Add in some books and toys and you'll be surprised how long your children play inside this magical place of theirs.

Getaway

Escape! Pack up the car for a family day trip. Head to a neighboring city's children's museum or zoo. Simply go for a ride. Be spontaneous and change up your scenery from time to time. Not only is it an adventure for your children, but it's also refreshing for you.

Home Weather Station

Rain. Sun. Snow. It doesn't matter. Creating a home weather station entertains your kids regardless of the weather. Your home weather station can start with a simple rain gauge and you can add on as you go. Before long, your kids will have their own hygrometer and be keeping a weather journal every day.

Imaginary Play

From playing airplane to opening a pretend restaurant, your kids will never be bored when they use their imagination to play. There are plenty of imaginative ways to play with your children and there's no telling where their imagination will take them.

Jumpstart a Community Library

Every neighborhood should have its own little library based on the honor system. Jumpstart a community library for the kids in your neighborhood. This family project lets you build a small library that can include everything from picture books to books for young readers. Make sure your neighborhood is on-board with the idea before getting started and soon you'll have readers visiting the community library to share their favorite books too.

Kid-Sized Board Game

Board games are a lot of fun for kids. Now super-size that fun by building a life-sized board game out of household items. Put all of those toys to good use. Use that slide in the playroom, the play food, the alphabet floor mat squares, and that toy purse. Now you've got all the pieces you need for your own game. Just look around the room and get creative.

Learning Games

Learning can be fun too. You just need to mix it up and keep the kids on their toes. They certainly keep you on yours! Play learning games that teach your kids everything from world history to phonics basics. You can adapt any learning game to the ages of your children so no one gets bored.

Movie Night

You go, go, go. Now it's time to stop, stop, stop. Unwind and have a family movie night. Kick it up a notch by turning your family room into a movie theater, complete with a concession stand, ushers, and even movie reviews after the show is over.

News Journal

What's going on in your neighborhood? How about with your child's sports team? What's the big news Aunt Martha has to share with the family? Help your kids create a news journal to write about everything happening around them. They can create their own newspaper, laying it out like a real publication. Let them dig for the news like a reporter and distribute it around the neighborhood or at sports practice with you.

Outdoor Painting

Take your little artists outside for some creative outdoor painting. You only need some banner paper, non-toxic paints, and kids who love to get messy. When they're done, hose the kids off for minimal cleanup!

Picture Stories

Pull out your old magazines or old photo albums and let your kids pick a picture that inspires them. Now let them write their own story based on the photo. For kids who aren't ready to write their own story, they can dictate the story to you or simply let them draw their version with a picture.

Quiet Nature Activities

Mother Nature is calling and she wants your family to come outside to play. Try some quiet nature activities that will turn your kids into nature lovers. From bird watching to treasure hunting, there are so many things you can do to break outside of your four walls and enjoy some time under the big blue sky.

Reading Fun

A good book can take you to outer space or to another time in history. Pick a book to read together and then let your kids become a part of that book. They can dress up like characters from the book, act out their favorite scenes, or write their own sequel. Make reading fun for kids to encourage a life-long love of the written word.

Science Experiments

You've got some mad scientists living in your house and your kitchen is the ideal science lab. Erupt a volcano, create a rocket balloon, or grow sugar crystals. There are plenty of science experiments for kids you can do together without turning your home into a disaster area.

Tours

How are cars made? What's it like behind the scenes of a TV station? How do orders get filled at warehouses? There are many kid-friendly tours that let your children explore and learn at the same time. Many of them are free! Just ask about the minimum age requirements ahead of time to make sure everyone in your family can attend.

Under the Stars

There's something about playing in the dark that kids absolutely love. Camp out, go on a night walk, or play flashlight games with some simple nighttime activities that are perfect for those evenings when the weather is great outside.

Virtual Field Trip

Stay in your jammies today and visit the White House. Take the kids on a virtual field trip and go around the globe without ever packing a bag. Virtual field trips are available online for practically anything you can think of, from visiting the pyramids in Egypt to checking in on newborn animal babies at zoos around the globe.

Website

Build a website with your kids, even if you don't know the first thing about website creation. Their website can cover any topic they want, such as their favorite hobby, sports team, or life in your city. They can even start their own blog in minutes. Keep your children's identity safe while teaching them the fundamentals of good website design, writing, and creating a site that is private and just for them or available to the general public.

Xylophones, Box Drums, and Shoebox Guitars

Make your own musical instruments with everyday items. Have a jam session and introduce your children to musical enrichment activities. Who knows? You may be hitting the road together soon for your own family concert.

Your Family Lemonade Stand

Teach kids the fundamentals of running their own business by opening a lemonade stand. Everyone can work together to come up with a name, set prices, work on advertising, and decorate the lemonade stand. Be sure to contact your city's business division to make sure you don't need certain permits. Some cities are more strict than others, even when it comes to a child's lemonade stand at the end of your driveway.

Zoo

Have the kids find animals by the alphabet, starting with the letter A. Pick a continent and study the animals in that area. Then have the kids pick an animal to write five fun facts about by using the informational signs at the zoo. Let your children take their own photos and create an album from their zoo trip when they get home. The next time you go, they can take their album and add a line or two under each photo about what the animal eats or where it lives. You can take any activity and amp it up to make it an adventure.