Top 10 Fun Activities for Kids! (...and for Babysitters) (2024)

When I was first starting out in babysitting one of the hardest things for me was coming up with new ideas to entertain the kids. There’s nothing worse than trying to negotiate away from TV time or video games, especially when you don’t have an alternative to offer. When you have a few squirmy, energetic little ones running around, a well-thought-out activity will get their attention fast and keep them engaged!

So here’s some great fun activities for kids from a friend of ours, guest blogger, Amy Williams. Enjoy all these terrific suggestions!

Note: Remember for any “messier” activities, please always get the parents’ permission!

New Babysitters Need Fun Activities for Kids!

You have a babysitting job lined up, but what should you do next?

New babysitters often wonder about which games and crafts will entertain children. It isn’t uncommon to have twinges of nervousness and self doubt. However, with a little planning and a positive attitude, new babysitters can be confident and provide their charges with a wonderful few hours of delight.

Top 10 Fun Activities For Kids to Stay Busy & Happy!

Thankfully, a lack of experience isn’t a problem when it comes to finding activities to keep children engaged. Here is a list of simple and creative ideas to keep children busy and happy:

1. Play with shaving cream.

For this activity you will need a can of cheap shaving cream, a kitchen table, and an eager child. On the table, spray a dollop of shaving cream. Roll up the child’s sleeves and let them spread the foam around with their fingers. When you are finished, simply clean their hands and wipe down the table!

2. Float their boat!

Have the children create, fold, or make boats out of tinfoil. Float them in a pan of water. Next, carefully add one penny at a time to their boat to see how many their vessel can hold without sinking. This is a great activity for older children, but omit the pennies for toddlers.

3. Whip up some sidewalk paint!

One of the best easy and fun activities for kids, is to make your own washable paint! Mix tap water, a little watercolor or food coloring, a few squirts of dish soap (this makes the paint easy to clean so it won’t stain) and a few tablespoons of cornstarch in plastic cups.

Give the children paintbrushes and let them paint a masterpiece on the sidewalk, paper or any other washable surface (anything outside makes cleanup a breeze).

4. Create custom puzzles.

Take 5-10 craft or popsicle sticks, lay them flat to create a rectangle. Secure the sticks with one or two pieces of tape and flip the rectangle over. Help the child create a simple puzzle by drawing on the sticks. After the picture is complete, remove the tape and mix up the sticks.

5. Create a tic-tac-toe game with found objects.

Go outside and take a walk. Look for four sticks of similar length that can be carried safely. Gather 2 groups of small items: pinecones, stones, feathers, shells, leaves, or small toys. You will want about 7 pieces for each group. Create a pound symbol with the sticks for your gameboard. Instead of X’s or O’s, use your found objects.

6. Host a pet show.

Take some time to create ribbons for contestants: best of show, fluffiest, smallest, most spotted, and more. Then find an assortment of stuffed animals to compete. Show each contestant and assign a ribbon for each animal.

7. Paint with bubbles.

Mix paint (watercolors or food coloring work the best), water, and dish soap to create a frothy liquid in a bowl. Take a straw to blow bubbles. When the bowl is mounded with bubbles, dot gently with white paper to create a unique bubble print.

8. Play with shadows.

One of my favorite fun activities for kids is shadow puppets! It’s so easy to put a sheet up over a chair or use a wall in a dark room, then grab your flashlight! You can teach the children how to make shapes and animals with shadows. Create puppet shows or even tell jokes with your “shadow shapes.”

9. Cook up something good to eat!

Children love food and enjoy being in the kitchen. Take advantage of their natural curiosity and let them help with lunch or snack.

If they are younger, maybe let them pour in the ingredients, and if they are older let them read the ingredients or try to measure out what goes in the mix! A healthy muffin recipe or even learning how to make cookies can be a great exercise and fun to eat too!

10. Clean the pigpen.

This game is perfect for getting the wiggles out of little ones. Take around 10 pairs of folded socks and use masking tape to divide a large room in half. Place half the socks on one side and the other half on the other side.

The goal of the game is to “clean” the pigpen by throwing the socks one at a time onto the other side. The catch is that the other team is also doing the same thing. The winner is the person or team who clears their side completely of socks first.

Planning for Murphy’s Law

There is an old saying that warns us to plan for whatever could happen as it likely will happen.That is Murphy’s Law in a nutshell! Babysitting is a great example of this law in action, because children are unpredictable and things do happen.

The weather can be uncooperative or the children might be cranky–so it is always a great idea to have a “Plan B”. If you choose the Internet or a handheld device to occupy a child, make sure you follow recommended guidelines for time spent in front of a screen.

Finally, remember to have fun and enjoy the children in your care. Children know when you are stressed which can affect their behavior. Take a deep breath and smile. Play, laugh, and explore the world with them and everyone will have a great experience!

[Amy Williams is a free-lance journalist based in Southern California and mother of two. As a parent, she enjoys spreading the word on positive parenting techniques in the digital age and raising awareness on issues like cyberbullying and online safety. @AmyKWilliams1]

Do you have any low-budget, fun activities for kids that work for you? I’d love to hear about them!

Have you ever wonderedwhat you “must have”when you babysit? Well, we have your answer!

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