Family inspiration
Family activities at home for wonderfully ordinary days.
Rain outside? Empty afternoon? Turn the house into the starting point for a little adventure.
Family time at home does not have to mean finding another programme to watch. A kitchen table, a pile of cushions or a few pieces of scrap paper can be enough to get everyone involved. The best plan is one that fits the people playing, the time you have and the amount of mess you can face.
These rainy-day ideas include quiet projects, lively games and food everyone can help with. Choose a handful your family likes, put them into a Family Edition board and let the mystery envelopes answer “what shall we do?” for once.
Make one small plan everyone can join
Start with the children taking part and the amount of setup you can face. “Something fun at home” does not have to involve covering every available surface in glitter. You are allowed to protect tomorrow’s breakfast table.
1.
Choose an activity that suits every child taking part, with an adult checking the actual materials.
2.
Set up the first stage before inviting everyone over; waiting can eat up a lot of enthusiasm.
3.
Give each person a useful role, including quieter or seated ways to join.
4.
Agree a finish point, such as one short film or one round of clues.
5.
Put a clear-up box nearby and make tidying part of the final stage.
For a treasure-hunt afternoon, choose five reachable hiding places and use the original clue cards in the full guide. An adult keeps the answer key and adapts text clues into pictures for younger players. Older children can write a bonus clue or become the clue master. Finish with a shared story about the hunt rather than a race to see who can collect everything first.
Start with a complete plan
An indoor treasure hunt, with clues you can actually use →Make a stop-motion film: a very small story with a big premiere →Build a recycled robot: cardboard engineering with a very important job →Rainy-day baking and kitchen fun
Give everyone a job, from choosing toppings to naming the family café. Younger children can arrange, stir or decorate with help, while older children can take on more of the planning. Choose ingredients everyone can enjoy and leave hot equipment to an adult.
Keep the recipe manageable and allow time for the food to cool before decorating. The activity is the making as well as the eating, so an impressively lopsided cupcake still counts as a very good afternoon.
Turn the kitchen into your own little pizzeria. Stretch the dough, put out bowls of toppings and let everyone invent a pizza. Give your creations silly names before sitting down to try them together.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Bake and decorate cupcakes
Bake a batch of cupcakes, then let the decorating get wonderfully messy. Try funny faces, bright icing or a secret theme, and finish with a family tasting session. Wonky cakes are very welcome.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Indoor games that get everyone involved
A familiar room can become a treasure trail or tournament venue with a few small changes. Make clues easier for younger players, pair up when ages differ and give everyone a turn at choosing the next challenge.
For a family games night, agree a finish time and keep the awards friendly. Best teamwork, most surprising move and most enthusiastic cheering are all excellent categories. A shorter game everyone enjoys is better than one that outlasts their patience.
Hide clues around the house and send your family on a treasure hunt. Use riddles, drawings or little challenges to lead the way, with a shared treat waiting at the end. Take turns being the clue master.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Board-game mini tournament
Everyone chooses a game and you work your way through a family mini tournament. Mix quick favourites with something new, take snack breaks and invent an award for the best sport of the day.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Creative activities for older children and teenagers
Let older children help shape the idea rather than assigning them a little-kids activity. Making a short film, designing something to wear or inventing a challenge gives them room to bring their own interests. They might choose the soundtrack, handle a camera or write a wonderfully dramatic script.
Use the suggested-age filters when creating a random board, then review the shortlist as a family. The suggestions are a guide to participation, not a rule about what a particular child will enjoy. You can always add an idea of your own.
Give plain T-shirts a family makeover with fabric pens, stamps or simple painted shapes. Make matching team shirts or let everyone go their own way, then model your creations in a living-room fashion show.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Keep an at-home plan easy to say yes to
Pick your own activities to fill a board with ideas you can do in the house. For a random board, combine Indoor with your budget, vibe and age choices, then review the results. Indoor is a setting rather than a location: a cinema or aquarium is indoors too, so check each activity when you want to stay home.
Read the preparation notes, make sure the materials are suitable and give adults and children roles they can enjoy. You can fill a board with free ideas using things you already own, or mix in a small treat. Nobody has to earn a perfect family afternoon.
Ready for your next family adventure?
Pick activities everyone feels happy about, keep an envelope and see what the game has in store.
A little inspiration for your next family day
Find family activity ideas for rainy afternoons, weekends and school holidays. Start with the time, budget and ages you have, then make the plan your own.