How to spend time at home with children
Even adults find themselves wondering what to do with time at home, so it’s even tougher for kids—when they get bored, they can get cranky, and it becomes a real challenge.
To help you enjoy those long hours at home, here’s a lineup of games and ideas that kids are sure to love.
There’s a variety—from things you can do with little to no money, to items you can get at a 100-yen shop, to activities that take a bit more time and effort.
Of course, there are also options that adults can enjoy together with the kids, so use these as a reference and have a great time at home!
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How to spend time at home with children (31–40)
Rubik’s Cube
A game that feels like puzzle magic: twisting a Rubik’s Cube to make all six faces match.
Each time the colorful faces line up perfectly, it steadily builds your thinking and concentration.
The joy of “I made it this far!” leads to confidence.
By learning the sequences and moves, you also boost your planning skills and memory.
If you play by racing the clock with friends or family, you’ll discover the fun of cooperating and cheering each other on.
Start with just one face—repeat small challenges and enjoy playing!
Make and Play! Solo Balloon Volleyball
Balloon Volleyball is a game kids can play on their own using a balloon and a rubber band.
It’s fun indoors not only for elementary schoolers but also for younger children.
For example, by connecting balloons with a rubber band, kids can tap or return incoming balloons gently, which helps them control their strength and play safely.
Watching the balloon float softly and chasing it slowly also naturally nurtures focus and a sense of timing.
You can even try kicking it like in soccer—simple tweaks make it a game you can enjoy over and over.
It’s perfect for indoor play, so give it a try!
Traditional playground games techniques
Kendama and spinning tops may seem difficult at first, but when you keep trying and finally succeed, you’ll feel a real sense of “I did it!” As you practice, you steadily develop fine finger movements, body balance, and hand-eye timing—that’s a key benefit.
Focusing while you play also nurtures perseverance and a never-give-up attitude.
If you practice and show off your tricks with friends or family, their “That’s awesome!” will give you courage and confidence.
These toys help both mind and body grow while having fun, so give them a try!
Shrinky dink crafts with everyday materials
Everyday items can actually be used as materials for shrink plastic crafts.
There are many types of plastic, and not all of them will work.
Polystyrene is fine.
Check the symbol on the container carefully when choosing.
Once you find something usable, draw on it just like you would with regular shrink plastic.
Polystyrene cups shrink and crumple into a rounded shape as they bake, which is fun to watch.
Be careful, though—aluminum foil can sometimes stick! You can turn them into coasters or make a toy wristwatch.
Before you throw containers away, be sure to check them and give this a try!
Quick Towel Grab Showdown
Here’s a towel quick-grab showdown that gets exciting with just one towel.
The game is played by two people.
Stand back-to-back with about one towel’s length of distance between you, and place both hands on top of your head.
When someone says “Ready, go!” both players go for the towel.
The one who grabs it first wins.
If it’s a tie, it’s fun to try again.
Give this simple and enjoyable towel challenge a try! It might help improve your reaction speed and concentration.
How to Spend Quality Time at Home with Your Kids (41–50)
Plastic Bottle Bowling
Here’s a popular indoor activity: plastic bottle bowling.
Prepare 10 empty plastic bottles and add a small amount of water to each to stabilize them.
Wrap construction paper around the bottles to decorate them.
Once ready, line up the bottles and get a safe rubber ball.
Let the children roll the ball and enjoy plastic bottle bowling.
Count how many bottles fall to determine the winner.
Adjust the rolling distance based on the children’s age by making it longer or shorter.
Pose Matching Game
Here’s a pose-matching game that parents and kids can enjoy together.
Decide on a prompt, and at the cue of “Ready, go!” strike the pose for that prompt.
If the parent and child match poses, the challenge is a success! If they don’t match, trying the same prompt again can be just as exciting.
It’s a humorous game that tests how in sync you are with each other.
It might be fun with more people, too.
Enjoy clearing each prompt while boosting your imagination!
In conclusion
We’ve shared ideas you can enjoy at home with your kids.
Some of them are fun for adults too—in fact, they might get so into it that they take the lead—so you can all enjoy them together.
Use these as inspiration to bring a fresh breeze to those boring hours at home!