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140 + Things To Do With Kids

If you’re stuck in a rut or just looking for fun, new ideas, we’ve got a list of fun things to do with kids. From at-home activities to outdoor adventures, here’s a list of things you can all do to enjoy your time together and keep the kiddos entertained.

Things To Do With Kids

Places to Go with Kids

  1. Go see a new movie at the movie theater or revisit a family movie at a discount
  2. Go skating at an indoor skating rink
  3. Visit a science museum like the Discovery Cube
  4. Go on rides at a county fair
  5. Explore all the unique shops and restaurants along Huntington Beach’s Main Street
  6. Walk to an ice cream shop to grab a cone
  7. Visit a zoo and see how excited they get by all the animals
  8. See Snoopy and go on rides at Knott’s Berry Farm
  9. Take in a game of baseball at a local diamond
  10. Play a round of mini golf
  11. Splash around at Great Wolf Lodge
  12. Visit an aquarium and see who can find the coolest fish
  13. Have fun learning how the world works at Pretend City Children’s Museum
  14. Go to an arcade and try to play every game at least once
  15. Learn about food and see some beautiful flowers at Farm + Food Lab
  16. Find your way out of an escape room
  17. Create family keepsakes by painting your own pottery at Color Me Mine
  18. Have a beach day filled with swimming and sand castles
  19. Go whale watching at Dana Point
  20. Rent a boat and head out on the water
  21. Grab one of a kind donuts from Duck Donuts
  22. Head to a park and throw around a frisbee
  23. Organize a game of soccer or baseball with friends
  24. Take to the skies in the Great Park Balloon in Irvine
  25. Go bowling at a local bowling alley
  26. See a play at the Orange County Children’s Theatre
  27. Have a picnic in your neighborhood park
  28. Take a scenic drive along the Pacific Coast Highway
  29. Head under the sea at the Aquarium of the Pacific
  30. Connect with local businesses at a farmer’s market
  31. Go for a ride on the famous scale-model train at Irvine Park Railroad
  32. Cool down at at local splash pad
  33. Splash around at the Newport Dunes Inflatable Water Park
  34. Take part in activities at a library, and head home with a fun new book to read
  35. Spend a day exploring all the rides at Disneyland, meeting all their favorite characters along the way
  36. Learn how to paddleboard
  37. Drive out to spend an evening watching a movie at a drive-in theater
  38. Look at all the beautiful flowers in the Niguel Botanical Preserve
  39. Jump around at the Sky Zone indoor trampoline park
  40. Pick your own strawberries, melons, or pumpkins at Tanaka Farms
  41. Cuddle up with some animals at a petting zoo
  42. Slide over to Soak City and have a great time at OC’s largest water park
  43. Explore their adventurous side by harnessing up for some indoor rock climbing
  44. Hop on board one of the famous Duffy Boats of Newport Beach
  45. Bounce around at a bouncy castle
  46. Go for a ride on the Ferris Wheel at the Balboa Fun Zone before stopping in at their famous diner
  47. Take a hike with the whole family at one of the many nature trails within OC
  48. Enjoy dinner and a show at Medieval Times
  49. Skate around at a roller skating rink
  50. Climb the structure and enjoy yourselves at Seascape Kids Fun
  51. Go for a bike ride along the beach paths
  52. Have fun running, hiding, and tagging at a laser tag arena
  53. Learn more about OC’s past at the Irvine Historical Museum
  54. Go to a candy store and see who can find either the most delicious or the most disgusting item in the shop
  55. Strap on the elbow pads and knee pads and hop on your skateboards at a local skate park
  56. Explore one of the many great malls in OC like Fashion Island or Irvine Spectrum
  57. Try out a game of Frisbee Golf at a nearby course
  58. Go camping and be sure to make some delicious s’mores over the campfire
  59. Get a mermaid makeover at Once Upon an Island
  60. Take a group lesson at a local surf center
  61. Head out to find the best Instagrammable spots to take fun photos
  62. Hop in some kayaks and paddle around the beach
  63. Go stargazing at a park on a clear night
  64. Watch the Anaheim Ducks outskate the competition at the Honda Center
  65. See if you can fly a kite while running at a park
  66. Visit the seals and sea lions at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center
  67. Go to a park with a cool play structure and have fun climbing up and sliding down all its elements
  68. Take a stroll along the San Clemente Beach Trail as you watch the waves lap in
  69. Break out the fishing rods and go fishing
  70. Go on pony rides at Zoomars

Things To Do With Kids At Home

  1. Learn a new board game, or play an old favorite
  2. Play catch in the backyard
  3. Break out the water guns to cool off on a hot day
  4. Start a puzzle together
  5. Find a new craft to make
  6. Build a pillow fort in the living room
  7. Set up a tent in the backyard and go “camping” at home
  8. Play pretend with them – see what adventures their imagination can take you on
  9. Let their creativity shine with some finger painting
  10. Play a game of hide-and-seek
  11. Blow bubbles outside and see how many they can pop (or if they can catch one without popping it!)
  12. Make a game out of cleaning the house – see who can tidy their room the fastest!
  13. Plan a scavenger hunt in the house or in the neighborhood
  14. Get a flashlight and cast some shadow puppets on the wall
  15. Bake some sweets together
  16. Learn some magic tricks together for them to impress their friends with
  17. Throw a dance party in your living room
  18. Play Simon Says and see how quickly you can get each other out
  19. Burn some energy with a game of tag in the backyard
  20. Learn how to play the Cups song – just make sure to use plastic cups!
  21. Make paper airplanes and see whose can fly the farthest
  22. Work through a coloring book together
  23. Play a game of tic-tac-toe
  24. Make music together by singing along to the radio or playing the drums on a couch cushion
  25. Paint rocks to decorate the garden
  26. Tie-dye some shirts and have a new piece of your wardrobe to show off
  27. Water the flowers in your garden, teaching your kids what each flower is called
  28. Give each other temporary tattoos with washable markers (make sure they’re washable!)
  29. Read them their favorite book with special voices for every character
  30. Try out a science experiment
  31. Make little origami creatures with each other – see if they can make a paper version of their favorite animal
  32. Try out a new recipe together
  33. Come up with a super secret handshake to show off at your next family function
  34. Build a new LEGO set
  35. Lay down a blanket in the living room and have an indoor picnic
  36. Pop some popcorn and have a home movie night
  37. Let them raid your closet and play dress up
  38. See how high of a house of cards you can build together
  39. Blow up a balloon and see how long you can keep it in the air
  40. Put on a puppet show with sock puppets
  41. Create an activity jar – write things to do on popsicle sticks and then pull one out whenever you need something to do
  42. Help your kids start a daily journal
  43. Make up a short story and see if you can film a movie of it together
  44. Write a poem or song together
  45. Have a push-up competition to see who is the strongest
  46. Set up a sprinkler in the yard and run through to cool off
  47. Create some chalk art or a game of hopscotch on the driveway
  48. Build a birdfeeder and hang it in your backyard
  49. Learn a new dance craze – or make up your own
  50. Write postcards to far away family or friends
  51. Clean up the neighborhood by picking up litter together
  52. See how many different bugs you can find in your backyard
  53. Make matching macaroni necklaces
  54. Have a pajama day – bonus points if you get to nap
  55. Lay in the backyard and point out shapes in the clouds
  56. Create a domino chain and watch them fall
  57. Make a time capsule for your kids to open in a few years and remember what they used to like
  58. Learn some words in Sign Language
  59. Have a game of charades with the whole family
  60. Make paper chains snowflakes and decorate the house
  61. Watch a free concert or movie in the park
  62. Create a secret code language to use with each other
  63. Have a family photo shoot with all the silliest poses
  64. Fill up some water balloons for a family water balloon fight in the yard
  65. Have a competition to see who can hula hoop the longest
  66. Collect leaves and use them to stamp paint on paper for some cool artworks
  67. Tell scary stories in the dark
  68. Learn some yoga poses together
  69. Fill up a kiddie pool and relax in the backyard
  70. Set up some lawn games like horseshoes or croquet and have fun playing outside
  71. Break out the jump ropes and set up challenges like who can jump the longest or who can do the coolest trick

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Morgan Mulac
Morgan is an avid writer about her journeys and enjoys sharing the beauty California has to offer. She is dedicated to using her writing skills to share her passion for travel with others and to help them discover the best places to eat while on vacation, no matter where she is.