Nina Turtles

Parents ask me all the time for activity ideas to do with their kids. Most of the time they're overthinking it. Our kids generally just want to hang out with us and do whatever we're doing (especially when they're young). But in case you need more concrete ideas, here's a list of 101 activities you can do with your kids. Save it so you never run out of ideas: 1. Play chess: or play any other quiet, strategic game that emphasizes critical thinking 2. Bird Watching: look out the window and identify local birds to develop an appreciation for animals and nature 3. Design a family crest: work on it together, share ideas, get it printed somewhere nice 4. Read together: seems obvious, but most parents don't do this enough (older kids like to be read to, too) 5. Cooking class: go as a family, emphasize dual skills of precision and creativity 6. Hiking: go outside and walk around, talk about the animals and plants 7. Fishing trip: talk about patience and the reward of quiet contemplation 8. Woodworking: introduce basic carpentry skills while creating something your family will actually use 9. Watch a documentary: find subjects everyone has an interest in, watch and discuss 10. Astronomy night: identify constellations, contemplate how everything got there 11. Gardening: find a small patch of land and grow something together 12. Art gallery visit: talk about the pieces you like/dislike, understand the business side of art 13. Yoga: take a class together, or just go outside and do a class from youtube 14. Volunteering: find a cause that means something to your family 15. Weightlifting: teach the basics, especially bodyweight exercises 16. Photography walk: teach the basics of photography while finding beauty in every day surroundings 17. Write letters: write letters to family members with your kids; emphasize importance of written correspondence 18. Museum visit: history/science/art museums spur endless discussion 19. Car maintenance: change oil/change a tire; teach practical skills in a constructive setting 20. Home DIY project: install a new shower head together, let them help put down new tile etc 21. Investment: let them research/pick stocks and buy shares (easy to do through robinhood or similar) 22. Historical landmark tour: find landmarks of note in your area, connect present to the past 23. Go biking: opportunity to teach road safety while getting great exercise 24. Geocaching: do a GPS-based outdoor activity and hone navigational skills 25. Map reading: same idea, learn how to get around without technology 26. Family book club: everyone reads a book, discuss as a family 27. Public speaking drills: let kids present topics to the family (make it a competition if your kids would like that) 28. Go to a farmer's market: teach about local produce and the food supply chain 29. Music appreciation: sit down and listen to music together, talk about what you like/don't like 30. Basic coding lessons: teach your kids if you know how, or take an intro class together 31. Pottery class: emphasize patience, steadiness and creativity 32. Planetarium: learn about the sky, the universe, and our place in it 33. Philosophy: engage in back-and-forth debates around philosophical questions 34. Bonsai trimming: haven't done this one personally, but could be fun 35. Make a telescope: build a simple telescope and understanding of mirrors/lenses (plenty of tutorials online) 36. Architectural walk: look at the coolest buildings in your area, talk about the different styles 37. Write poetry: read the classics together and let your kids create their own 38. Battle robots: build robot kits and let them fight it out 39. Calligraphy: practice penmanship and keep tradition of fine handwriting alive 40. Family history project: draw your family tree together...how far back can you go? 41. Work with leather: create simple belts or bracelets together 42. Canoeing: emphasize teamwork and coordination in a tranquil setting 43. Nature sketching: pick something outside near your house and draw it together 44. Physics experiments: conduct simple experiments at home to foster and explore curiosity 45. Scuba diving: if your kids are older, consider getting certified and going diving 46. Build a computer: get a simple kit online, learn about the different components that make technology work 47. Visit a courtroom: these are often open to the public, learn about our legal system 48. Tie knots: teach different types of knots, learn what they're for and how to tie them 49. Camping: go spend a night outside, cook your meals over fire, tell stories 50. Storytelling: help them understand the components of a good story, practice reciting them out loud 51. Restore an antique: find something everyone in the family likes and make it new again 52. Orchestra concert: appreciate the skill of the musicians and the complexity of the compositions 53. Meteorology basics: learn about weather patterns, predict upcoming weather 54. Make a business plan: be the "investor", teach how to analyze the strength of a plan 55. Herb gardening: grow your own herbs, then use them to cook meals together 56. Etiquette lessons: teach proper manners and social etiquette, practice it at home 57. Aquarium visit: learn about marine life, food chains, watch the fish swim around 58. Start a collection: stamps, baseball cards, coins, freaking buttons, whatever 59. Learn about ancestors: Who were they? Where did they live? What did they do? 60. Distance running: sign up for a 10k as a family, trian together 61. Morse code: understand the history and usage of Morse code, practice it together 62. Visit a war memorial: pay respects to fallen veterans and talk about their sacrifices 63. Sudoku challenge: solve puzzles together, or make it a competition 64. Write a screenplay: write a movie script our outline together, let your kids mock "pitch" it 65. Build a model ship: use it as an opportunity learn about maritime technology 66. Family math bowl: race doing basic equations or math problems, winner gets a prize 67. Family quiz bowl: same idea, but with trivia questions, winner gets a prize 68. Crossword challenge: do crossword puzzles together 69. Cook an ancestor meal: cook a meal your ancestors would have eaten, enjoy as a family 70. Historical reenactment: pick an important historical event and re-enact it with your kids 71. Origami: do it together, teach about precision, attention to detail, patience 72. Community cleanup: go outside in your community and clean up some trash 73. Start a podcast: even if you never publish it, learn about recording and content creation 74. Film analysis: actively consume a movie and discuss it as a family 75. Microbiology: get a microscope and look at microbes, talk about biology 76. Survival skills lessons: foster understanding of basic wilderness survival techniques 77. Visit a power plant: many will happily give you a tour; learn about how our lives are powered 78. Bake sourdough bread: tbt to lockdowns; learn the science and art of baking from scratch 79. Visit an old books store: let them pick out some books they like 80. Build model rockets: construct and launch model rockets to learn about aerodynamics and physics 81. Family pickle ball tournament: self explanatory... find some space and make it happen 82. Build a radio: assemble a simple am/fm radio to understand the basics of radio technology 83. Attend a public lecture: go to a university or community center, listen and discuss 84. Film a documentary: pick a subject your kids like and write/record/edit the movie 85. Visit a construction site: younger kids especially love this...just go look at the equipment 86. Build a birdhouse: learn basic carpentry skills, build a place for local bird family to live 87. Martial arts training: learn a martial art to improve fitness, discipline, and self defense skills 88. Go to a shooting range: learn about firearm safety and self defense 89. Classical sculpture study: study classical sculptures (even if you just use google images) and understand historical techniques 90. Whittling: find some sticks outside and whittle them into something cool 91. Write a family diary together: every day write a few sentences about the day 92. Visit local factory: take a tour of a factory and talk about how things are made 93. Rock climbing: go to a rock climbing gym together, foster patience, deliberate movement, and strength 94. Write a family song: teach about the basics of music composition, bonus points if you record it together 95. Write a family code of values: let your kids help you come up with values that matter to everyone 96. Learn magic tricks: do this together, learn some tricks, then stage a family magic show 97. Home appliance repair: if something breaks, involve your kids in figuring out the problem and fixing it 98. Attend any kind of auction: understand the dynamics of bidding and the value of different items 99. Go to the zoo: simple, go look at some animals, talk about them 100. Visit a fire station: especially cool for younger kids, learn about keeping your community safe 101. Sew a button: everyone should know how to do this; do it together Hopefully this keeps you occupied for a while. This took me some time to write up, so if you got value out of it, bookmark it and share it so others may as well.