13 Fun Family Activities at Home (Without Gadgets!)

Do you need some fun family activities to do at home without gadgets? Are your kids obsessed with iPads and Nintendo Switch? Frankly, most parents these days are in the same shoes.

We know how important it is to give our children a broad range of stimulating experiences to keep them engaged and physically active.

Our days are long gone when we would spend long hours together as a family, doing nothing but laughing and telling stories. With the ever-busy schedule we keep, and kids’ preference for digital consumption, it is difficult to get the whole family bond together sometimes.

Maybe you are already spending quality time with your family either watching movies, playing sports together, or teaching your children how to play the piano. But the same routines get them bored and make activities not too fun anymore.

Great news! We are here to help! Do you know that there are many other activities that you can enjoy without spending too much money or without gadgets? This article will give you 13 fun family activities at home so you won’t run out of ideas again!

Fun Family Activities at Home

Most often than not, parents need more creativity than resources to keep their kids engaged or physically active. Let’s lessen their screen time willingly without the tantrums with these fun family activities.

Board Games

Some may be a little complicated, but board games are a great way to spend quality time with your family. If you’re looking for some fun board game activities that don’t require a lot of prep, here are some options you can do at home (without even having to get off the couch!)

Chess

There’s nothing more classic than a game of chess! It is a game that is loved all over the world. Since this is typically a game for two people, team up and have a round of parent vs. children!

Chess can help develop skills that will help your kids develop their problem-solving skills, improve their concentration, and increase their creativity.

It is also good for improving memory!

Number of players: 2
Duration: Average of 10 to 60 minutes

Scrabble

Scrabble is the perfect word game to play with family. It is not just a fun way to keep off our screens, but it also helps improve the kids’ spelling skills and build their vocabulary.

It’s perfect for those rainy days when you want something to do indoors but don’t want to get bored with just watching TV or playing video games all day long (not that there’s anything wrong with those activities either).

Why not practice their addition and subtraction skills by tallying the scores at the end of every game? That’s hitting two birds with one stone!

Number of Players: 2 to 4
Duration: up to 50 minutes

Alternatively, you can also play Boggle and Bananagrams for other word games!

Monopoly

Did you know that the Monopoly game is already 86 years old? Even though the game has been around that long, it’s still one of the most popular board games to play with the family!

This classic game of buying properties and collecting rent from your opponents is always a hit with all ages. It’s also great for teaching kids about business and managing money.

It can be both a game of luck (when rolling the dice) and strategy. Plus, different versions of the game have been released throughout the years so if you’re tired of the classic one, you can get the Pokemon version or the Star Wars version!

Number of Players: 2 to 8
Duration: 20 to 180 minutes

Guess Who?

This board game is simple and easy to play with all age groups in the family. It is both fun and educational, especially for kids. It can help improve deductive reasoning skills and develop descriptive skills.

Although the questions should only be answerable by a “yes” or a “no” it will be fun to see how creative we can be when choosing the right questions!

Number of Players: 2
Duration: 5 to 20 minutes

Snakes and Ladders

Snake and Ladders is a game based on sheer luck. There’s no skill or strategy needed; anyone can easily play this game. It can help improve kids’ counting ability.

It’s also an exciting way to improve their concentration and interactive skills. Plus, even though you are lagging, there’s still a chance to catch up and win! If it starts to get boring, you can add a twist to Snakes and Ladders and put in dares when you land on snakes! Shake it up a bit! 😉

Number of Players: 2 or more
Duration: 15 to 45 minutes

We also have FREE Boredom Busters available here 😉

Charades

It is an awesome game to get your kids’ creativity going by coming up with their gestures and acting up to describe the word or title they picked. It helps them think outside the box and build a healthy dose of competitiveness. Plus, it doesn’t require any equipment – just a list of words and categories!

Number of Players: 4 to 10
Duration: 25 to 60 minutes

Drip Painting

Get artsy with the family by doing drip painting. Adding creative play will help exercise and stimulate the right side of the brain (which is the creative half). Doing art can also help relieve stress, so it will be beneficial to both the kids and adults in the family.

Be ready though as this will be a messy activity, but will surely keep everyone entertained for hours!

Number of Players: 1 or more
Duration: 15 to 45 minutes

Puzzle

Spending quality time with each other can promote bonding and a strong relationship. That’s why completing a puzzle is a great family activity. Even though you might spend hours with a puzzle, it is greatly satisfying to complete.

The more complex a puzzle is, the more satisfaction you can get. It’s a chance to bond with the family while having the same goal – to finish and complete the puzzle. It is also beneficial in improving cognitive function, cooperation, and communication with each other.

Number of Players: maximum of 20 people
Duration: 30 to 60 minutes

Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger/treasure hunt is an activity that can be done indoors and outdoors. It can also be a fun form of exercise for the whole family. Get your feet moving, look for clues, and search for hidden objects and treasures.

What’s great about this activity is that there are no set rules, and you can customize it based on the family members’ interests!

Number of Players: Minimum of 3 players
Duration: 2 to 3 hours

Indoor Camping

No time to get away to do camping outdoors? Or is the weather just not suitable enough? That’s okay. Indoor camping can be just as fun! You can use a real tent or create a makeshift one with blankets and sheets to get cozy.

It can be made more memorable with the right food – like stove smores, nice music, and some warm fairy lights to create a nice ambiance.

Number of Players: 2 or more
Duration: 2 to 4 hours

Karaoke and Dance Party

There’s nothing else that would scream bonding than doing disco or karaoke with the family. Spending time singing and dancing as one big family would always be fun. It is a great way to relieve stress and boost self-confidence.

You can come up with a theme for each session (like BTS songs or Disney music) or just go with the flow. It’s just like having your family concert. So shake those hips and belt that note!

Number of Players: 1 or more
Duration: 45 to 120 minutes

Tip: Get a disco light to set that dancing and singing mood!

Cookie Decorating Game

This is a unique activity for the family that can be done during holidays or any time of the year. It’s an easy and fun activity to get the creative juices flowing! DIY cookie kits are readily available or you can also bake your cookie.

Kids who love to be involved will surely enjoy decorating their cookies and have them as a snack for later!

Number of Players: Minimum of 2
Duration: 15 to 45 minutes

Card Games

Card games are a great choice for a family activity that doesn’t have a lot of physical requirements. It’s something that can be done while seated, but that doesn’t make it less fun!

A classic kids game? Go Fish! A unique kids card game? Well then you can try our very own Dinowars Card Game! It’s a fun and fast dinosaur game for kids ages 3 and above. It’s a great way to introduce tabletop games to kids!

Number of Players: 2
Duration: 20 to 30 minutes

Depending on the game, even young kids can participate and enjoy it. A lot of card games can help analytical thinking and building strategies. Playing cards can provide a real quality time interaction for the family!

Conclusion

We hope that these fun family activities will help you and your family become more engaged this coming weekend. It’s not easy raising kids these days but these are the moments when they need us even more.

We hope that the ideas in this article will not only inspire you but also give you some useful information on ways to bring the family together. Make some changes as you please. You can also mix and match activities and find new combinations, adding the best elements to each one. The options are endless!

Put these activities into practice, and connect with your family!

Share with us in the comment section below which activities you are trying this weekend. We’d love to hear from you!