Fun Ideas On What To Do With Your Kids In The Evenings

I try and keep life interesting in the evenings for my son, Ethan. I come home from work around 5pm and generally, I’m quite tired, but really want to do something that Ethan will enjoy and sometimes I really can’t think of anything different to what I do every other day or week.

So, I went scouting the internet and asking other Moms via Mommalicious and Momtrepreneur Facebook pages and have put together a list of things to help other Moms (and Dads) out there who are interested in trying different things. Keep in mind, some of these suggestions will be very age dependant, but something to look forward to (I hope)! 🙂

1. Join the gym and get a kiddies pass – get yourself into the pool or go to the kiddies area and have some fun with your kids. Swimming in the heated pool is always fun – they will be sure to have a blast and what’s more, it’s good for you! Alternatively, jump into your own pool and splash around for some good fun!
2. Boardgames, games and puzzles– this seems to be a popular one! Get the games out and get your kids learning a new game or finishing piecing that puzzle, that hasn’t seen the light of day in a while, together. This is a great one for winter when it’s too cold to go outdoors! Here are a few game ideas:
   • Rummikub
   • Cards
   • Dominoes
   • Building blocks
   • Memory games
   • Jumping rope / skipping
   • Lego
   • Marbles
   • Volley Ball
   • Trivial Pursuit
   • Charades
   • Hide and go seek
   • Bingo
   • Uno
   • 30 Seconds
3. Pump up the music – one mom mentioned that she gets home late, so the little time she has with her child, she wants to make fun! So, she puts on the music and they dance around the room or jump on the bed to the music! I loved this idea! It’s not only good fun, but good exercise and something that your little one will possibly remember you doing forever! And, who knows, perhaps you will spark the “dancer” in them.
4. Walk – this is something that I do most often as we need to walk our dogs regularly too. We have various walking spots that range between a forest, school fields, beach and parks. This again is good exercise, gets the endorphins going, promotes healthy living for the whole family and can be a lot of fun!
5. Do homemade pizza – I have a friend who does this regularly. I tried it recently with Ethan and hubby, Ryan, and it was quite a lot of fun….messy, but fun! Ethan got to eat his little creation and it was a good laugh for us all. And, it’s not too difficult – just buy premade pizza bases, cut up some veges and any other goodies you like on a pizza and put it all on top. You take care of the oven!
6. Dress up and imaginary play – this seems to be a fun idea. If your child loves a particular character, then get dressed up and have a jol! Ethan loves Buzz, so every evening before bed, Ryan flies him around and he loves it – TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!
7. Visit friends / family – my little one loves going out on a little adventure. If you have friends / family with kids similar ages or you know he/she will enjoy the visit, get out a bit, get social and have some family fun!
8. Stargazing – once the stars are out, put some mattresses or towels out (depending if you have grass) or a lounger with some snacks and spot the stars and / or clouds and guess shapes and make a game out of it.
9. String maze – this could get interesting (found this one on the internet). Put your kids or your child and Dad in separate rooms. Give each of them their own piece of string. Have them tie the end of the string to something stable, then start making a maze by unwinding the ball of string completely, passing over, under and around table legs, furniture, etc. Then see who can get from one end of the room to the other without touching a string!
10. Sports – if you have a garden or a field nearby, why not get the heart rates up by playing some tennis, soccer, rugby, cricket, croquet or even bat and ball.
11. Get some chalk out and draw some squares and do the hopscotch! This was always good fun when I was young – definitely gets the kids going!
12. Build a house / tent – this is a favourite of Ethan’s. Find some sheets, duvets or blankets and build a massive tent for all of you to fit in. Then play some games like in suggestion no 2.
13. Cook and / or bake – one of the best things for kids to help cook are muffins, cupcakes and popcorn! Fun to make and in to eat!
14. Make a fire and braai marshmellows – perfect for outdoors and indoors making it an all round activity.
15. Decide on a family project and work on it over a few evenings – this could be building something out of craft materials / wood, spring cleaning (making it fun!) or doing something different e.g. building a fountain in the garden, building a vege patch, etc
16. Get crafty – make sure you have some crafty goods (it’s amazing far a few pieces of string, glue, glitter, paints and paper can go!)
17. Make music – get some pots and pans out, wooden spoons, paint buckets and whatever else you can think of that will make some fun sounds and see what music or rhythms you can come up with. Consider your neighbours on this one, but above all, have a blast!
18. Have a slumber party – dress up as early as possible into your PJs, pull some mattresses into one room, make popcorn and other snacks that are worthy as a dinner replacement and have fun playing games such as hide and seek, watch movies and have some fun with a few giggles.
19. Do a fun movie night – hire out your kid(s) favorite movie, make popcorn and all cuddle on the couch together. Another good one for the winter evenings when it’s raining outside and you’ve run out of ideas!
20. Go out for a family dinner – find a child friendly restaurants and take the night off from cooking and spend some time eating good food and enjoying good company. If you can’t find a suitable place to go, get some take out, chill out on the couch and try doing some of the other items mentioned above.

If you have some activities / ideas on what you can do with your kids in the evenings when you’ve gotten home from work, then please leave your comment(s) below.