The Ultimate List of Fun Family Activities: Indoor & Outdoor Ideas

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Spend quality time with your family with this fun guide

Co-authored by Raven Minyard, BA Reviewed by Allison Broennimann, PhD

Last Updated: February 17, 2025 Fact Checked

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• At-Home Activities
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• Games to Play
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• Outdoor Activities
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• Free Activities
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• Things to Do in Your City
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• Video
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• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Spending quality time with your family is a great way to create cherished memories, but sometimes, it can be difficult to come up with new and exciting things to do. Luckily, we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll provide a ton of the best fun things to do with family, including things you can do at home, games to play, outdoor activities, free activities, and things you can do in your city. Your next family outing is sure to be a blast!

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Fun Things to Do at Home

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1. 
   Spend quality time from the comfort of your own home. Whether you enjoy staying at home or you’re stuck at home because of the weather, there are a ton of fun family activities you can do without leaving your house. Get creative and try out some of the suggestions below:

   • Have a cooking contest
   • Have a movie marathon
   • Build a fort
   • Play dress up
   • Do arts and crafts
   • Put together a puzzle
   • Make slime
   • Have a dance party
   • Have a treasure hunt
   • Do karaoke
   • Make a pizza
   • Create a scrapbook
   • Make tie-dye shirts
   • Have a tea party
   • Make a time capsule
   • Redecorate a room
   • Read together
   • Look at photo albums
   • Decorate cupcakes
   • Have breakfast for dinner
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Section 2 of 5:

Fun Games to Play with Family

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1. 
   Playing games is a great way to bond as a family. Whether you enjoy board games, sports, or video games, there’s nothing better than a little healthy competition. Plus, if you have younger children in your family, this is a great way to teach them how to cooperate and take turns. Here are some ideas:

   • Charades
   • The Floor is Lava
   • Twister
   • Mario Kart
   • Kickball
   • Go Fish
   • Uno
   • Just Dance
   • Basketball
   • Hide and seek
   • Monopoly
   • Jenga
   • Heads Up
   • Pictionary
   • 20 Questions
   • I Spy
   • Mad Libs
   • Bingo
   • Fortnite
   • Apples to Apples
   • We're Not Really Strangers Family Edition

Section 3 of 5:

Fun Outdoor Activities

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1. 
   Get some fresh air while spending time together. When the weather’s nice, there’s nothing better than spending the day outside, and there are a ton of outdoor activities you can do both in your yard and out in nature. Try out some of these activities:

   • Have a water balloon fight
   • Draw on the sidewalk with chalk
   • Climb trees
   • Find shapes in the clouds
   • Have a picnic
   • Run through sprinklers
   • Jump in piles of leaves
   • Play flashlight tag
   • Make s’mores over a fire
   • Fly a kite
   • Plant a garden
   • Go berry picking
   • Go to a drive-in theater
   • Sleep under the stars
   • Catch fireflies
   • Play Frisbee
   • Dance in the rain
   • Watch fireworks
   • Watch the sunset or sunrise
   • Plant a tree
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Section 4 of 5:

Free Things to Do with Family

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1. 
   You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun. Spending quality time together is more important than spending money on extravagant activities and events. In fact, sometimes simply enjoying each other’s company can create memories that will last a lifetime. Here are some free things you can do as a family:

   • Go for a walk around the neighborhood
   • Visit friends or relatives
   • Go to a park or playground
   • Pick wildflowers
   • Go to the library
   • Go hiking
   • Go fishing
   • Visit the beach
   • Go camping
   • Ride bikes
   • Play with Legos
   • Set up an obstacle course
   • Research your family tree
   • Learn a magic trick
   • Put on a family talent show
   • Volunteer somewhere
   • Write a song together
   • Write letters to your future selves
   • Attend a block party
   • Have a family photoshoot

Section 5 of 5:

Fun Things to Do in Your City

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1. 
   Explore your local area with your family. Whether you’ve lived there your whole life or you recently moved to the area, odds are, there are some hidden gems you haven’t found or tried and true activities your family loves. If you live in a small town, consider planning a day trip to your nearest city to find new things to do. Here are some ideas:

   • Visit a museum
   • Take a tour of the city
   • Eat at a popular local restaurant
   • Attend a concert
   • Go to a farmer’s market
   • Go to an amusement park
   • Go bowling
   • Attend a sporting event
   • Go to a fair or carnival
   • Play laser tag
   • Do an escape room
   • Go ice skating
   • Go to the zoo
   • See a play
   • Visit the aquarium
   • Go indoor rock climbing
   • Visit a historical site
   • Go shopping
   • Go to an arcade
   • See a movie at the theater
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Tips

• Ask your family what kind of activities they want to do. Try to choose something everyone will enjoy!
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