Looking for something for your toddler or pre-schooler to do which doesn’t cost the earth? Check out our 45 free activities for kids aged 5 and under!

No matter the weather, our list of 45 free activities for kids aged five and under is certain to meet with your child’s approval! Packed with original and time-tested ideas, all equipment or material needed can be found in or around your home. There’ll be no time to be bored when you’ll all be having fun.

45 Free Activities for Young Children

Playing is the work of a child, and these 45 activities will certainly help achieve this! If we’ve missed any of your favourites off the list, please drop us a comment below so we can add them.

1. Build an obstacle course inside or outside
2. Head to the beach for a paddle and to build sandcastles
3. Get the chalk out and find some concrete to draw upon
4. Go on an outdoor scavenger hunt looking for specific items or colours
5. Play in the hose
6. Have a disco at home
7. Make swords from rolled up newspaper and have a sword fight
8. Collect seeds from the garden and plant your own
9. Play I spy with colours
10. Take a walk to the local park
11. Visit the library or museum
12. Do some baking
13. Play hairdressers and let your child ‘do’ your hair
14. Create a fort with a sheet over some chairs
15. Take photos with a digital camera and print them out
16. Have a tea party
17. Draw a treasure map and go on an adventure
18. Create a time capsule
19. Have a ‘movie night’ at home on the couch
20. Go for a bike or scooter ride
21. Go for a picnic
22. Paint the fence with a brush and water
23. Draw flames with chalk on the fence, then ‘put these out’ with the hose
24. Make mudpies
25. Wash the car
26. Build a car or truck from a cardboard box
27. Make sun shadows outside and draw around the shadow outline
28. Play dress up
29. Make a musical instrument, such as a plastic bottle with pebbles inside
30. Build a playhouse from cardboard boxes
31. Go for a bush walk
32. Camp outside in the garden
33. Play hide and seek
34. Play Simon Says
35. Feed the ducks at the park
36. Decorate a bike and have a bike parade
37. Make playdough or slime
38. Paint and hide rocks
39. Draw a road for toy cars and drive around it
40. Make Christmas tree decorations
41. Listen to a story being read
42. Dig in the garden
43. Take a virtual trip online to an aquarium, gallery or even Disneyland!
44. Freeze coloured water in a container with a plastic animal inside, then rescue the animal as the ice thaws
45. Collect flowers to press and dry, then use these to make pictures with

For more great ideas on activities for younger children, or simply some fabulous advice for parents, don’t forget to check out our ever-growing number of blog articles. One that may just come in handy is the Best Ways to Manage Sibling Rivalry, especially if your kids want to do different activities from one another!