Free
45 mins
Ages 3+
Living room obstacle course
Cushions, chairs and a stopwatch. Burns off energy without leaving the house.
Crafts and slime
Plastic bottle skittles
Line up some empty plastic bottles, grab a soft ball and you've got a bowling alley in the hallway. The quick version takes five minutes. If you've got longer, turn the bottles into a team of funny characters first.
Ages2+
Time15 mins
CostFree
MessLow mess
WhereIn or out
What you need
Use a soft ball indoors, and keep lids on tight if you've added water.
Let's go
Write a number on a piece of paper for each bottle and tape one on, so every skittle is worth a different score.
Stand the bottles in a triangle at one end of the hallway or garden.
Mark a line to roll from. Little ones can stand closer.
Take turns to roll the ball and knock down as many as you can, then add up the numbers on the fallen bottles.
Set them up again and play a few rounds. Highest total wins.
Real talk
- Got more time? Wrap each bottle in paper and draw on faces and outfits. Pirates, footballers, the whole family.
- Pour a little water or rice in the bottom of some bottles to make them wobblier and trickier to knock over.
- Keep adding new bottles to your set every time one empties.
Love a strike?
Most ten-pin bowling alleys have bumpers and ramps so even little ones can play the real thing.
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