This is the second post in My Top 5 Summer Sanity Tips, did you catch my how to survive summer play dates post last week?  

Summer time is the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy nature, but let's face it we can't be outside all day! The kids however want to be entertained all day. For those moments when you don't want to be outdoors have indoor activities planned!  You never know when there will be a sudden thunderstorm, the temperature gets too high, or the kids are feeling a little sick or lazy.  I always like to have a back up plan when it comes to playing indoors during the summer. Today's post will give you 5 affordable things to do indoors.

5 Affordable Indoor Activities

1. Have a Movie Day

Go through movies you already own, check Netflix or order a new one online and find movies your family will enjoy watching. Close up the blinds, get pillows and blankets and enjoy a relaxing day watching movies with your family. The kids will love having a movie day and you will enjoy the time to relax.

One thing the kids love doing is building forts so if you have the space in your tv room to build a fun fort they can “camp out” in and watch a movie they will think it is the neatest thing ever.  I usually rearrange the furniture and go a little crazy when building forts but all your really need to do is crap a couple chairs and a blanket and presto instant fort!  I have also seen people use card tables and draping a blanket over them which is even easier.

2. Have a Party!

I'm not talking about a big party with friend, neighbors and extended family. Come up with a theme party just for your household. Have a dress up party, pizza party or an ice cream party! Let the kids get dressed up for the theme and really make it a big deal for them. Use supplies you have on hand to make it affordable. The kids will really get a kick out of having a last-minute party.

One thing my kids love to do is an indoor picnic and they can bring their favorite stuffies to join us!  We move the coffee table out of the middle of the room and set up the picnic on the area rug.  They think it is the best thing and a lot of fun we have a casual meal and use our imaginations!

3. Do a Craft!

The craft can be as simple or as complex as you would like. Have the kids make cards or draw pictures for family members. Doing a science craft will keep the kids entertained for hours and offer an awesome learning experience!  Since my kids are four years apart I let Cheyenne teach Dustin something and they can have a fun experiment like mixing colors or making playdough!  Our go to playdough recipe is:

4. Bake

Most kids love eating cupcakes, muffins and other yummy baked goods. Bake up some cupcakes or cookies and create a decoration station. Give the kids all the decorating supplies you have on hand and let them turn your baked goods into works of art.

I like to turn baking into a learning experience and let the kids read the recipe, measure the ingredients, and help as much as they are able to (obviously depending on age) because the best way to learn is to have hands on experience.  Trust me my kitchen is a disaster after but they love the fact that they're able to crack the eggs, measure the flour, and stir the batter.  When the kids are happy and want to do something it makes the day that much easier.  I get requests from them a lot to bake stuff now and we have a lot of fun doing it together and it is great for learning fractions!!

Tip: If you don't want to spend all day cleaning up the decorating mess, put a a large sheet down!

5. Play Games

Having a game day is fun for children of all ages and adults! If you have younger children board games are perfect! If you have older kids have a video game day with them. The kids will love the one-on-one interaction and the fact that you are taking an interest in one of their hobbies.

We have even gone as far as making our own family game including creating the playing board, pieces, game cards and rules.  You can even re-use items like cardboard for the game board, recycled paper for the cards, and old figurines for the playing pieces.  The kids had a blast because they were able to decorate it the way they wanted and it was time consuming which is always a benefit.  Crafting together and playing together always creates a fun bond especially when you get to see what really excites your kids.

That pretty much sums up my affordable indoor activities with the kids this summer.  As the second in the series of My Top 5 Summer Sanity Tips I am really starting to enjoy making these and getting creative with the kids!  Keep an eye out for more fun articles to come all summer long!  Remember to keep things simple because we need our sanity this summer to it should be about rest and relaxation.  As a quick reminder my top 5 tips are:

1. Have a movie day
2. Have a party
3. Do a craft
4. Bake
5. Play Games

I would love to hear some of your summer sanity tips for affordable indoor activities!