how to make the most of your holiday downtime: 5 fun ways to play with your toys

How to Make the Most of Holiday Downtime: 5 Fun Ways to Play with Your Toys

The holidays are here, and the kids are out of school! But is anyone else nervous about running out of ideas to keep them busy? Here are some fool-proof ways to keep holiday boredom away:


Toys!


And no, we don’t mean buying new toys and filling up your already overflowing toy chests. We mean shifting mindsets to make even the most deserted toys fun again. Because what better way to keep the excitement alive than by making the most of the toy collection you already have?


Below, we have five creative ways to help your kids enjoy their toys again, keeping away that dreaded holiday boredom and restlessness and instead creating memorable, fun, and engaging experiences for your children, or the whole family!

 

family and children playing

 

  1.  Outdoor Games: Turn the Backyard into a Playground

There is no better way to get the kids up and moving than with some active play. Movement, fresh air, vitamin D – maybe we all need to take a step outside and play!


Encourage your children to get outside and play with their soccer balls, scooters, frisbees, or anything else they can think of. But, if they aren’t into the idea without prompt, here are some extra ideas to sell outdoor play:


  • Set up a toy car race track using their existing wooden cars or remote-controlled vehicles.
  • Create timed obstacle courses for them to navigate with outdoor playsets, like their own ‘Ninja Warrior.’ 
  • Go back to basics and forget the toys: play simple games from your childhood, like ‘TAG’, ‘What’s the Time Mr Wolf’, or ‘Duck, Duck, Goose.’
  • Add water. Any game or toy becomes infinitely more exciting with the threat of water, so use your hose, a water gun, or reusable water balls to heighten the engagement and fun.

Remember kids are most receptive when they see how much fun something can be, so don’t be afraid to get out there and model a game, or stay to keep having your own fun with your children!

outdoor play for children

  1. Imaginative Play: Creating New Worlds with Toys

One of our favourite things is imaginative play. Not only are there endless hours of fun with it, but it’s crucial to help children’s development, which you can read about by clicking here


Here are some ideas on how to prompt imaginative play with the toys you already have:


  • Build Fantasies with Action Figures and Dolls

If your children love their dolls or action figures, suggest creative role-playing activities, such as creating a city or magical forest with other toy sets they have.


You could even prompt them to create comics from the stories they create, using their favourite character to write and draw an ever-lasting story. Or, if your children are more into movies, teach them how to make a stop-motion video for the whole family to watch!


  • Tips for Encouraging Storytelling

Provide your children ideas or themes, like a pirate adventure or space exploration. If you have the time, you could create a lucky dip out of a jar and paddle pop sticks. Just write different ideas on the paddle pop, put them all in the jar, and when your children need help thinking of ideas, they grab a stick at random and get dreaming. You could even challenge them to draw two or three sticks and put the different ideas together.


  • Make a Group

The easiest way to help your child grow their imagination is to pair them with someone else who can inspire them. Invite one or two of their friends over, or see if they can go to someone else’s house for a couple of hours. Whichever way, one child will be getting access to a whole new range of toys, reigniting the love and imagination of the child who once thought they exhausted the use of their toys, and inspiring new stories and fun.


For more ideas on imaginative play, click here for natural play ideas to spark imagination and creativity, or click here for the best toys to inspire your child's creativity.  


imaginative play

  1. Indoor Challenges: Fun and Engaging Games for Rainy Days

Rainy days can sometimes prevent the biggest challenges for play when your kids are on holidays. It can be easy to give into their desires of movies or screen time, but rain can mean it's time for the best games!


  • Indoor Projects

Inspire your children to undertake a big project, such as building a fort or creating mazes with toy blocks. With enough space, you could also give them the chance to construct large play cities, towers, or bridges with blocks and construction toys.


  • Family Time

Give yourself a moment to slow down and engage in a big family board game afternoon, including cards, puzzles, or even time to each create your own board game and then play them together.


  • Crafty Challenges 

Similar to the imaginative idea above, you could create a rainy day lucky draw with challenges such as ‘Who can build the tallest tower?’ or ‘Create the most creative building using only toy blocks.’ To make it even more fun, have your children on one team versing you, rather than competing with one another.


  • Embrace the Rain

If it’s not storming, why not let the rain make the fun for you? Dress your children in their gumboots and raincoats and take them for an adventure in the rain. You could jump in puddles, see what creatures come out when there’s only a drizzle, and run back to safety before heavier rain sets in!


child in fort reading on rainy day

  1. Creative Crafting: Customising and Personalising Toys

Give your children a chance to make their old toys new again by personalising them. With just a few paints, markers, fabric, or other craft supplies, show them how to customise their favourite toys. For example, you could:


  • Paint wooden cars, create new outfits for dolls, or decorate toy figures.
  • Engage in a whole-family craft project where everyone gets involved in personalising toys for each other.
  • Collect and press flowers or leaves to turn into stickers to decorate with.
  • Have your children create their own outfits for play, such as decorate an old cape or make crowns.

leaf pressing arts and craft
  1. Toy Treasure Hunts: A Fun Twist on Classic Play

Treasure hunts are the best way to engage children, and it doesn’t matter what toys you use! Just hide small figures, blocks, or cars around the house or garden for your children to find and make or print them a checklist so they can see their progress, and you’re set.


Here are some extra ideas to incorporate:


  • Puzzle Hunts: If your children are older, add clues or riddles based on their toys, or have kids build a toy ‘map’ that leads to treasure.
  • Family Fun: Encourage whole-family participation, turning it into a group activity where everyone helps search for the hidden treasures.
  • Child-led Fun: If you need your children to entertain themselves for a while, have them take turns making the hunts for each other.

scavenger hunt map

The holidays are the perfect time to show your children that downtime can be fun and creative, and sometimes, we don’t realise the potential in the things we already have until we look at them from a new angle.


If your toy collection does need a refresh, or you’re looking for more inspiration for toy-fun, click here to visit our store or click here to connect with us on our socials. Let us know the ways you make old toys fun again in the comments there!

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