There’s a certain panic that sets in as a parent when you run out of activities at home.
Ya feel me? You get there, and you know it won’t be long before you descend into the madness that is pillows flying, kids running, or markers drawing where they shouldn’t.
Considering we live in Washington state, we’ve been spending a LOT of time around the house. Between me and the kids, it’s enough collective family cabin fever to make you crazy. (And I’m not even a working mom. You guys need extra back-up these days.)
We need things to do. The absolute best kids activities that entertain for a while. Toys and unstructured play lasts for a while, but sometimes we need something fresh.
And while we enjoy those big messy activities, I feel like I’ve won the lottery when I find things my kids can do without needing a bath afterwards. The best kids activities also don’t require a lot of supervision. (At least not the paint-covered hands-on kind.)
If you’re stuck at home too, here are the best kids activities you can Amazon Prime.
(This post includes affiliate links – thank you for helping support the ongoing production of What You Make It!)
With no mess – I’m talking no glue, no paint, no excess glitter, no chalk. You’re welcome.
And OF COURSE – choose things that are the appropriate age and maturity level for your child, and don’t leave them completely unsupervised.
Crafts
Invisible Ink
My kids love markers. I hate them, because I find them everywhere they’re not supposed to be. These options are win-win scenarios, and work like magic.
- ImagineInk – our favorite! One marker, tons of colors
- Superhero Set of 3: Incredibles, PJ Masks, Paw Patrol
- Movies Set of 3: Moana, Frozen, Trolls
- Action Set of 3: Batman, Spiderman, Avengers
- Princess Set of 3: Belle, Frozen, Disney Princess
- Toddler Set of 3: Thomas, Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse
- Color Blast – I haven’t tried these, but they are from a dependable toy brand we love, Melissa and Doug
- Color Wonder – LOVE. Same invisible ink concept, but the kids get to choose the colors. (And they don’t write on anything but the special paper.)
- Frozen
- Daniel Tiger
- Baby Shark
- Paw Patrol
- Toy Story 4
- Disney Princess
- Despicable Me
- Mickey Mouse
- Avengers (poster sized)
- Activity Set (with markers and blank paper)
- Extra Markers
Water Wow!
We love these books and brushes that use water to reveal colors and designs.
- Farm, Safari, Under the Sea
- Fairy Tale, Makeup, Animals
- Sports, Dinosaurs, Vehicles
- Dinosaurs, Adventures, Animals
- Variety Pack of 6
Model Magic
A lightweight, air-dry molding clay. I prefer it to dough and slime because there’s no crumby leftovers.
- Deluxe pack of 14 colors
- Neon color 6 pack
- Trolls 2 set (just remove the markers)
- Jungle animal set (just remove the markers)

Sticker Books
- Seek and Find – Find the stickers to match the pictures! 2 activities in one.
- Reusable – Cling stickers mean you can stick and re-stick. This used to keep my oldest occupied for maybe an hour.
- Puffy Reusable
Write / Draw Your Own Story
Origami
Color Your Own Play House
Maybe a little risky, given that it involves markers. Use crayons instead, or get for older kids who know how to keep markers where they belong.
- Cardboard play house
- Unicorn play house
- Food Truck – not necessarily made to color but makes for indoor fun
- Country Cottage – same as above
Indoor Play

Costumes
- Superhero capes and masks – we have these, and they have gotten so much use
- Astronaut with helmet
- Explorer with accessories
- Scientist lab coat with accessories
- Princess costumes set
Wooden Doll Dress-Up Sets
- Princess duo
- Girl career set (with doctor, police woman, etc)
- Boy imagination set (with superhero, knight, etc)
- Horse set
- Bear family set
- Human body anatomy set
Puzzles
- Wooden animals set for ages 3-6
- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse set for ages 3-6
- Construction set for ages 3-6
- USA puzzle for ages 6+
- Finding Dory puzzles
- Dinosaur puzzle
Bowling
- Standard set
- Colorful set
- Animal set
- Bug set
- Plush soft monster set
- Glow bowling set
Games
As a bonus? Pretty much every kid in my house (young and old) enjoys playing these games. Sometimes we have to adjust the rules to suit the preschooler levels, but they still rock.
- Magnetic Fishing
- Chutes and Ladders
- Connect 4
- Jenga
- Uno Moo (or regular Uno if you have older kids)
- Don’t Count Your Chickens – a simple game where everyone is on the same team. These cooperative games are so unique and fun!

STEM Activities
Magnet Tiles – these are the exact ones we have, and they are durable and come with plenty of different shapes and colors.
Magnet Maze – a STEM activity that develops hand-eye coordination for littles
Energy Stick – a safe way to learn how your body conducts electricity!
Rock and Gem Sorting – for the preschool age
Squigz – a different kind of building material
Pattern Blocks and Boards – reminds me of elementary school – you, too?
Outdoor Play
Stomp Rockets – seriously, this is a ridiculous amount of entertainment
How about you?
What are the best kids activities you can think of that don’t call for a huge mess or a lot of hands-on activity from mom?
Photo Credit –
1 – Soraya Irving on Unsplash
2, 3, 4 – My own








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