How to Keep Your Kids Entertained While You Work From Home
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Working from home can feel like you’re juggling a million things at once—emails, conference calls, and a constant little voice shouting “Mom, I’m bored”, or “Mom, I need you”. If you’re a work-from-home parent, you know the struggle of balancing productivity with keeping your kids happily occupied. Some days, you might feel like a superhero; other days, you’re just trying to get through one Zoom call without a meltdown.
The good news? With a little creativity and planning, you can keep your kids entertained while you work from home, MOST DAYS. And with continuous practice, it’ll only become easier and they’ll learn their new routine, too.
This list of simple, low-prep activities is perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and younger kids who need something to do while you work. Whether you have five minutes to set something up or need an activity they can run with independently, there’s something here for every kind of day. You don’t have to feel guilty about not being available every second.
These activities will keep their little hands and minds busy, leaving you with a chance to focus on work (or, let’s be real, sip that reheated coffee that was sitting on the counter all morning long).
How to Keep Your Kids Entertained While You Work From Home – 25 Simple Activities
Coloring Books and Crayons – Coloring is a classic activity that kids of all ages can enjoy. Set out a variety of coloring books or coloring pages, blank paper, and crayons on the kitchen table or in a designated play area. This is a great way for younger kids to work on their fine motor skills while older kids can get creative with their designs. If you need a little bit of quiet time for phone calls, coloring offers a calm and screen-free solution. If your child thinks crayons are tasty, you can try the Color Wonder coloring page by Crayola for some mess-free coloring!
Sticker Books – Sticker books are an easy way to keep young children entertained for short periods of time. Provide your little ones with themed sticker books or Sticker Wow books that spark their interest, such as animals or vehicles, and let them create their own work of art. It’s a fun activity that doesn’t require much work from you and is relatively mess-free, making it perfect for busy work hours or a short work meeting.
Playdough Play – Playdough is a great idea for sensory play and open-ended creativity. Set up a small station at the kitchen table or a sensory play table with play dough, cookie cutters, and small toys. Younger children can squish and roll the dough to strengthen their fine motor skills, while older kids can create make-believe scenarios or more complex models. This easy way to engage kids allows you to focus on your work, whether it’s for 5 minutes or 20.
Try Giving Them an Age-Appropriate ‘Chore’ – Assigning kids a small, age-appropriate chore is another great way to keep them busy while teaching responsibility. For younger kids, this could be something simple like sorting socks or wiping the table. Older kids can handle tasks like feeding pets or organizing toys. Not only does this keep them engaged, but it also helps them feel like part of the home environment while you tackle your own work. We love doing “chores” with this pretend cleaning kit that comes with a broom, mop, and more for kids!
Building Blocks or LEGOs – Open-ended toys like building blocks or LEGOs are great for kids of all ages. Younger kids can work on stacking towers, while older children can build houses, cities, or even vehicles. Set expectations for independent play so you can have a little bit of uninterrupted work time while your kids enjoy creating. Pair it with some accessory toys like village people or a train set to support their creations!
Puzzles – Puzzles are one of the best ways to encourage problem-solving and patience. Provide age-appropriate puzzles for young kids and older kids to tackle independently. Set up a puzzle station on the kitchen floor or living room, and let them work on it for short or long periods of time. This is a great opportunity for kids to build focus while you check off your work to-do list. We have many puzzle favorites you can find right here!
Use a Timer – A young-child-friendly timer like this one can be one of the best things to encourage independent play and help kids understand boundaries. Set a timer for different activities, letting them know how long they’ll be playing or working on a task before you’re free from your work task(s). This method works well for younger kids who need structure and for older kids managing their own time. It’s an easy way to foster accountability while you manage your work hours.
Sensory Bins – Sensory bin play and exploration is perfect for younger kids entertainment during work hours. You can use a large plastic storage bin and fill it with rice, beans, or water. Add small toys, scooping tools, or kitchen utensils to give kids a hands-on experience. If you happen to have a sensory bin table, even better! This activity is perfect for short breaks or phone calls.
Water Painting – Water painting is another fun activity that involves no mess. Give your kiddo a little paintbrush and water, and let them “paint” on colored construction paper or a water mat. This is a great activity for the kitchen floor or outside on the patio during summer break (of course, I am not suggesting you leave you’d children unattended outdoors by any means).
Audiobooks or Podcasts for Kids – Audiobooks and podcasts are a great way to engage kids with the written word while you focus on your work. Set up a cozy spot with blankets and pillows, and let them listen to stories or educational content. We use a Toniebox for this and it can keep my little guys busy for at least 30-40 minutes sometimes. I just place their favorite tonie character on top of the box (which currently is Spidey & His Amazing Friends), then let the singing and storytelling begin! For younger kids, picture books paired with narrated audio, like the LeapFrog LeapReader, can keep them entertained without screen time.
Scavenger Hunt – In need of a creative activity that can be adapted to your child’s age and get some movement in? Try a scavenge hunt! Write down a list or draw photos of household items for your kid(s) to find, like “something blue” or “a soft toy.” For older kids, you can make the hunt more challenging by including clues or riddles. Hands down, this will keep your little ones busy while you tackle some work tasks.
Cardboard Castle – Cardboard boxes are a goldmine for creative activities, especially for building forts and castles. For older kids 5+, give them a large cardboard box or a few, some masking tape, and markers. Let them transform it into a fort, car, or airplane. For even older kids 7-8+, they can use scissors (with supervision) to cut and shape their creations. It’s a fun and low-cost activity that can go a long way toward keeping kids busy. It also doubles as a fun toy for them to play with for days to weeks.
Dot Sticker Art – If you’ve got young toddlers, dot stickers are great for practicing fine motor skills. Set up a table with colored dot stickers and paper, and let them create shapes, patterns, or pictures. You can also use reusable dot sticker artboards or sticker pens! This activity is an easy, mess-free way to get your little one’s creative juices flowing.
Sorting Games – Sorting games are both educational and entertaining for young kids. Use small toys, pom-poms, or a sorting toy set, and have your child sort them by color, size, or shape. This can be a great opportunity to sneak in some fun learning while you focus on phone calls or necessary work.
Independent Reading Time – Create a cozy reading nook with blankets, pillows, and a basket of picture books or early readers. Younger children can flip through books, while older kids can practice their reading skills. This is a great tip to also help encourage and build up their independent play tolerance during your work hours, just remember to stay consistent with it even on the days they aren’t too fond of participating.
Kinetic Sand Play – Kinetic sand is a great sensory activity that’s perfect for younger children and older kids alike. Set it up in a large plastic storage bin with small toys or tools for scooping and shaping. You can also use kinetic sandboxes that usually come with a few toys to give your child’s imagination a little boost.
Educational Screen Time – Screen time doesn’t have to mean mindless entertainment (and even when it is occasionally, it’s ok). Put on some educational games or kid-friendly video content that encourages learning — such as reading, writing, or social-emotional skills. Here are a few of my favorite shows and learning programs I love to let my kids watch from time to time:
- Homer Early Learning App (a research-backed app that helps to teach reading, math, creativity, and more!)
- Learn with Sesame Street (offering interactive learning to support children learning to manage their feelings and emotions, plus pre-reading and pre-math concepts)
- Ms. Rachel Toddler Learning Videos (if you haven’t heard of Ms. Rachel, she’s an internet sensation devoted to helping children learn important milestones and preschool skills).
Simple Crafts – Crafts are an easy way to entertain kids when you’ve got some work to do. Provide supplies like paper, glue, and scissors for simple projects like paper chains or animals. You can also set up little craft kits to make it easier and less messy.
Pretend Play – Set up a pretend play area with a toy kitchen, dress-up clothes, or a puppet theater (you can make one out of cardboard or buy one online, like the Lovevery storyteller kit). Younger kids can create make-believe scenarios like running a restaurant or grocery store, while older children can invent their own storylines. This open-ended play allows you to handle work with minimal interruptions.
Magnet Tiles – Magnetic tiles are always a ton of fun for kids and can keep them busy when you need it the most. Younger kids can learn shapes and structures (you can use these free printables from Maga-Tiles to help), while older kids can build complex 3-D creations. Set rules for sharing if siblings are playing together, and let their imaginations run wild while you focus on your work tasks close by.
Board Games – Age appropriate board games like Zingo (great for learning sight words) or Monopoly Jr. are another great way to keep your kids engaged in something fun during work hours. Choose games that can be played independently or with siblings. For younger children, simple matching or counting games work well, while older kids might enjoy strategy-based games. Setting up a board game station in the living room or kitchen table allows you to focus on your own work while your kids enjoy a fun and social activity.
Use Your Modular Couch – If you happen to own a modular play couch for your kids — you already have nothing to worry about because those things are SO much fun. Seriously, my kids will play Set up a pretend play castle and have your child create a story to play through. You can also use these to create a little obstacle course, build a ball pit, or let them use their creative little minds to come up with a fun way to set up their fort creations!
Try a Brain Break – Brain breaks are another really awesome way to utilize screen time with kids. They’re interactive videos that encourage your kids to play along. My son loves the Spiderman and Minon brain breaks on YouTube. These come in very helpful when I’m in a pinch and need a quick way to entertain my kids while keeping them active and moving.
Shaving Cream Art – Shaving cream is a sensory favorite for younger kids and a great idea for creative activities. Spread some on a tray or the kitchen table, and let little kids draw shapes, letters, or pictures with their fingers. Older children can mix in a little paint to create swirls of color or search for hidden treasured hiding in the shaving cream. Now, this activity is a messy but fun one that can give you the short breaks you need during your work day. So, don’t knock it until you try it.
Sidewalk Chalk – If you’ve got a kiddo who loves to draw or showcase their art, getting outdoors for a little chalk-time art project is another fun way for work-from-home parents to keep them busy. You can even try making your own DIY Chalk at home to make it more exciting.
So, now you have at least 25 different ways to keep your kids entertained while you work from home. Which ones do you think will peak your little one’s interest the most?
