Life Hacks

5 Great Games to Play With Kids While Staying Home

Elizabeth
July 27, 2021

Chances are that your kids are out of school for an indefinite amount of time due to coronavirus, right? You’re not alone. Nearly every school-aged child is at home right now, bugging their parents (who are also working from home) for activities and fun things to do.


We feel you. And, we’re here for you. Aside from offering great savings tips, we’re locked and loaded with great ideas for ways to entertain your children during self-isolation and the age of social distancing. We’ve come up with our expert list of great games to play with kids at home. 


And, the best part is that you don’t need to buy anything to play them. Ditch the Switch games and get together as a family to enjoy this quarantine fun.

1. Freeze Tag

Instead of risking the all-out hysteria that comes with letting kids run wild and free as they play tag, opt for the milder version of freeze tag. You can play this as a family and adapt the rules as you see fit. For example, make it a rule that for a child to unfreeze themselves, they have to recite part of their multiplication tables. Or, make it a rule to if they get frozen in a certain part of the house, they have to clean something up in that room and then they’re free to continue playing. It’s a win-win for parents as it’s a game that’ll help kids get their energy out and also encourage them to learn and help around the house.

2. Charades

It’s easy to let your kids fall into the routine of playing video games day in and day out. And, during a global pandemic that we’re all just trying to get through, there’s truly nothing wrong with that. But, if you want to ensure you’re stimulating your child’s creativity throughout this process, get them to play charades. It’ll force them to get up and moving around as well as dig deep into their creative wells to come up with funny miming shows that’ll surely make the whole family laugh. It’s a great option for a game to entertain kids when you’re trying to enforce “no screen time.”

3. Scavenger Hunts

Again, if you’re trying to challenge your children and their minds to stay active during quarantine, it’s a great idea to engage in games that will force them to think. Setting up a scavenger hunt around your home is a great way to force them to really work towards a special prize. Give them unique clues and hide them around the house. Make it harder or more special by “hiding” a clue with a family member, such as a grandparent. Tell them they have to call grandma and listen to her read them a story before they’ll get the next clue.

4. Pencil & Paper Games

If your kids are craving the chance to play traditional board games but you can’t (and shouldn’t) go out to buy the one they’re looking for, you can easily recreate the game with basic supplies. Take out some pencil and paper and draw up a checkers board and use snacks and checkers pieces. If they get to the end of the board, they get to eat the mini Oreo, for example. Or, find a letter dice online that will digitally “roll” for you so your kids can play Scattergories. Write out categories for them to fill out beforehand. The options truly are endless.

5. Hide & Seek

This is one of the best free games out there, isn’t it? It’s easy to drown yourself in the constant stream of coronavirus news. But, you as a parent also need some time to de-stress from all of the intense news that you’re bombarded with on a daily basis now. So, hide from all of the stress for a bit by playing hide and seek with your kids. Open up the boundaries and let them search out in your garden or backyard if you have one. If you’ve got older kids, try playing in the dark to make things a little more difficult. Laughing fits usually always ensue, which is sure to lighten the mood.

Savings & Social Distancing

As you shift towards a work-at-home lifestyle and struggle to balance learning how to educate your children at home, you’ll probably find yourself feeling exhausted at the number of tasks you’re trying to juggle now. Add on a certain level of financial uncertainty amidst a changing economic landscape and it makes sense that you might feel a little overwhelmed at the moment.


And, we’re here to help. Our debit card comes with savings bonus and cashback. So, even when you’re not spending your money during self-isolation or periods of quarantine, you’re saving way more with us.


While it won’t necessarily balance out the negatives of this global pandemic, it helps lessen the blow just at least a little bit and allows you to continue to focus on the things that matter, like spending time with your children. Want to know more? Learn more about the Cheese debit card.

Here's how you and your family can get entertained at home:

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