Whether it’s the school holidays, a weekend, or after school, quality time at home can be fun and rewarding for everyone. 

But it can also be a little exhausting planning new activities to keep everyone entertained.

Here are seven home activities to keep the family engaged, educated and (eventually) tuckered out. Who knows, you might even have a bit of fun yourself.

1. Cooking with the kids 

Some of the most rewarding home experiences are made in the family kitchen, and getting the kids involved is a win-win for everyone.

Cooking keeps them educated and active, and it’s also a great time to introduce or sneak in some healthy food options while you’re at it.

Don’t fret if you’re short on recipes to get started – we’re here to help with a catalogue of quick-and-easy recipes to get you started in the Kleenheat Kitchen.

With any luck, the little ones will be taking over dinner prep in no time.

2. Backyard camp-out or indoors camp-in 

Why not mix things up at home with a little camp-out in the backyard? It’s a great chance to air out your camping gear, and the kids will love a weekend of outdoor adventures. It can also be a great opportunity to get a group of friends over and fire up the backyard barbie for toasted marshmallows.

No backyard? No problem – take over the lounge room with an epic, soft and fluffy couch fort.

3. Quash boredom with board games 

Remember a time before Candy Crush and other repetitive gaming apps? We’re sure you’ve got some great old board games lying around in a cupboard somewhere.

From Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Connect Four, Battleship and Guess Who, to Test Match or Mouse Trap, we bet you’ve got a few lying around just begging for some attention.

Jigsaw puzzle popularity is soaring too, and there’s no better feeling than finishing one with the family – you could even turn your finished puzzle into artwork for the living room wall!

4. Travel the world with lounge room live-streams

Even if you don’t have a trip planned, there’s no reason you can’t see the world, coming to you online via video streams.

In WA, both the Perth Zoo and Scitech have set up regular streaming programs taking you behind the scenes of their operations.

For the rest of Australia, including a bunch of places in the Red Centre including Uluru, enjoy this great rundown of where you can find beautifully-shot, 360-degree video views of our great southern land.

5. Build a veggie garden 

Want to get outdoors in the fresh air, and have something to show for it?

Whether you’ve got space for a veggie patch or a dried-up old planter box, starting up a veggie garden is a ripper, on-going way to do just that.

We recently got the trowels out and sought advice from local gardening experts Deryn Thorpe and Steve Wood from the All The Dirt podcast.

Prepare to get your hands dirty once you get inspired by these five easy steps to get a thriving fruit and veggie patch up and running.

Don’t forget the best kind of fuel for the veggie garden is a quality compost – check our simple guide to composting.

6. Learn from the best 

There’s always time for online learning programs for kids, and one of the best places to start is the ABC’s Online Education Centre.

They have so many different options for learning methods suitable for a wide variety of age groups, along with plenty of apps to streamline it all and keep the little ones entertained while you enjoy a quiet cuppa.

Looking abroad, if you want your kids to learn things like Geography from Sir David Attenborough himself, BBC’s Bitesize Daily Lessons are a winner.

7. Fitness can be fun 

YouTube is chock-a-block full of kid-friendly fitness programs that’ll keep the kids engaged and active.

This Perth-based PE teacher has been uploading new videos every day with different themes, including Fancy Dress Fridays and Yoga Fun.