Fun activities to keep the kids entertained

If the local park is done and dusted and you’ve run out of ideas to keep the kids entertained on rainy days, the garage is your saviour.

Garages offer a covered, open space for the kids to enjoy. So, move the car out and bring the good times inside! We’ve compiled five indoor activities to keep the kids entertained, Chamberlain-style.

But first, safety

Before the fun can start, it’s important to make sure your garage is safe for the family. Give the floor a sweep, remove chemicals and sharp objects and tidy stacked items so they can’t be knocked over.

A drop-down net can be a great child proof barrier to keep little hands from reaching hazardous items stored in the garage, including tools, toxic items, or valuable sporting equipment.

Chamberlain’s myQ technology is also a worthwhile investment. The myQ Connectivity Kit comes complete with Obstruction Detection Beams, designed to reverse in two seconds if they sense anything in the path of the garage door. If the door is opened or closed for any reason while the kids are playing, the system is designed to protect them.

Now that the garage is safe, let the games begin with five boredom busting activities!

Bottle Bowling

This electrifying bowling game will keep the kids entertained for hours, without breaking the bank!

What you’ll need:

• Empty milk cartons (three, six, or ten cartons to create a triangle formation)
• Bounce ball

How to play:

Bring the fun of a bowling alley home these school holidays! First, go on a hunt for empty milk or juice cartons around the house and give them a good rinse! Then, go on a search for a bounce ball.

Line the cartons up in a triangle formation. Three, six, or ten cartons work best to form your triangle.

One by one, each player will roll the ball across the garage floor to knock down as many cartons as they can. The person who knocks down the most cartons after several rounds of play is the bowling champion of the household, with major bragging rights!

To increase your skills, try bowling with different sized balls! A tennis ball, or even a ping pong ball, will make it trickier to knock down all the cartons.

Bubble Bursters 

‘Bubble Bursters’ is the perfect quiet time activity. All that’s required is a little bit of focus and patience, plus a sprinkle of laughter!

What you’ll need: 

• Bubble solution (or dishwashing detergent)
• Socks (one pair per player)

How to play:

The aim of this game is simple: don’t burst the bubble! Players put a sock on each of their hands and sit in a circle. Blow some bubbles, and have the kids gently try to catch one with their sock hand.

Once a bubble has been successfully caught, have the kids work together to pass it between them. How many times can you get the bubble around the circle before it bursts?

Mini Golf Mania 

The kids’ creativity and imaginations will run wild as they build their very own mini golf course in the garage!

What you’ll need:

• Toy Golf Set (or a broom)
• Items to create obstacles
• Ping pong ball, or a similar sized ball

How to play:

Have the kids work together to build the ultimate mini golf course. Remember, there are no rules!

Gather what you can find around the house to build obstacles and pathways for the ball, like stuffed animals, PVC pipe, offcuts of wood, or pool noodles! You can even use Lego to build corners, tunnels, and bridges to navigate the ball around.

To create the hole for your course, consider using building blocks or Lego to form a horseshoe shape for the ball to land in.

Building the course of their wildest dreams is sure to keep the kids occupied for days these school holidays. When everyone’s happy with their work, use a plastic golf set or a broom to putt the ball around the course.

For some great competition, count how many taps of the ball it takes each player to reach the end of the course!

Ping Pong Basketball

 This game is perfect for kids to play on their own or with others. With just a few items most of us have lying around the house, ‘Ping Pong Basketball’ is easy to set up and a blast to play.

What you’ll need:

• Plastic cups
• Ping pong balls

How to play:

Discover who has the best hand eye coordination in the family! The objective of this game is to bounce the ping pong balls so they land in the cups.

Once they have the hang of it, the kids can challenge themselves to throw the ball from a further distance, or have them count how many balls they can land in the cup in a row!

Battle of the Balloons

This is a great game for when the kids have energy to burn, and it’s simple to set up.

What you’ll need: 

• A packet of balloons
• Pool noodles (one per player)

How to play:

The aim of the game is to keep the balloon in the air. This game is a great option for the kids to play alone, or for the whole family to get involved.

Players pass the balloon with their pool noodle, and can’t let it fall! You can add multiple balloons to the mix and work together to keep them all afloat too!

A fun variation of this game is to designate a different coloured balloon to each player. If your colour falls, you’re out!

These five activities are sure to keep the kids entertained for hours on end during the school holidays. With the right safety precautions, the garage is the perfect space for the kids to test their bubble bursting and mini golf skills!

For more garage improvement ideas or to browse Chamberlain’s range of garage door openers and accessories, visit our website or call 0800 653 667.