Activities to do with children during the holidays: 12 ideas at home

The holidays are coming up, and you're already wondering how to keep the kids occupied without spending the whole day in front of screens? No need to go far or spend a lot. Here are 12 activities to do at home with children aged 6 to 12, for days that leave lasting memories.

Creative activities

1. Cooking a real meal together

This is the activity that keeps them busy the longest and makes children the proudest. Choose a recipe together, make a shopping list, then let the child measure, pour, and mix while you manage the stove and oven. At the end, the whole family gets to taste the dish. In Ti Chef, each recipe clearly indicates what the child does and what the adult does: ideal for a holiday day.

2. Creating their own cookbook

A notebook, some pencils, some photos: the child draws or pastes in each dish they have cooked and writes the recipe in their own words. By the end of the holidays, they have a real book of their own.

3. The big arts and crafts workshop

A plastic tablecloth, paint, cardboard: let them create without instructions. Kids also love painting rocks or decorating old jars.

4. Putting on a show

A song, a dance, or a short play to present to the family in the evening. They prepare the costumes, the tickets... and the afternoon flies by.

Activities to get moving

5. An indoor treasure hunt

Hide clues in every room, with a little surprise at the end. Older children can then prepare a treasure hunt for the younger ones.

6. The obstacle course

Cushions, chairs, ropes, cardboard boxes: a course in the living room or the garden, with a stopwatch to beat their record.

7. The mid-week dance party

Push the furniture aside, play some family music, and dance. A great way to introduce your kids to the music from your own childhood.

Activities to learn while having fun

8. Learning a language through play

Every day, a new word in the family's language: Creole, English, Arabic, Portuguese... Write it on a label, stick it on the object, and quiz each other at the table.

9. Growing herbs

A few parsley, basil, or chive seeds in a pot on the windowsill. The child waters them every day and then uses them in a recipe.

10. Science experiments in the kitchen

The baking soda and vinegar volcano, the egg that floats in salt water, red cabbage that changes color: the kitchen is a real laboratory.

Quiet activities for the end of the day

11. Family story time

Everyone tells a story, invents the next part of someone else's, or a grandparent shares childhood memories. It is also a beautiful moment for passing down family history.

12. The smell and taste game

Blindfolded, the child must identify spices, fruits, or herbs just by taste or smell. A simple game that awakens the senses and brings lots of laughter.

Our tip: a "common thread" activity for the whole holiday

Rather than looking for a new idea every morning, choose an activity that repeats every day: one recipe a day, for example. The child looks forward to this moment, progresses from one day to the next, and ends the holiday proud of everything they have learned.

That is exactly what Ti Chef – My first Haitian cookbook offers: 37 easy recipes for 6 to 12-year-olds, from épis to sweet potato bread, with a Creole word and a "while you wait" game for each recipe. The e-book is available for immediate download in French, English, or Kreyòl: enough to fill your holidays with great moments.

To start today, try our free no-bake recipe, then discover the Ti Chef e-books.