Kids Activities In Vacation Rentals
Simple & Fun Kids Activities for Downtime on Your Family Trip
Kids Activities In Vacation Rentals
You’ve made it! You’ve chosen your vacation rental or hotel room carefully, and now you’re ready for the adventure. But then families often ask us:
What do we do when we have downtime in the apartment? How do we keep the kids busy?
Great question — and here’s a short guide of kids activities in vacation rentals, based on our own experience.
Why You’ll Need Kids Activities for Vacation Downtime
When traveling with kids, it’s important to remember that there will be moments of pause — times when you or your kids just need to come back to the apartment, get organized, rest, or let one of the little ones take a nap. Sometimes, even the kids need a break from all the excitement and just a chance to unwind… and play.
Instead of packing a suitcase full of toys, limiting yourself to places that already have kids’ games, or raiding the nearest toy shop 😉 —
Here’s a list of fun and simple games you can play with things found in any apartment or hotel room to keep everyone happily entertained:
Simple Travel Crafts & Art Activities
While traveling, you can open up a whole world of creativity for your kids using simple, inexpensive materials you can find almost anywhere. Here are a few ideas — from the most basic to the more original:
The basics – paper and pens
The basics – paper and pensFree drawing or guided drawing (for example: “draw a memory from today’s trip”) is always a hit. You can also play simple drawing games — like drawing a random shape and letting your child turn it into a picture. If you have markers, stickers, coloured pencils, or watercolours on hand — even better.
Activity books
Activity booksBring them from home or pick them up at local stores — colouring books, puzzles, sticker books (a huge favourite in our house!) — all matched to each child’s level. This can also be a great opportunity for some one-on-one time: sit with one child and learn a new skill together. It’s the kind of moment that’s hard to find in everyday life.
Craft materials
Even basic supplies like string, colored paper, and buttons can go a long way. Let your kids create freely, or guide them through a simple project — like making bracelets, paper wallets, or mini tote bags.
Origami
A fun activity that only requires paper! You’ll need to help guide the process (don’t worry — there are tons of simple tutorials on YouTube). Once the kids make animals or objects, they can color them and use them for imaginative play — like a mini puppet world. (Bonus: handmade paper boats are perfect for floating in puddles.)
Paper mache
A super fun, multi-day activity that only requires toilet paper, warm water, white glue, and a disposable bowl (newspapers or old sheets are helpful too). First, make the paper pulp and form shapes. Once dry (a day or two later), kids can paint them and turn them into jewellery, magnets, or souvenirs from the trip.
Watermelon carving
Not as complicated as it sounds — but you will need a kitchen, a knife, toothpicks, a watermelon, and lots of imagination!
Imaginative Play
Travel is the perfect time to spark your child’s imagination — using nothing but what’s already around you!
Clothespins
You’ll find these in almost every rental, and the play possibilities are endless: the kids can collect them, use them like play money, make a pretend salad, and so on. Older kids can play the “clothespin game” — each child clips one to their back, and the goal is to grab others’ clothespins without losing your own.
(Once they discover they can take the clothespins apart… it’s time to move on to the next game 😄)
Cushions and blankets
Most apartments have plenty — perfect for building forts, obstacle courses, or creating a soft magical world for the kids to play in. Just make sure they play gently, don’t damage anything, and return everything to its place afterward. (Yes, “clean-up time” might not be their favourite game, but it’s a good one to practice…)
Nature treasures
Do a little prep when you’re out on a walk or beach trip — collect “treasures” like shells, stones, sticks, or interesting leaves with the kids. Back in the apartment, examine them, talk about them, and see what creative uses your kids come up with.
The room phone
Most hotels have one. First thing: unplug it! Then, let the kids play with it — as a pretend phone, a cash register, or whatever their imagination invents. (There’s nothing more exciting to a toddler than pressing buttons!)
Cardboard boxes
If you’re getting deliveries to your apartment (groceries, meals, etc.), keep the boxes. The kids will figure out what to do — hide in them, surprise each other with “gifts,” build with them like giant blocks… endless possibilities.
Empty bottles
Our kids discovered these on their own! Especially useful in countries where you don’t drink tap water — there are always lots of bottles around. If noise isn’t a big problem for you, they’re great fun:
Play bottle bowling, collect caps and use them as play money, make musical shakers, or even “potions” with pebbles and water.
Our kids even made them into giant shoes (flattened the bottles and strapped them on with the labels) and challenged themselves to walk across the apartment without falling over!
Role Play & Pretend
This is another wonderful way to tap into your kids’ imagination — and it requires no special props or prep. Kids can either play among themselves or even put on a show for the adults. If you want to get a little more involved, you can add a few costume items or accessories from the suitcase.
Some favourite role play ideas from our own kids:
Playing “preschool” or “teacher and students” Creating a mini animal farm Playing “family” (with everyone taking different roles) Acting out scenes from the trip — it’s always fun (and fascinating!) to see what moments stuck with them
Group Games
There are so many great group games you can play, even in a small vacation apartment. Younger kids may need your help to get started, while older ones can often play independently — or even organize games for their younger siblings.
Here are some of our family favourites:
The “Object Game”
Gather a few random objects from around the apartment. The kids take turns coming up with creative or silly new uses for each item.
Charades
A classic game that can go on for hours! One person acts something out silently while the others guess — it could be an animal, an action, something from the trip, etc.
What’s Missing?
Line up a few objects. One child steps out of the room while someone hides one of the items. The goal? Guess which one disappeared.
Land or Sea
Perfect if the room has a rug. The rug is “land,” the floor is “sea.” A parent or one of the kids calls out “land!” or “sea!” and everyone has to jump to the right spot. You can make it trickier with extra rules, like “half and half” or “quick switch!”
Hot & Cold
Hide an object somewhere in the room. One child searches while the others give clues — saying “cold” when they’re far away, and “hot” when they’re getting close.
Hide and Seek
A classic — and even more fun in a new place the kids haven’t fully explored yet!
Freeze Dance
Turn on some music. Everyone dances, and when the music stops, they freeze. Want to make it more challenging? Add the rule that no one’s allowed to laugh — then try to make each other giggle while frozen like statues!
You probably already know a few games your kids love — this is the perfect chance to let them lead and teach the game to others.
Just in Case…
While we love giving our kids new, screen-free ways to play on vacation, we also believe in having a small backup plan. Here are a few things we recommend bringing along — just in case:
A small bag of Duplo
Lightweight and endlessly entertaining — for both kids and adults!
Sand toys
They take up a bit of space, but they’re super light and super useful — at the beach, in the bath, or even as containers for clothespins, bottle caps, or nature treasures.
A new game
We like to leave space in our suitcase or day bag for one new, local game. It becomes a highlight during the trip and a special souvenir when we return home.
A swimming pool (if possible)
If the weather at your destination allows, we highly recommend booking a place with a pool. It’s always a hit with the kids — perfect for those in-between moments when you want to relax, play, cool off, or burn some energy.
See our full list of what to check before booking a vacation rental
A Few Important Reminders
Before we wrap up, here are some important things to keep in mind when playing in vacation rentals:
Safety first
Don’t let kids play with anything that could break or hurt them — like electronics, remote controls, lamps, or cleaning supplies.
Here you can find all the information about safety while traveling with kids
Respect the space
Help kids understand the value of taking care of things, even if they don’t belong to us. If they’re using something with sharp edges (like sticks), keep an eye on them to avoid scratches or damage. If they’re creating or painting, make sure it’s only on paper — not on walls or furniture!
Screen-free magic
Sure, sometimes it’s easiest to hand them a phone or turn on a show. But a vacation is also a chance to try something different — a more natural, imaginative kind of play that can bring you closer to your kids (and them to each other).
Our tip? Try to minimize screens during your trip — and who knows, maybe some of that screen-free play will carry over into regular life too.
In Conclusion
kids activities in vacation rentals
Even without a suitcase full of toys, keeping kids happy and busy indoors is totally doable — and even fun! With a little creativity and what’s already around you, kids activities in vacation rentals can become some of the most memorable moments of your trip. So take a break from screens, let their imaginations lead the way, and enjoy the magic of simple play — wherever you’re staying.
Now that you’ve got plenty of ideas for kids activities in vacation rentals —
it’s time to head out and start your family adventure!
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A Safe & Simple Guide to Transportation with Kids
Our Kid-Friendly Flight Survival Guide
Everything you need to know for choosing the right accommodation for your family
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