Fun activities for children?

[LouLou]

DH and I don't have any kids, but we will have two staying with us this summer. 

They are 11 and 3.  I want to avoid constant tv watching when DH and I are at work (an adult will be with them during the day time). Any suggestions for fun indoor and outdoor activities? For either age?  We have a large yard and plenty of indoor space.

I know the three year old likes play doh.  Maybe I'll get some coloring books and markers.  Anything else?

[MayDay]

Walk or bike to the park.  3 year old can ride a a bike with training wheels or a trike. 
Swimming pool (get a puddle jumper life jacket for the 3 year old if he/she wants to go in deeper water)
Wading pool or splash pad
Hike (borrow hiking backpack from friends/neighbors or you can often pick one up used for cheap, or some 3 year olds will be fine hiking)
Sidewalk chalk (buy the biggest box, you'll use it up!)
Sprinkler
"wash" the car
Have the 11 year old keep a written journal and the 3 year old a coloring journal
Library summer programs, ours has preschool story time as well as teen/pre-teen activities

[MrsPotts]

Make movies with cellphones and costumes, have movie night.
Camping in back yard, cook s'mores and hot dogs over campfire in barbecue.
Various and sundry craft ideas are available on Internet.
Geocaching for the older one.
Your library should have summer reading program.
Swimming lessons.

[forummm]

Younger kids will do just about anything. Playing with a cardboard box is a blast. The older one could be harder to program for. They have more personality and interests (and hormones) by that time.

[LouLou]

Thanks for your responses!

I forgot that sidewalk chalk even existed.  I will get sidewalk chalk, coloring materials, a splash pad, journals, and look into library activities. 

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Find out what the eleven year old is interested in, or interested in learning, and provide materials. Art? Music? Learning to sew or cook? Make sure s/he signs up for summer reading at the local library
(and there is probably also a three-year-old program).

[emilypsf]

Our neighbors are 11 and older and play with my 4 year old all the time.  They play on scooters together (older kids to obstacle courses), basketball, soccer, and chalk.  The older kids still like to build wooden train tracks, play with play dough, and they loved squirting a large Tupperware full of baking soda with squirt bottles full of vinegar and food coloring.

[MDM]

See http://growingcreativekids.com/ and http://www.brainchildmag.com/2015/06/unsolicited-child-training-tip-1-benign-neglect/ for a couple of relevant sites.  Have fun!

[StockBeard]

Indoor:
Papier-mâché is a fun activity. an 11 year old can take it to a good level from an artistic perspective, while a 4 year old will enjoy playing with the "glue" and sticking paper on a balloon

If the 11 year old is a bit geeky:
It might be the right age to interest him/her in collecting stamps. There's a tiny investment at first (they need a book to put the stamps in, a tiny explanation book on how to collect and treat the stamps, and you'll need to either buy a bulk of stamps, or let them collect the stamps from old postcards in your house). My parents gave me that when I was around 10 or 11, and this was the best indoor summer for me at my grandparents' place

[N]

there is a really cool website called diy.org that has all kinds of activities and "challenges" you can do to earn virtual badges
https://diy.org/skills

(and also can buy real badges if you want). I use it for ideas for activities for my kids alot.

also I think google has some sort of free camp with activiites you do on your own. https://camp.withgoogle.com/

pool, beach, park, out door concerts, taking a train ride or bus ride, if thats new to them... board games or card games

[mamagoose]

+1 for the car wash idea. The 3 year old will think it's a water park, and the 11 year old will learn a skill that they'll need later in life (maybe you could attach a reward to it, like letting them drive the car down the street - that was such a thrill before I got my license).

[hunniebun]

The difference in age might be a bit of a challenge, but there are lots of good suggestions so far.  Games like yahtzee or connect 4 are bigs hits in my house right now and we play teams (me and the 2 year old against the 6 year old!).  This week we are doing a picnic outside at the park which I am sure will be a big hit. Both are helping to pack and it is always fun to eat off a blanket!

Pearler beads to make iron art is also a fun indoor activities, along with braclet making. You didn't specify the genders with the ages, so maybe an 11 year old boy might not be into braclet making...but you never know! 

We also have big plans this week for string art with dollar store canvas and paint, dip the string in and let them whip the canvas into lovely colors!  Nice because it actually makes a pretty something to hand on the wall in their room. For the older child, a collage project with mod podge might also be fun. 

I am sure they will enjoy their time regardless!  Good luck!!

[aussiesaver]

Some ideas for the 3 year old here www.myboredtoddler.com

[acroy]

play doh makes a mess... We don't use it.

-Large outdoor area: trampoline, balls, frisbees, etc. Thrift store almost always has used Nerf guns for a few bucks. Water guns! If you have pavement, a $20 Razor scooter and (thrift-store) helmets!!

-Indoor: your ideas about coloring books, crayons, etc are good. Hot wheels cars, etc.

-TV has a bad rep, but there's a few shws such as Little Einsteins, Wild Kratts, etc which are mildly educational and 'less bad'

Good luck!!

[TrMama]

3 year olds looove taking baths. Especially if you add food coloring and dish soap to the water. Extra bonus points for adding a few plastic containers, some with holes poked in the bottom, some without.

Frisbee golf. See if there's a course near you, they're often free.

Board games, puzzles and cards are also good.

I also agree that TV isn't always so terrible. If you have Netflix, the children's programming is pretty good (and there's no ads). My kids also enjoy many of the science/nature/history/architecture documentaries, especially the Nova ones.

[LouLou]

It's been going very well.  The 3 year old loves coloring, the off-brand play-doh, and running around the yard aimlessly.  Some friends gave us some old toys too.  I've taught the 11 year old how to cook some basic things (scrambled eggs, bacon in the oven, roasting a chicken, steaming veggies) and she enjoys that.  She also likes cutting up old t-shirts in cool designs ala videos on Youtube and tie-dying.  Dutch Blitz and Uno are popular card games as well.

We got inspired and used chalkboard paint on an entire wall in their room, so there is lots of wall-drawing. We have a slip and slide, which they spend hours on.  We get library books.  I remembered that I have a croquet set, which has been a big hit with the 11 year old and our teenage nanny.