During the school holidays when the kids are at home for a number of weeks, it can be hard to keep them occupied. It can be even harder to find things that you will both enjoy even though we are surrounded by hidden opportunities like cameras, for example.

Cameras often only make an appearance on days out and special occasions but they can be used for fun themselves and that’s what we have here today. Let’s take a look at some of the fun photography projects that the whole family can enjoy!

#1 - Animation - There are a number of ways you can use the apps on your phone to have fun without your kids getting ‘square eyes’. Like this one, for example; let your children choose an activity that has a number of different steps such as making a sandwich or maybe even create a scene with toys. Take a number of different pictures along the way and then import these onto your computer or download a relevant app. By pulling all the pictures together you can animate the photos in sequence.

This can also be a great way to have fun whilst tidying the toys away; take a picture at each step and have fun with them afterwards!

#2 - Toy Story - With the advances in technology, toys no longer get as much of a look in but it’s time to bring them back. Let your children choose their favorite toys and then decide upon an adventure that they can complete. You may not even have to leave the house for this one; take the necessary shots around the house, print them off and then caption them once stuck into a scrap book.

This can provide multiple days of fun as you can read it back whenever you wish and they will be proud of their story!

#3 - Editing - Many online photo editors, like PicMonkey and iPiccy allow you to start with a base image and transform them using different editing tools. This can provide hours of fun as kids love to transform the ordinary to something that…well, isn’t. After first drawing glasses on the subjects of the picture, the imagination will take over and you will soon find fun tools that do a whole manner of different things. You can even build a story within a story if you have a number of different pictures.

#4 - Regular Day - On a regular day just like any other, get an alarm clock and set it to go off every ‘enter amount of minutes’; an hour is normally good as you are likely to be doing something different each time. Take a picture of whatever you are all doing when that alarm clock chimes and you can build a collage at the end of the day. The kids will eagerly anticipate the alarm going off and it can provide for a great memory when you look back on it in a few years’ time.

#5 - Let Them Take Charge - Sometimes, it can be as simple as giving kids a camera and letting them do their thing. If you are an avid photographer, you will be framing every shot with the aim of ‘perfection’ in mind but children will not have this same attention to detail so it can be interesting to see what they come up with. Grab a few favorite objects from around your home and ask your kids to take pictures of the same things you do and it can be interesting to see how they differ. Sometimes the natural feel of theirs can make it look better!

#6 - Grateful Pictures - If the whole house seems to be in a bit of a poor mood and tired, gather everyone together and tell them to list what they are grateful for. This can be three or five things but make sure they take pictures of them when finished. This can instantly restore a positive mood and can actually bring a household together.

These are just a few great ways to make the most of a quiet day and to start using cameras more frequently. Your kids will never get bored of some of the above and it can really be a beneficial experience for you just as much as it can for them.

If you found my post helpful there's more photography tips over at my blog.