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Ways to keep children off their screens but have plenty of fun indoors. Inflatable Airbed
Elisa has 17 years of experience in early childhood education as a teacher and a director. With a passion to work with young kids, she did her post graduation in Education and received her online teaching certificate from California State University, East Bay. Read full bio of Elisa Yi
Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing. Read full bio of Harshita Makvana
Deepa Rachel Thomas holds a master’s degree in English from the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. She has done a certification course in Child Development and worked as a mentor for young children at an NGO that focuses on helping children develop their language and soft skills. Read full bio of Deepa Thomas
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Indoor games for kids come in handy when it’s raining or snowing and there is no school. It also implies that there will be more time to kill at home. While some parents dread days like these, others see them as an opportunity to spend meaningful time with their children.
If you agree, we have just what you are looking for — a list of enjoyable indoor games for kids and a few parent-child bonding activities. So take a deep breath, relax, and prepare to turn a dreary day into a pleasant one!
Indoor games need not just be board games, card games, or video games. Neither do they have to be dull and boring! Here, we have listed out indoor games and activities that are fun and engaging for children of all ages.
Balancing beam is easier to set up than you think. All you need is some colored sticky tape, and you’re good to play for hours.
You can make different variations of this game by using multiple colored masking tapes and creating different patterns. You can also make it more interesting by making the child walk backward.
This game is both educational and fun for younger kids. The game exercises the child’s listening abilities by compelling them to concentrate.
You could use a blindfold to make sure the kid is not peeking!
to make a cup-and-ball game toy with everyday things at home. Read to know more.
Make this toy once, and your child can play it indoors, anytime he wants. He can play it alone or take turns to play with friends.
You can even use non-toxic spray paints to color the bottle any way you want.
Pitching pennies is a cool game to develop the child’s hand-eye coordination. Similar to beer pong, the game is for the entire family.
You can replace coins with marbles or even ping pong balls.
Bad weather ruining your bowling plans? Create your own bowling alley in your hallway. Here is how?
You can also use a bowling game toy set if you have one. You can also tweak the rules to make the activity more exciting for the child.
An excellent variation of the classic game, in and out can be used to revise lessons with kids. All you need is a white board and a marker.
Make the game fun by having quizzes about your child’s favorite movie, TV show, or singer.
There are a few pen and pencil games that you can play at home, on the plane, or in the car.
Lego toys also make a pleasant addition to such indoor games. Kate Ross, a mother blogger, says, “Recently my son learned how to play Tic Tac Toe and I thought it might be fun to make a Lego version of a homemade Tic Tac Toe game. It was super simple to put together and it was definitely a big hit with my son (i)!”
This is like basketball inside the house, except you use socks instead of a ball and clothes hamper instead of the basket.
You could make this a little difficult for older kids by choosing a basket or bin with a smaller opening.
Soap bubbles inside the house can be a pain, given that they can damage the carpeting, the furniture, and the electronic appliances. So instead of making bubbles, we focus on making just one bubble in a safe place inside the house.
Quick tip:The fun game can also become a competition of who makes the biggest or the longest-lasting bubble.
They could also use their hands instead of straws.
Indoor obstacle courses need space. If you have a big house with enough space and the house has child-proofed areas, you must try this on a snowy or rainy day.
Child-proof the room or area that you are using before setting up the obstacles to prevent injuries.
Getting your kids to do what you want them to is easier when you make it a game, such as this one!
This is an excellent game to get the kids to workout on an otherwise dull day.
‘Tag’ is an outdoor game. But when you are slow, and we mean really slow, you could play it indoors too.
Child-proofing the place can be a good idea to prevent injuries.
When you cannot step out, pick up a few puzzles that you can work on all day.
Stock up a few puzzle books or games in the house, without your child’s knowledge, to save yourself on a rainy day.
Kids can play card games too. Pick simple games that can help improve the child’s logical reasoning, number identification, and arrangement and color segregation abilities.
Card games you can play:
Popular kids’ card games you can play include:
If you do not want to use playing cards, try other card games such as Uno, Blink, and Old Maid.
It is a simple game that can help kids build hand-eye coordination. It also teaches them teamwork.
You can use a water balloon to make the game more challenging and fun.
You don’t always have to play a game to have fun at home. You can ‘do’ things too and have fun with the kids. Here are a few such activities for a rainy or snowy day.
You won’t need any boulders or cement to build a fort indoors. Gather a few things from around the house, and you are all set.
Stacking up the dominoes and then watching them fall one by one is just something! And that is exactly what you should do when you have all day to yourself.
Come up with different patterns and time them to see which takes the longest to fall.
Marshmallows are not just for eating. They can also be used, with pretzels, to make tinker toys.
Let the child create anything he or she wants to with the marshmallows. Let the child’s imagination soar with this activity.
Another way to boost your child’s creative abilities is to make them tell you a story.
A few ideas for storytelling
Your kid’s stories may not always make sense. But don’t stop them or correct them. Let them weave the story as they want. After all, it is fiction and need not be true.
Sometimes, children’s stories could be things that have actually happened to them. Read between the lines and talk to them if necessary, to figure out if it is just their imagination or reality.
This is a fun activity but needs time and patience. The thrill is in making your own catapult and then using it to toss marshmallows.
The catapult is now ready for play. Place a marshmallow in the spoon and try to toss it into another person’s mouth or a cup.
You can also use sticks to make the catapult. Remember that the idea is not just to play the game, but also teach kids to make cool stuff using recyclable materials.
Ice tower excavation is a cool game that your children will enjoy during summers when it is too hot to go outside.
Pick a container which is uniform, throughout, in width. That way, getting the ice tower out of the container becomes easier.
Nothing beats the joy and pleasure of staying under the warmth of the sheets and reading a good book on a rainy or snowy day. If you are familiar with the feeling, why not let the child experience it too?
It helps to have a few books that your kid has never read before. That way, you will have the child’s attention a lot longer.
A simple game that inspires your little scientist to express their heart.
You could alternatively chop and boil hibiscus flowers, red cabbage, or beetroot and use the water as a color-changing solution.
This could be your go-to game if you are looking to develop your child’s eye-hand coordination, concentration, and spatial awareness.
You can also color code some blocks and write a few truth and dare questions on them with a pencil or sharpie.
A quick and fun game that uses your observation skills that may be played at home, in a car, or in a classroom.
You may play the game without photographs too, by printing out your own set of photographs.
A fun game to improve your child’s spelling and linguistic skills.
You may construct sentences to teach the usage of the words as a way to make this game more educational.
Kids love piggy banks of their own, so enjoy making a DIY piggy bank at home this summer.
You could opt for a small reusable water bottle or cylindrical carton boxes if you do not have access to a cardboard box.
Ensure your child becomes an expert in numbers and tables with this fun game.
You could also play this game with two or more missing numbers, and add unique actions that can be used in place of calling out the number or its multiples.
A simple yet playful activity to bring out your child’s creative side and make them go on for hours.
You may alternatively cut the top half of a bottle, put a sock over the bigger end, and use it to make bigger bubbles.
An interesting game to test and improve your child’s capacity for memory and recall.
Alternatively, you may hide all the objects that were in the box and turn this into a treasure hunt cum memory recall game.
A game for someone who likes a quiet time of skillfulness, creativity, and attentiveness.
You could also print out several hat-making instructions from an origami website or craft book to make other types of hats.
A game that gives a musical twist to the classic hopscotch. A way to kindle the interest of a music-loving toddler.
You may need to use musical toys that each have a different sound. You may even pick things that make sounds like whistles or horns.
A game of quick wit and stealth that brings out the competitor in you. This game improves children’s listening and comprehension skills.
You may substitute other interesting objects for the hat, such as candy, a toy, or stickers.
A simple game to increase logical thinking, reflex speed, and attention span.
You may also make the game more challenging by offering them a pack of playing cards to stack.
A classic game that increases eye-hand coordination, reflex speed, and gross motor skills.
Keep adding more balls as they successfully manage to do with the previous number they juggled.
A traditional game that teaches goal orientation, concentration, and logical thinking.
Ensure that the playing surface is soft enough for the marbles not to bounce off when hit and firm enough for them not to sink.
A game that increases your skills of observation and builds the bond between siblings, friends, and cousins.
Divide players into two teams and have them line up on opposite sides of the room. Draw a circle in the middle of the room and place the bone (a toy) in the center. A player from each team must race to grab the bone and return to their side without being tagged by the opponent. The team with the most successful retrieves wins.
For older kids, you may make this game difficult by pairing two players together and binding them together at their ankles.
An indoor version of the classic sack race game that never fails to entertain kids and parents alike. This is an exciting way to keep children physically active even when indoors.
You may use old but clean sacks as well. If the floor feels too hard, you may spread a mattress or soft mat for the race.
A classic game that can tire one out quicker than we imagine. This game improves concentration and eye-hand coordination.
You may use a paper plate or toy racket to play some balloon tennis.
Find yourself having fun as you fight your neurons to do the opposite of what’s shown.
You may make the game more interesting and challenging by only describing the action and having the child perform the opposite action.
A fun and interactive game that will leave you rolling on the floor as you wheeze through bouts of unending laughter.
This obstacle course game increases body balance and spatial awareness.
You can also add some obstacles through the maze to motivate your children to actively engage in the game.
A messy game for when children are in the mood to skate but are forced to stay indoors. A great entertainer that also helps you improve your body balance.
For the safety of the children, it’s best to ensure they wear knee and elbow guards and play under adult supervision.
A classic word game that makes for an educational experience.
For younger children, use the easy side on the junior Scrabble board to help them match the letters with the words present on it. This may help them become familiar with the game.
An activity that encourages fine motor skill development.
You may make round beads by making paper mache out of newspapers and rolling them with glue. You may also add color to make the beads more attractive.
Indoor scavenger hunt, musical chairs, bean bag toss, ring toss, chess, scrabble, monopoly, the Settlers of Catan, Jenga, and Twister are some classic game choices to make a dull afternoon bright and happening.
1. What are the benefits of playing indoor games for children?
Indoor games may help children build a connection with others, improve their cognitive skills, keep them engaged, productive, physically fit, and less stressed, and there is a low or no risk of physical injuries. Even indoor group games for kids can further enhance their social skills and teamwork while providing a fun and safe environment for play. They can also enhance their problem-solving skills and creativity, making them a crucial part of childhood development.
2. What age is suitable for indoor games for children?
Children of two years and older can play indoor games. Teenagers and adults can also play indoor games.
3. What are the different types of indoor games?
Indoor games for kids can be of several types, but primarily, some focus on their physical development and movement, while others are educational and help with cognitive development, creativity, and learning. For instance, Maze Runner and Balance Beam are helpful for kids to improve their spatial awareness and balance, and Word Bee and Missing Number are great for learning spelling and numbers.
4. What are the safety guidelines for playing indoor games for children?
Some safety rules to remember while playing indoors include not allowing children to run or jump in the house and refrain from playing in the kitchen or bathroom. If children play hide and seek in the house, keep cabinets and basements closed to prevent accidents with harmful objects. Also, lock the refrigerators and freezers to prevent children from hiding inside or getting trapped.
Parents often seek interesting indoor games for kids, which can help keep children engaged when the weather is too harsh to play outdoors. Further, if you are traveling or want to keep your children away from their gadgets, these games and interesting activities for kids will also prove helpful. Indoor obstacle courses, follow the leader, and indoor bowling are some all-time favorites. You can tweak the games if you have more than one child or have children from different age groups. Click pictures and take videos while you indulge in these fun games to preserve these memories.
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Are you looking for fun activities to keep your kids entertained indoors? Check out our video on 100 Things To Do With Kids Indoors! From arts and crafts to board games, there’s something for everyone!
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