21 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids!

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No matter what season, there is always a need for some great indoor activities for kids. In the summer, some days it is necessary to escape from the heat and keep the kids occupied inside. Other times too much snow, cold or rain can keep the kids inside.  Be sure to check out the 21 Indoor Activities for Toddlers post, too for more indoor fun!!

Here are some great indoor activities for kids for the days when they can’t be outside.

Make an indoor playhouse/fort – Kids love to pretend play in an indoor play area. Making a “fort” out of blankets and sheets in the living room is a great way for their imagination to go crazy with play scenarios.

Play Music – Using musical instruments you already have, or you can make some homemade ones, have the kids pretend they are a band and create their own music or play along with a cd.

Have a Singing or Dance Competition – With the influx of all the competition shows on television these days, most kids want to do it to.  Mom and Dad and judge the kids!  Make the prizes something “cool” like – the winner doesn’t have to do chores that night.

Play with Blocks – Have the kids see who can build the highest tower with blocks.

Drive in Movie – Create cars out of cardboard boxes (add pillows and blankets) and have a drive-in movie.

Put on a Puppet Show – Whether you already have puppets, or if you make your own puppets as part of the play, let the kids make up their own play and act it out using puppets.

Play Hair Salon – Popular with the girls, create a beauty parlor and take turns doing each others hair. Surprisingly many boys really enjoy this too. 🙂

Have an indoor picnic or a tea party – Most kids love to eat, and incorporating some eating into their play is always a hit. Plan an indoor picnic or help your child host a tea party and invite other household members or dolls and stuffed animals as guests.

Create a Collage with Pictures from Magazines – Grab a stack of old magazines and some kid-friendly scissors. Let the kids find some pictures they like and glue them onto a piece of paper. You can give them a topic, like favorite foods or flowers, or just let them search for pictures on their own.

Play Grocery Store – Kids love to mimic the things they see their parents do, and doing the grocery shopping is no exception. Create a cash register with play money (if your child doesn’t have a toy one) and set up your grocery store. Decide who will be the shopper and who will run the cash register.

Create an Indoor Bowling Alley – You can purchase plastic bowling pins or make your own bowling pins from water bottles and other objects.

Let the Kids help you Cook or Bake something – There are tons of fun recipes that are age appropriate for kids to help out with. Find one and have the kids spend an hour or two helping you make dessert for after dinner or a great snack you can eat together.

Arts and Crafts – Whether it is finger painting or coloring, there are tons of arts and crafts that kids can do to occupy some indoor time. Even as simple as find some rocks from outside and painting them with q-tips. Just spread out some newspaper and let the kids have fun.

Have a Scavenger Hunt – Create an indoor scavenger hunt. Hide items around the house and give the kids a list of things they need to find. Loads of fun!

Create an Indoor Obstacle Course – Have the kids help you come up with an obstacle course and have them go through while timing them with a stop watch. They can try to beat their time. Here are some ideas for your obstacle course:

• Jump in and out of a hula-hoop laying on the floor.
• Crawl under a row of chairs.
• Run while balancing something on your head.
• Do a somersault from one place to another.
• Balance on a line of tape on the floor.

Make Homemade Play Doh – The kids can help you make homemade play doh and then spend time playing with it. Find cookie cutters, plastic spoons and knives and plenty of items for the kids to play with.

Play in Cardboard Boxes – Kids love cardboard boxes. We may never figure out why. But with a child’s imagination a box can become just about anything. Give them some markers and let them design their new car or house.

Masking Tape Games – For hours of indoor fun, just add masking tape. You can make a hopscotch court, a bull’s-eye for various games and more.

Balloon Ping Pong – You don’t need a ping pong table for the kids to enjoy a game. Create a game of Balloon Ping Pong. The kids will love this one.

Marble Race Track – Create a marble race track from a pool noodle. Hours of fun with this one.

Read a Book – Whether your child can read alone, or needs someone to read to him, reading is always a great indoor activity.

I hope you enjoy these indoor kids activities and that they are effective boredom busters!

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