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Another rainy or bone-chilling day? We see you over there: Restless kids fidgeting on the couch, the clock ticking slower than usual, and you're fresh out of ideas for things to do. Well you've come to the right place. We have your back with this list of the best indoor games you haven't already tried. We've got kid-friendly card games, creative indoor activities, fitness fun, free games and ways to repurpose all the stuff you had on your newborn checklist.
1. Pencil-and-paper games
From Battleship to Sprouts, we’ve created a must-play list of pencil-and-paper indoor games that beat TV any day. Gather some pencils and paper and check out our best of pencil-and-paper games.
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2. Building
You don’t need a fancy building set for this. Popsicle stick cities, card towers, even buildings out of blocks, or indoor forts out of boxes or pillows, will do just fine. If you want to get competitive, whoever builds the highest tower wins. If your kids love building and want a more advanced set of blocks, check out these magnetic building sets (ages 3 to 99) your builders are sure to enjoy.
3. Magical Mama (or Papa)
Be your kids’ very own Harry Houdini—without the locks, chains and water tanks, of course. Simply place a coin under one of three cups and shuffle the cups around. Then ask your children to guess which cup holds the coin. Sneaky parents can place the cups near the edge of a table and secretly drop the coin.
Watch your tots’ eyes light up in amazement when they learn the coin is gone! You'll probably enjoy playing the game too.
4. Card games
Card games are great for challenging young minds and creating hours of indoor fun. Grab a box of cards and check out our favorite traditional card games.
5. Puzzles
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Exercise those creative, cognitive and problem-solving muscles with a good puzzle. You can use a store-bought variety or have the kids make their own. Have your children draw a picture on a sturdy piece of cardboard or Bristol board.
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Then use a pencil to outline puzzle pieces directly on their drawing. Cut out the pieces with a good pair of scissors, mix them up and get solving. Indoor games and craft in one fun activity!
6. Freeze!
Choose some of your kids’ favorite tunes and turn up the volume. Ask them to dance until the music stops. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in – even if they have one leg up. To make the game more challenging, ask the kids to freeze in specific poses: animals, shapes, letters or even yoga postures. Toddlers in particular love this game.
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The winner gets her very own gold medal! Make your own ribbons with this easy craft:
7. Board and family games
For a comprehensive list of the best of family indoor games from Nursery Rhyme Games and Candy Land to Clue, check out our handy list of top 20 family games. Plus, there are board games for every level and stage.
8. Paper-bag skits
This indoor game is ideal for larger groups — a sleepover favorite. Divide the kids up into groups. Give each group a bag filled with props, such as a spoon, toy jewelry, a sock, ball or ribbon. Then give them 15 minutes to construct a skit around the props. This game is so much fun that it doesn’t have to be competitive.
If the kids want, though, they can all vote on a winning skit. This one tops the list of activities for kids that can be played together without much adult supervision.
9. Indoor hopscotch
This schoolyard favorite is sure to be an indoor hit, too. Set up your hopscotch game on any floor surface. Masking tape will do perfectly to form the nine connecting squares. Boxes 1-3 will be placed in a single line, one on top of the other. The next two boxes (4, 5) will be placed side-by-side, followed by a single box (6), two more boxes (7, 8) and the final half-circle “home” base (9). Next, choose a marker, such as a coin, stone or beanbag.
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The first player will throw the marker into square 1 without letting it bounce or touch the lines. If successful, the player will then hop — one foot on single squares and two feet on side-by-side squares — avoiding square #1. The player may rest on “home” before hopping back. On the way back, he or she picks up the marker on square #1 and, if successful (lands within the lines, hops or jumps with proper footing, doesn’t fall), takes another turn and throws it into square #2.
When the player is unsuccessful, the next player takes a turn. Players resume their turns by throwing the marker on the last box played. The winner is the first player to throw the marker home (#9), and smoothly complete the whole course.
10. DIY balance beam
While you have your masking tape out, why not make your own balance beam? We all know how much kids love walking in straight lines every chance they get. Put on some music, and one at a time the kids can take their turn walking one-foot-over-the-other across the straight line of tape.
Make the game more challenging by having the kids walk backwards or balance with one foot on the line. We also love this beam to continue balancing practice with! It's challenging enough to help develop their gross motor skills but safe in elevation as they learn to navigate the beam.
11. Hide and Seek
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No list of indoor games would be complete without Hide and Seek, now would it? In this classic game, one person (“It”) covers his or her eyes and counts aloud while the other players hide. When “It” is finished counting, he or she begins looking for the hiders. The last hider to be found is the next “It.”
Warning: this game is often a source of giggle fits. Families with older children might want to take things up a notch and play Hide and Seek in the dark. Just to be safe, make sure there are no loose items on the floor. If you want, allow “It” to carry a flashlight or turn the lights on once “It” finishes counting.
12. Treasure hunt
Kids love finding hidden objects — especially when there’s a prize at the end. Simply write your clues on some slips of paper — get creative. Place the first clue somewhere easy to find, like inside your child’s snack or cereal bowl. Then leave as many clues as you like around the house, making a trail to the final clue.
Instead of a prize, the treasure hunt can lead to various coins around the house. This way the kids get to collect all the coins and put them in their piggy banks in the end. If you want to create the most amazing treasure hunt and other fun indoor activities, follow these 11 tips.
13. Indoor bowling
A great way to reuse water bottles (or you can purchase an indoor bowling set). Line six-10 water bottles up at the end of your hall or living room. Place a line of duct tape at the starting line. Use cardboard boxes as bumpers. Grab a medium-sized indoor ball and start bowling! If you want, keep score and give out trophies at the end.
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Note: if you need to stabilize the water bottles or make the game more difficult, simply fill them up with some water. Don’t forget to screw the tops on tightly! You can also buy a cheap indoor kids' bowling kit to keep on hand for rainy days. This may be their new favorite play-at-home tradition.
14. Hot Potato
This game will have everyone giggling. Ask the kids to sit on the floor in a circle. Turn on some tunes and have them pass the potato (a bean bag or soft ball) around the circle as fast as they can. When the music stops, the player holding the potato leaves the circle. Keep going until only one player is left and wins the game.
Older kids get a kick out of this one, and you can pair it a clever obstacle course to increase the difficulty level.
15. Picnic memory game
Former preschool director and grandmother of three, Marsha Colla, has some innovative games up her sleeve, including this fun and simple verbal memory game, which, Colla says, “challenges the children and makes them giggle.” To play, everyone sits in a circle.
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The first player says, “In my basket for the picnic, I packed...,” and then says what item he or she packed. The next player then says, “In my basket for the picnic, I packed...,” and then recites what the first player packed and adds his or her own item to the basket, and so forth. Little kids love to play this one.
16. The listening game
One of Colla’s go-to indoor games for her preschoolers and grandchildren, this game is sure to both educate and delight little ones. Take out several miscellaneous items. Have the children look at all the items, and then take them away. Next, ask one child to hide his or her eyes and listen as you pick up an item and make sounds with it. Ask the child to guess which item made the sound.
Examples of items might be a comb (run your fingers along it), a glass (gently tap it), cymbals, shakers, sandpaper, blocks rubbed together, a pot and spoon. Be creative and have fun with these indoor games for kids!
17.Bubbles
You don’t have to go outside to enjoy bubbles. For this indoor game, you need a plate and straw for each player, some dishwashing soap and water. Place a dime-size drop of dish soap at the center of each plate. Pour a little water onto the plate and gently mix with the dish soap until some suds start to form.
Have the kids place the straw in the suds and blow very gently. Watch as massive bubbles start to form. To make this competitive, see who blows the biggest, or longest-lasting, bubble.
18. Simon Says
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This traditional favorite will never get old. To start, choose one player (probably a parent for the first round) to be Simon. The rest of the players will gather in a circle or line in front of Simon as he calls out actions starting with the phrase “Simon says”: “Simon says...touch your toes.”
Players then have to copy Simon’s action, touching their toes. If Simon calls out an action without uttering the phrase “Simon says,” the kids must not do the action. If a child touches his toes when Simon didn’t say..., he or she is out of the game. There are lots of great ways Simon can trick players into doing actions when Simon didn’t say: Simon can perform an action without uttering a command, for example, or he can perform an action that doesn’t correspond with the command. Fun! The last player left in the game wins and becomes the next Simon.
19. Touch-and-feel box
Most preschoolers flock to the classroom sensory table as soon as the teachers pull it out. So there is little doubt they will love this entertaining challenge. Find a shoe box or any box that has a lid on it. Cut a hole in one of the sides of the box —large enough for your child to fit her hand in. If you want, get creative and decorate the box with glitter and question marks. Younger kids love this one!
When you’re ready to play, put an item inside the box and have your children guess what it is. They can ask questions about the item if they need to, or you can offer clues. Get as ooey-gooey as you wish (fresh pumpkin seeds or slimy spaghetti are great choices for Halloween), or use such simple objects as a brush, a toy, a piece of fruit. To make it competitive, you can give a point to the first child to name the object.
20. Indoor basketball
You can’t be too little for this version of basketball. All you need is a bucket and a rolled-up sock (or a small, light ball). Each player takes a turn at throwing the sock-ball into the bucket. When a player scores a bucket, he or she takes a step back and throws again until missing. The player who shoots the ball in the bucket from the farthest distance wins.
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This article was originally published on
Nov 12, 2019
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am an expert and enthusiast assistant. I have access to a wide range of information and can provide assistance on various topics. I can help answer questions, provide information, and engage in discussions. If you have any specific questions or topics you would like to discuss, feel free to ask!
Now, let's dive into the concepts mentioned in this article.
Pencil-and-paper games
Pencil-and-paper games are a great way to have fun indoors. They can be played with just pencils and paper, making them accessible and easy to set up. Some popular pencil-and-paper games include Battleship and Sprouts. These games can provide entertainment and challenge young minds [[1]].
Building
Building activities can be a creative and engaging way to spend time indoors. You don't need fancy building sets; simple materials like popsicle sticks, cards, blocks, boxes, or pillows can be used to construct buildings or indoor forts. Building challenges, such as building the highest tower, can add a competitive element to the activity [[2]].
Magical Mama (or Papa)
The "Magical Mama" or "Magical Papa" game is a simple magic trick that can amaze children. It involves placing a coin under one of three cups, shuffling the cups, and asking children to guess which cup holds the coin. Sneaky parents can secretly drop the coin near the edge of a table to make it appear as if the coin has disappeared [[3]].
Card games
Card games are a classic indoor activity that can provide hours of fun. They are great for challenging young minds and can be played with a simple deck of cards. There are numerous traditional card games that can be enjoyed by both children and adults [[4]].
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to exercise creativity, cognitive skills, and problem-solving abilities. They can be store-bought or homemade, with children drawing a picture on sturdy cardboard and then cutting it into puzzle pieces. Solving puzzles can be a fun indoor game and a craft activity combined [[5]].
Freeze!
"Freeze!" is a game that combines music and movement. Children dance to their favorite tunes, and when the music stops, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in. This game can be made more challenging by asking children to freeze in specific poses, such as animals, shapes, letters, or yoga postures [[6]].
Board and family games
Board games are a popular choice for indoor entertainment. There is a wide variety of board games available for different age groups and interests. From Nursery Rhyme Games to Candy Land and Clue, there are options for every level and stage [[7]].
Paper-bag skits
Paper-bag skits are ideal for larger groups and are often a favorite at sleepovers. Children are divided into groups and given a bag filled with props. They have 15 minutes to construct a skit using the props. This game encourages creativity and can be played without much adult supervision [[8]].
Indoor hopscotch
Hopscotch, a classic schoolyard game, can also be played indoors. Using masking tape, you can create the hopscotch grid on any floor surface. Players take turns throwing a marker into the squares and hopping through the grid, following specific rules. This game helps develop balance and coordination skills [[9]].
DIY balance beam
Using masking tape, you can create a balance beam on the floor. Children can take turns walking one-foot-over-the-other across the straight line of tape. This activity helps develop gross motor skills and balance [[10]].
Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek is a timeless indoor game that children of all ages enjoy. One person covers their eyes and counts while the other players hide. The seeker then tries to find the hidden players. This game can be made more challenging by playing in the dark or adding obstacles [[11]].
Treasure hunt
Treasure hunts are exciting indoor activities that involve hiding objects and providing clues for children to follow. Children can search for hidden objects and collect coins as they solve the clues. This game combines adventure and problem-solving skills [[12]].
Indoor bowling
Indoor bowling can be set up using water bottles and a rolled-up sock or a small ball. Line up the water bottles and create a starting line. Players take turns bowling and can keep score. This game can be made more challenging by filling the water bottles with water to stabilize them [[13]].
Hot Potato
Hot Potato is a fun and energetic game where players pass a bean bag or soft ball around a circle as fast as they can while music plays. When the music stops, the player holding the potato is out. The game continues until only one player is left [[14]].
Picnic memory game
The picnic memory game is a verbal memory game where players take turns adding items to a virtual picnic basket. Each player recites the items previously mentioned and adds their own item. This game challenges memory skills and can be enjoyed by young children [[15]].
The listening game
The listening game is a sensory game where children listen to sounds made with various objects and try to guess which object made the sound. This game helps develop listening skills and can be a fun educational activity [[16]].
Bubbles
Bubbles can be enjoyed indoors by creating a soapy solution and blowing bubbles using a straw. Children can compete to blow the biggest or longest-lasting bubble [[17]].
Simon Says
Simon Says is a classic game where one person gives commands, and the other players have to follow them only if the command is preceded by the phrase "Simon says." Players who perform actions without the phrase "Simon says" are out of the game. This game can be played with various actions and is a fun way to engage children [[18]].
Touch-and-feel box
The touch-and-feel box game involves placing an item inside a box and having children guess what it is by feeling it. This game stimulates sensory exploration and can be a source of excitement for younger children [[19]].
Indoor basketball
Indoor basketball can be played using a bucket and a rolled-up sock or a small ball. Players take turns throwing the sock-ball into the bucket from different distances. The player who shoots the ball into the bucket from the farthest distance wins [[20]].
I hope this information helps you explore and enjoy these indoor games! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.
