Whether it’s a rainy day, a snowstorm that cancels school, or a crazy viral pandemic that sweeps the world, parents everywhere are constantly looking for indoor games and activities that their kids will actually enjoy doing and keep them entertained for a while. Well, folks, today I’ve gathered tons and tons of ideas all here in one place.
I’ve linked the awesome mommy bloggers and teachers behind these spectacular games and activities. And, while almost all of these activities are free and easy to do with things around your home, I’ve also linked some small businesses that offer subscription boxes and other products to help you entertain and teach your kids. The games and activities in this post will not only burn some of your kid’s energy, but they are also educational as well!
I hope you enjoy these. Which ideas will you add to your arsenal of activities?
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Get The Wiggles Out With These Games…
Are you ready for some energy-busting games and activities for kids? Get ready to be amazed! With these ideas in your back pocket, your kids won’t be bored every again. Well…maybe?!
Tape Games-
You’d be amazed what a roll of tape can do. The possibilities of games and activities for your kid are endless. I’d recommend ordering a roll of delicate painter’s tape to use for these games. Have fun…
Tape Shape Game– Use your roll of tape to create shapes, letters, and numbers on the floor. Then, encourage your child to do different activities as they move from item to item. For instance, “hot to the A”, “skip to the 4”, “wiggle like a snake to the triangle”, etc. Not only does this get the wiggles out, but it also helps them start recognizing letters, shapes, and numbers.
Tape Lines Activity– Along the same lines (literally), place 5-6 lines just a couple inches apart on your floor. Have your children practice long jumping from one end to the other. See how many lines they can jump, hop, spin over. You can even try this backwards.
Create a Race Car Track– In this activity, use your roll of tape to create a road map all around your living space for car races and imaginary play. You even take your tracks onto the couch, table, into the kitchen, etc. Let your kids drive their cars from one end to the next, or let them build a town with legos and blocks around their road. Start with a simple race track, and then let their imaginations explode. To make this activity even more fun and “realistic” opt for this fun road tape from Amazon that comes with traffic signs as well.
Hopscotch– This idea seems a bit simple, but so so fun! Use your roll of tape to create a hopscotch on the floor. Teach your kids how to hop from square to square on one leg. You could maybe even try different challenges like hopping or spinning along the hopscotch.
Balloon Games-
I remember my nieces and nephews playing with balloons for hours every birthday party we hosted at our house. All I did was blow up about 10 balloons and scatter them around our living room floor. They’d bounce them in the air, play volleyball over the couch cushions, and not let them fall to the floor. I can’t believe how many hours of entertainment they got from a simple balloon. Here are some more ideas you can do with your kids and balloons…
Don’t Let The Balloon Touch The Ground– This was a popular game in our house. Bounce the ball in the air and don’t let it touch the ground. I’m not sure what happens to the balloon if it touches the ground. All I know is it’s bad. Ha! This is an easy game that everybody can get involved in.
Penguin Waddle– Host a penguin waddle race in your living room. Have your children place a balloon between their knees and try to run a race without letting the balloon drop on the floor.
Balloon Taps– This activity will really get some energy out. Tape a balloon in a doorways where it hangs just a few inches about their reach. Challenge them to jump and see how many times they can tap the balloon in a row. I’m tired just thinking about it.
Balloon Blow– Set up a balloon course and have your kids crawl on the ground behind their balloon and see if they can blow it along the course. Whoever reaches the finish line first wins!
Balloon Volleyball– Balloon Volleyball is another of our favorites. Use your couch as a net, or whatever you have. Divide into teams and play balloon volleyball in the comfort of your own home. This is certain to induce lots of giggles.
Balloon Hockey– Balloon Hockey works very similarly to volleyball, only with makeshift goals and whatever you have to use for sticks…like paper towel rolls.
Silly Movement Games-
Let’s move onto some other games that still involve a lot of movement and energy expenditure. You will love these creative silly movement games.
Sticky Spider Web– Use your painter’s tape to create a “web” in a doorway, and then use crinkled up paper balls or balloons to throw at the “web” to see how many items they can get to stick.
Sticky Note Wall Bop– Write letters on sticky notes and stick them to the back of a door. Have your kids toss bean bags or small balls at the sticky note you designate. You can also write numbers on the sticky notes and keep track of points every time your child hits one with their bean bag or ball.
Color Toss– Tape colored construction paper to the floor and have your children practice tossing bean bags at the various colors. You can make up your own rules. You can award points if they land inside the colored paper or the closest to the color wins. Whatever works for your kids.
Ping Pong Ball Catch– This game straight up reminds me of field day in elementary school. Get out a couple of those red solo cups you’ve been hoarding for parties, and ping pong balls if you have them or any small object your kids can throw safely that fit inside the cups. Have them practicing throwing the balls back and forth to each other and catching them in their cups. Start them off closer together and make them take a step back every time they catch it.
Alligator Alley– This is an oldie, but goodie, idea. Place pillow and blanket “island” on your living room floor, and have your child jump from one to another avoiding touching the ground, because the ground, you see, is a swamp filled with hungry alligators. They can also pretend that the floor is lava…that’s what we did as kids!
Crab Walk Race– Teach your kids the lost art of the crab walk. Do they still teach this is P.E.? Host your very own crab walk race from end of the house to the other.
Related Post: Ultimate Guide To Summer Fun- 80+ Kids Activities, Crafts, Games, & Treats
Cotton Ball Crawl– Send your kids out on a mission to build an iceberg of cotton balls by transporting them from one room to another using a spoon. They’ll fly, they’ll fall, and they’ll cause extreme laughter. The first kid to build their “iceberg” wins!
ABC Exercise Cards– Download these printable alphabet cards that encourage your kids to do a silly movement that starts with each letter. Not only will your kids be working out their extra energy, but they’ll also be learning their alphabet as well.
Indoor Croquet– Create your own indoor croquet course using these fun ideas from Toddler Approved. You can even add to the energy-busting nature of this game by giving your kids challenges to do after they score, like run around the kitchen island or do 15 jumping jacks.
Movement Chain– The Movement Chain game is like the game of Simon but in movement form. The first player does a silly movement, and then the 2nd player repeats that movement and adds their own. Continue until one of the players forgets a movement and then start over again.
Mirror, Mirror– This game is similar to the movement chain, except your brain won’t be completely fried. Simply have one player copy the other in all of their silly movements. Warning: this game could get pretty silly really quickly!
Airplane Landing– This activity is super simple. Build paper airplanes and practicing throwing them. The twist though is that when your kids go to retrieve their airplanes give them a movement to do on their way…like hopping, skipping, twisting.
Crib Mattress Slide– Got an extra crib mattress laying around? Angle it up against your couch or a bed and now your kids can slide down over and over again. Make sure to hold onto it though so it doesn’t slip. Or, if you want to make the investment, you could order this awesome slide!
Pillow Case Race– Host a pillow case race in your home. This is another activity I remember from childhood, and is super fun.
Nerf Target Practice– Set up a few targets around the house (like empty water bottles or toilet paper rolls) and have your children practice “shooting” at them with their Nerf guns. Challenge them to shoot behind their back, with their eyes closed, etc to make this game even more fun and entertaining.
The Wiggle Jar– You can also create a Wiggle Jar using these printables from Home School Share. Then when your looking for a quick and easy idea to help your kids work out their energy, pick a card from the jar and challenge them to do it. These cards have silly activities on them like “pretend your in a band” and “pretend you have to hold up the wall”. This will become an instant hit with your kids.
Search & Find Activities
I’m sure you kids will love these hide ‘n seek type of activities. These will occupy them for hours and may give you a few moments to yourself. You’re welcome.
Lego Color Hunt– This game is really easy and your kids will love it. Place 4 sheets of construction paper on the floor or table and select 10 lego blocks to match each color. “Hide” the lego pieces throughout your house, and send your kids on a search. When they find a lego piece have them match the Lego to the matching construction paper.
Puzzle Piece Hide ‘N Seek– This challenge works similarly to the Lego Color Hunt, except this time you hide puzzle pieces. This game will help your kids burn off some energy, as well as learn how to put a puzzle together which is great for young brains. It’s a win win.
Paint Chip Color Hunt– If you happen to have paint chips laying around the house, then great! If not simply use colored sheets of construction paper, and send your kids on a hunt to find items that match each color. They can choose toys, objects, books, etc. to match.
ABC Hunt– Send your little ones out on a search for objects around your home that start with certain letters. You pick the letter, and then send them on the hunt. It’s as simple as that. Or, you can give them a basket and a sheet of paper with every letter and have them find objects and write down what they found next to each letter.
Scavenger Hunt– Use this printable scavenger hunt from Living and Life Designed to set up a scavenger hunt for your kids at home.
Flashlight Hunt– Send your kids into a dark room with flashlights where they can search for certain objects that you’ve hidden. You could give them a paper to scratch off the items as they find them, or have them retrieve the items and bring them to you.
Mazes & Obstacle Courses
Keep you kids lost and busy with these mazes and obstacle courses! These are so fun to make and do, and will occupy their time for a while.
Mission Impossible Laser Maze– Using crepe paper or streamers leftover from a birthday party, create a maze for your kids in the hallways that they can imagine is a laser-type Mission Impossible obstacle course. Set up the maze in such a way that your kids have to jump over lines and crawl down low. For more ideas check out The Brassy Apple.
Life-Size Book Maze– Use stacks of books or other household items to literally create a maze in your home. Challenge your kids to find there way around your indoor maze and then challenge them to do it backwards or with their eyes closed.
Obstacle Course– Have your kids help create an epic obstacle course using household items like Tupperware containers, pillows, etc. Choose actions one must do to complete the obstacle course and continue changing it up. This activity can create hours of exhausting fun.
Escape Room For Kids– Create your own escape room for your kids with puzzles and riddles to solve in order to escape. This would be especially fun for older kids. Plus, it will hopefully help them work together as a team.
Sports Games
How about some good old-fashioned sports games to keep your kids occupied. These are simple, yet genius ideas. Let’s get back to the basics.
Basketball– Pull out that old plastic Little Tikes basketball hoops and challenge your kids to a little HORSE. If you don’t have a basketball hoop, use a laundry basket and some rolled up socks.
Figure Skating– Challenge your kids to create beautiful figure skating routines on your tile or wood floors by taping plastic plates to their feet or just putting on a slippery pair of socks. Let them dress up for the part and pick their music for their routine. This activity is right up my ally!
Bowling– Set up a makeshift bowling ally using red solo cups. Your kids will love setting up and knocking down the “pins”. Nothing beats good healthy competition.
Soccer– If you have a wide open space inside your home, challenge your kids to a soccer tournament. Set up makeshift goals and get to kicking.
Mini Golf– Mini Golf is another fun idea that you can create inside your home using paper towel tubes or wrapping paper tubes for golf clubs and red solo cups for the holes.
Hockey– Also, you can use those paper tubes as hockey sticks and host your own Stanley Cup Finals.
Classic Games & Activities
I don’t think these activities need a whole lot of explaining, but just in case you need a refresher, I’ve included instructions below.
Parachute– Grab a sheet, or a parachute if you happen to have one, and grab as many hands as possible. Swish your parachute into the air, and take turns running underneath, or try balancing/bouncing a ball on it. You can order a small parachute here.
Hula Hoop– Dust off the old hula hoop is you have one laying around, and let your kids practice this fine art until their heart’s content.
Red Light, Green Light, Purple Light?– Remember this old game? Red light, your kids stop running. Green light, they start running again. First one to the finish line wins, except this time you add extra colored lights where they have to do silly things. Like “Blue Light- slither like a snake” or “Purple Light- do a silly dance”, or “Pink LIght- twirl like a ballerina”.
Hide-and-Seek– I don’t think this activity needs much explaining right?!
Simon Says– Ya’ll remember Simon Says right? If you don’t say Simon Says before whatever action you’ve picked for your kids to do (the sillier the better) then they’re out. This fosters good listening skills, and teaches them to follow directions.
Twister– Do you have this game hiding in a closet somewhere? Well, it’s time to pull it back out and get those kids twisting and turning to victory! This one is super fun!
Bubbles– Bubbles make for a great pastime activity and is perfect for younger and older kids. Buy a bubble machine and plenty of bubble solution if you don’t have them already, and enjoy hours of giggly fun!
Activity Dice Printables
Your kids will love these activity dice game. These awesome mom-bloggers have created some of the best printables I’ve ever seen. Simply print them off, tape them together, and begin enjoying hours of wiggly fun! Which one will you choose? Maybe all of them?
Lego Super Hero Dice– This FREE printable Super Hero Dice game from Life Over C’s will have your little super hero zooming in their bat mobile, climbing like spiderman, and flexing their muscles like Hulk.
Get The Kids Moving– Get The Kids Moving is another colorful printable dice game that will have your kids doing all sorts of silly movements. Created by Paperelli for the blog, I Heart Naptime, one of my favorites.
Animal Action Dice– This super cute printable dice from Playdough to Plato will have your little ones “squirting like a squirrel” and “wandering like a moose”.
Move Like An Insect– Life Over C’s comes through again with yet another adorable dice game, except this time it’ll have your kids doing movements likes bugs. Your kids will have a blast crawling like a caterpillar and flapping like a butterfly in this super fun game.
Move My Body– In this printable dice game, you children will roll 2 dice, one with a body part and the other with a movement.
Snowy Winter Activity Dice– This dice game from 3 Dinosaurs, also includes 2 dice, one for a winter movement/activity (like snowshoeing or ice skating) and the other with a speed (slow or fast). Enjoy some wintertime fun no matter the season.
RoboTots Movement Dice– The mom behind RoboTots hosts live circle time on Instagram and has a FREE printable robot dice game for kids as well. Your kids will love this game. Plus, follow their family adventures and fun fitness videos for kids on YouTube.
Get Dramatic- Dress Up Activities
I remember when I was kid, my sister and I would put on elaborate plays and make our family tickets to our show and actually made them sit and watch. I’m sure it was kind of cute for our parents and aunts and uncles. And, I’m sure they loved it, because it kept us busy for hours. Here are some dramatic dress up activities your kids might enjoy also.
Charades– Charades is a great family game where one person acts out a movie, person, animal, or thing and the rest of the family has to guess what they’re being. Set a timer, split into teams, and pick categories, and get ready for a few laughs.
Put On A Show– Encourage your kids to put on a play for the family. Assign rolls and a storyline if they need help in that department. Help them with costuming and perhaps makeup, and let them use an old sheet for the stage curtain. They could even create tickets to their event, and all in attendance could dress up like it’s a fancy event. You could even offer concessions, like popcorn, drinks, and other treats.
Put On A Fashion Show– Kind of along the same lines, let your kids put on a fashion show. Let them get creative with their clothes closet or dress up trunk and create outfits and hairstyles to show off while you and dad sit back and enjoy the show. Warning: their rooms and closets might be destroyed after this activity, but if it keeps them busy for hours, who cares right?
Create a Dance Routine– Another dramatic activity that your kids might enjoy is putting on a dance recital. Have them once again dress up for the part and create their own routines. You could also encourage them to create their own ice skating show, wrestling match, etc.
Be The Ring Leader– Encourage your little ones to put on a circus show! They can perform arial acts, tame lions, be clowns, etc. Sell tickets to the Greatest Show on Earth and prep some popcorn and cotton candy!
Imaginative Play
Kids have the best imaginations. They can turn a blanket overtop of your kitchen table into the most epic fort, play space, or far away place. They can turn a bunch of boxes into a bustling city, amusement park, etc. Take a look at these imaginative play activities that your kids will really enjoy, and give them countless hours of productive playtime.
Snowball Fight-Create your family’s own indoor snowball fight kit like this one. You kids will have so much fun using couch cushions, pillows, and whatever they can find to build snow forts to hide from your soft and not-so-cold or wet snowballs.
We’re Going On A Bear Hunt– Parents, hide a teddy bear somewhere in your house and send your kids out on a bear hunt. Use terms like “you’re getting cold” or “you’re getting warmer” when they near the bear. You can even pair this activity with this children’s book for extra fun and learning.
Build a Fort– There’s nothing more basic and yet more fun, than building a fort. Whether it be in your living room, playroom, or under your kitchen table, a fort can be a wonderful imaginative past time. Check out these adorable fort kits for kids on Etsy and support small business!
Put on a Puppet Show– Let your children’s imagination soar by encouraging them to put on a puppet show. If you don’t have puppets laying around, have them use stuffed animals or you could even decorate socks to look like characters. Invent your own puppet show story or help them recreate a favorite book. I love this amazing personalized puppet show theatre on Etsy, as well as the many handmade puppets that are available.
Cardboard Box City– Have a ton of extra cardboard boxes laying around? Who doesn’t? Before taking them out to recycle, let your kids decorate and build their own present city. Depending on how big your boxes are, they can use their city to play with their stuffed animas, Barbies, dolls, or even themselves! Playing with boxes can be the most fun of all.
Fairy Houses– You can buy fairy house, garden, and door kits on Etsy and let your little ones imagination run wild. I personally love the fairy door in their room idea with a little tea party set up for their fairies and all the little accessories. I think your kids will love it too!
Dress Up– And, of course, what could be more fun than playing dress up? I love the Melissa & Doug dress up kits that they offer in practically any occupation out there. I personally love this pediatric nurse set, but they also have a chef set, firefighter, police officer and more. A big ole trunk filled with dress up clothes will give your kids hours of imaginative play.
Musical Activities
There’s nothing like a good beat to work out those wiggles, am I right? Besides these fun activities below, check out my Spotify Dance Party Playlists here. I’ve created a playlist for moms (but still appropriate for little ears) and one that’s specifically for kids. Let’s get up and “shake it off, shake it off”.
Dance Party!– Host a nightly dance party in your home. Find some awesome dancing playlist on Spotify like I’ve shared above, and shake off all that extra energy!
Freeze Dance– Add this fun little game into your dance party! When the music stops everyone must freeze, the first one to move loses. Stop and start songs in the middle to make this extra fun!
Musical Letters– Write letters on pieces of paper and scattered them throughout the room on the floor. When the music stops, call out a letter, have your children scramble to find it. The last one to sit down on the letter, has to do a special activity like jumping jacks, spins, or jogging in place. Change this game up to match your child’s developmental age. Use numbers, shapes, and colors instead of letters if need be.
Exercise Activities You Can Stream
YouTube is a great source of free entertainment for your kids! Here is a list of kid’s exercise channels from around the globe that will help your children get up off the couch and burn some of that energy.
- Go Noodle
- Whip/NaeNae Elementary Cardio Workout
- Koo Koo Kanga Roo
- Learning Station
- Jack Harmann Kids Music Channel
- Move To Learn Channel
- Saskia’s Dansschool
- RoboTots
- Cosmic Kids Yoga
Creative Activities
Let’s foster your kids creativity with these amazing activities. These are some of my favorites. Don’t miss the small shop Etsy businesses I’ve linked too. Your kids will be little Picasso’s in no time.
Giant Coloring Pages– Turn on some calming tunes, grab a big ole box crayons, and lay out one of these giant coloring pages from the Etsy shop, Olive + Maeve. Your kids will have tons of fun, and perhaps you’ll get a few moments of reprieve. Or, join in on the fun. Coloring is super relaxing.
Craft Kits– Check out these lovely craft kits for kids from this amazing artsy Etsy shop. These craft kits will keep your kids busy….& quiet… for a while!
Kiwi Co. Project Boxes– These age-appropriate project boxes are a kid favorite. Each box includes at least 3 projects or toys depending on your kids age. They are simple enough for them to do on their own, but so fun you’ll want to join in too. Click here to read about all of my favorite subscription boxes for kids & see what each Kiwi Co. box looks like per age group.
Start a Children’s Garden– If you live in a colder state like we do, you may be feeling the itch to get back outside and enjoy springtime weather. Get your kids excited about the season ahead and help them start a garden inside to plant outside later. I love these cute kids garden kits on Etsy. They offer all sorts of kits from a taco garden kit, vegetable kit, to fairy flowers.
Get Your Kids In The Kitchen– Now’s the perfect time to get your kids started with a kids cooking subscription box. Radish Kids sends your little one a monthly box filled with recipes, tools, and so much more to spark their creativity in the kitchen! Let the kids take over dinner one night!
Quieter Indoor Activities
If you are begging for just a few moments of peace and quiet, these quiet activities might be just what you need. Your kids will love these activities too!
Lego Charades– You have to check out these amazing printable Lego Charades cards. Recreate the designs on the cards for a super fun, quiet game that will entertain them for hours.
Paper Dolls– Don’t miss these awesome printable paper dolls. Give your kids hours of play time as they color and design their very own paper doll collection from Adventures In A Box.
Board Games– Of course this might seem a bit obvious, but if you’re stuck inside pull out some of your old board games. Teach your kids to play some of the classics like Monopoly, Sorry, Uno, and Life.
Educational Apps– There are a plethora of amazing highly recommended learning and game apps for kids tablets out there right now. Give your kids a certain amount of screen time a day and enjoy that peace and quiet.
Animated Books– Get your kids excited about books again with animated books on the Vooks app subscription. Books come to life on the screen making story time and reading even more enjoyable.
Sensory Activities
And last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about some fun sensory activities and crafts your kids can make that will keep them occupied for hours. I simply love these ideas.
Play Dough Kits– I simply adore these play dough kits by Young Wild & Friedman. They have any theme you could think of from insects, to space, to princess, to baking. Your kids will spend hours enjoying these little kits! Plus, they offer a monthly play dough subscription as well. Check it out!
Slime– Slime is another sensory activity that kids love! I share 30 simple and creative slime recipes in this post that your kids will love to try.
Sensory Bins– Once again, Young Wild & Friedman comes through on the perfect sensory bin for your child to enjoy. They’re filled with small trinkets and toys with various textures and colors. Your kids will have so much fun playing with their sensory bins for days and weeks to come.
I hope you enjoyed this epic indoor games and activities for kids post. What did you find here today that you can’t wait to do with your kids?
