Over 80 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Kelly R. said:  You can make an epic pillow fort with couch cushions, sheets, and chip clips to hold things in place! This is one of our favorite rainy day activities for kids because once the fort is built, they love hanging out in it for hours to read, rest or play.

Check out many ways to build a fort indoors!

Kelly R. said:  Use cushions and other household objects to create an obstacle course with things that kids can go over, under, through and around. Time them and see if they can beat their own times!

Kelly R. said:  Gather all of your craft supplies (feathers, washi tape, glitter, etc) and create paper bag puppets. Then have your kids plan and put on a puppet show!

Kelly R. said:  Make a big list of things the kids can search for around the house (something rainbow-colored, something that was a gift, something you use in the summer) and have the kids work together or race each other to find everything.

Kelly R. said:  In a large pot, combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup salt, and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar. Mix together and add 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon oil, and food coloring until you reach your desired color. Cook over medium heat and stir for about 5 minutes until the mixture forms into a ball. Remove from the pot and knead on a floured surface until the play dough is nice and smooth. Store in a container with a lid.

Kelly R. said:  Prepare an assortment of different foods (fruit works well!) and have your kids taste them blindfolded and try to guess what they are.

Kelly R. said:  Make a volcano, grow rock candy, or choose from a number of easy science experiments for kids that will get them learning about STEM at home.

Kelly R. said:  Few things delight a child more than seeing grown-ups wearing a ridiculous variety of wigs, masks and accessories, so join in on the fun!

Shila said:  Take a virtual trip around the world via Google Earth or Google Maps. Search any landmark in satellite view, for example, Taj Mahal or The Great Pyramid of Giza, and you'll likely be able to view its 360-degree street view.

Shila said:  If you have a narrow hallway or corridor in your home, use paper streamers and painter's tape to fence together a diagonal criss-crossing maze. Challenge the whole family to a DIY Mission Impossible laser maze.

Shila said:  From Mario Bros. to Mario Kart to Wii Fitness, select an age-appropriate video game, determine a mutually agreed duration and play! Set the stage - kids versus adults - and see who takes the crown.

Kelly R. said:  I like rainy day activities that the kids won't tire of in 5 minutes, and a cheap variety pack of colorful embroidery floss will keep them entertained for hours making friendship bracelets.

Kelly R. said:  From Baby Shark to Hamilton, everyone's favorite songs are fair game when you work together to compile your family's signature playlist.

Kelly R. said:  Write letters or draw pictures for grandma, grandpa, or anyone else in your family who would love getting a surprise in the mailbox.

Kelly R. said:  You have to eat anyway, so try out some easy recipes for kids to make and help them build their cooking skills. If they enjoy their time in the kitchen, consider getting a subscription to a kids cooking club for regular recipes and projects created especially for young chefs.

Kelly R. said:  Use painter's tape to create city streets along your floor, make buildings out of LEGOs to place around the different blocks, and drive hot wheels around the town.

Kelly R. said:  Crank up some kid-friendly tunes and bust a move. When in doubt...ABBA!

Kelly R. said:  Help everyone learn how to spell their name in sign language.

Kristy Pepping said:  Print some photos off your computer and have kids use glue sticks to add the photos to some paper you staple together. They can create their own scrapbook of recent memories.

Shila said:  Use an empty shoebox as your canvas. You can use any materials you have in your home, from toy army men to Shopkins to hot wheels, etc.! Build a scene out of your favorite children's book, or anything else your creative heart envisions.

Kelly R. said:  You might be surprised what you learn about your kids when you ask them some fun conversation starters for kids, and they'll enjoy asking you, too!

Kelly R. said:  If you are worried about your carpet, blow bubbles in the bathtub! Consider making your own bubble solution, too, as a fun and easy craft project.

Kelly R. said:  Hide a sequence of clues around the house that lead to a surprise at the end. This one takes a little pre-planning, but older kids might enjoy helping with that!

Kelly R. said:  Serve up a lunch spread of finger foods on the floor in the family room, complete with picnic blanket and basket.

Kelly R. said:  Charades is a great way to get some use out of that kids art easel in your playroom. Fill a cup with strips of paper with words on them, and take turns drawing and guessing. Split into two teams if your family can handle the competition, and change the difficulty of the words based on the age of your kids.

Alexandra F. said:  We started our book club a few years ago when the kids were about 6 and 8, and it has been one of our all-time favorite family activities! We choose a book at the right grade level that everyone will read (usually independently) and then come together over a meal or other fun activity to discuss it. My favorite part has been that we always have something fun to talk about over dinner!

Kelly R. said:  Fold and test a few paper airplane styles to see which ones fly best. We like the Art of Manliness paper airplane tutorial.

Kelly R. said:  Gather all of your LEGOs into one place and work together to create a big city.

Shila said:  Do you have a sewing machine? Get sewing! Or, teach your kids the very fundamentals with DIY sewing cards. Start with a piece of cardboard, yarn, and a needle. You'll want to pre-punch several holes in the cardboard to practice the art of lacing.

Shila said:  Stack up 10 "pins" using empty tin cans and play indoor bowling with a tennis ball (or something similar). Bonus: it's a fun challenge, too, if you can use a staircase as the bowling lane. Set the tin cans at the landing, and lightly roll your ball from the topmost step. See if you can roll a strike!

Alexandra F. said:  The Google Arts and Culture platform allows you to view world-class museums and art collections from the comfort of your own home. Featuring content from more than 1200 partner museums and archives, explore the works of Monet, Rembrandt and Frida Kahlo without ever leaving your living room!

Kelly R. said:  Set up a tent and sleeping bags in your living room, tell scary stories, and gorge on (oven-roasted) s'mores.

Kelly R. said:  There are quite a few people on your contact list who would love a surprise call from your kids!

Shila said:  Use washable kids paint to decorate indoor windows or glass doors. This fun and easy craft idea mimics the translucent look of stained glass. Lightly dab the paint and use Q-tips to swirl the colors around in order to still let in sunlight. For a paint-free option, tape up a collage using small cuts of multi-colored tissue paper. Use painter's tape so it's easily removable.

Kelly R. said:  Study a map of the country (or the world!) and work together to make a wishlist of places to travel as a family one day.

Kelly R. said:  Review some book lists for kids and have each child make a big checklist of titles they'd like to read over the coming weeks and months. Then get started reading! Mom and dad can make their own list of books for adults, too.

Kelly R. said:  Have your kids find and peel the paper off of their broken crayons, and melt them down in a mini muffin tin to create recycled crayons. Fill the muffin cups at least half full with small crayon pieces and bake in a 275 degree oven until just melted. It should take 10-15 minutes. After they cool completely, place them in the freezer for 10 minutes so they easily pop out of the pan. Save them to hand out as unique party favors for your child's next birthday, or have fun coloring right away!

Kelly R. said:  There are some great free typing games for kids available online, for a screen time option that teaches an important skill!

Kristy Pepping said:  Cooking and baking are rewarding and fun indoor activities for kids! Try an easy dessert recipe you can make together. Not only is baking fun, but it provides some great opportunities to practice math!

Kelly R. said:  Choose a challenging puzzle that will take at least a couple days (or weeks!) to complete, and set it up on the coffee table or in the dining room to work on a little at a time.

Shila said:  Take a walk down memory lane by watching old family home videos. My school-aged kids think it's hysterical to watch themselves as once bumbling toddlers!

Kelly R. said:  If you're looking for rainy day activities for kids in springtime, try starting your garden! There are some fun indoor garden kits that come with a variety of vegetable seeds, or you can pick and choose your family's favorites from a garden center. The plants will be ready to move outside when they've grown a bit.

Kelly R. said:  Draw, color and fill in a family tree on a big piece of paper. Use your own creativity to design it or find a cute family tree template for inspiration. Call grandma or grandpa to help fill it in and learn more about your relatives!

Alexandra F. said:  The Chicken Dance, the Hokey Pokey, the Macarena, the Electric Slide, the Whip / Nae Nae, the Floss...pick one and get the whole family groovin’ together. And if you need more inspiration, there’s always Tik Tok!

Kelly R. said:  Pull out all of the various sprinkles and dessert decorations you've been hoarding over the years, and decorate a big mess of sugar cookies.

Kelly R. said:  When you're stuck at home, you can still broaden your horizons (literally!) by looking to the stars. SkyView Lite, a free app, lets you point your phone to the sky and identify the stars, constellations, galaxies, satellites and planets that are present. You can even use it in daylight. Download it at the App Store and Google Play.

Kristy Pepping said:  If you have tweens this is a fun project for this age group. There is an app called Stop Motion Studio (for iOS and Android) that allows you to create stop-motion movies of things you have around the house. For example, my girls have been taking short videos of their dolls moving around and sharing the videos with their friends.

Kristy Pepping said:  Get the family together and strut your stuff. Pick out different fashion trends each family should try on. You can even have different themes from funny outfits to dress up outfits to playing stylist for each member of the family.

Kelly R. said:  Rescue a couple big cardboard boxes from the recycling and let your kids go wild transforming them with markers and craft supplies into airplanes, forts, puppet theaters and whatever they can imagine!

Kelly R. said:  Play a round of freeze dance with your family's favorite kids music.