Over 80 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Kelly R. said:  From stories to science, there are podcasts for kids to appeal to all interests. Find a new favorite and listen together!

Kelly R. said:  Take turns choosing favorite family games to play together - everyone gets their chance to pick!

Alexandra F. said:  Yes, it's true! Fellow Harry Potter fans, rejoice! A visionary librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA has created a Hogwarts Escape Room that can be completed online through google docs at the website link above. Learn more about this awesome library and follow them on their Facebook page.

Kelly R. said:  With materials you probably already have around your house, you can play a variety of simple and fun Minute to Win It games.

Kelly R. said:  Find a kid-friendly yoga video on YouTube and try it out as a family, or use a set of yoga cards for kids.

Kelly R. said:  Break out the Play Doh, kinetic sand, aqua beads, or your family's favorite sensory toys and start squishing. Even though my kids are a little older now, I still can't get rid of ours because they are some of our favorite rainy day activities!

Kelly R. said:  Let your kids look through your recipes or cookbooks and come up suggestions for dinner ideas. They might be more likely to try something new if they picked it out!

Kristy Pepping said:  Ask each family member where they would travel if they could go anywhere. Then plan a meal, dress the part and create a scene like you are really on vacation in that country or place.

Kelly R. said:  Keep a couple of fun craft kits on hand for an easy rainy day activity.

Alexandra F. said:  Find a sturdy box that the kids can decorate. Then, have everyone in the family pick something to put in the box that represents them, and which they won’t miss. You can choose to share what you are putting in the box with each other or keep it a surprise. Close the box and hide it somewhere in your house (or bury it in your yard - just remember to take it with you if you move!). Open it at some agreed upon time in the future and enjoy the trip down memory lane!

Kelly R. said:  Choose a family friendly audiobook and listen together.

Kelly R. said:  Educational, creative or silly activity books for kids will keep their young minds and hands busy.

Kelly R. said:  Pick a favorite family movie and cozy up with blankets, pillows and popcorn for a fun rainy day activity.

Shila said:  Using a traditional deck of cards and steady hands, build up a house of cards! There are a few different methods to choose from. Tip: for extra traction, lay a paper tower in between levels.

Shila said:  Sketch each other, or take advantage of step-by-step instructions like the ones at Easy Drawing Tutorials. Anyone can sketch! Pick a character to draw, and challenge your family to an art contest. These types of educational websites are excellent learning resources for all ages, too.

Kelly R. said:  Even easy tongue twisters will be a fun challenge for all ages!

Kelly R. said:  Bored kids? Just add water! Swimsuits on or off, load up the bubbles and bath toys, and let them play until their toes are all wrinkly. Bath bombs or smaller pool toys can also add to the fun!

Kelly R. said:  Whether silly and simple or totally elaborate, come up with a series of claps, snaps, wiggles and shakes to make your family's own signature secret handshake.

Shila said:  Safely stuff pillows under your shirts to inflate your bodies into fluffy, stuffy sumo wrestlers. Have a safe and unique wrestling match in your living room!

Alexandra F. said:  Create and play a game of family trivia! Think of different questions to learn more about a person, like favorite flavor of ice cream or dream vacation destination. Then, take turns guessing the answers for everyone in the family. It’s a fun way to see how well you know one another, and learn about each other, too!

Kelly R. said:  And if you are feeling really brave, let them do your makeup!

Kelly R. said:  Candles, spa music, foot soaks, face masks, nail polish...whatever makes you feel pampered!

Kelly R. said:  A lot of great card games can be played with just a traditional deck, no special games needed.

Kelly R. said:  Shake off the cabin fever with a good laugh at a list of funny jokes for kids.

Katie G. said:  This fun game can be played indoors or outdoors. All you need is a stick (or ruler), paper plate, tape and a balloon. Make your "tennis rackets" out of the plate and stick and use the balloon as your "tennis ball". Count how many times you can hit it up in the air for a fun game by yourself or grab a partner and some more supplies and hit it back and forth.

Kelly R. said:  A new pack of balloons inspires so much fun indoor play for kids. Blow up a bunch and let your kids decide what to do with them! They can see who can keep a balloon in the air the longest, see how many they can hold at one time, or play balloon tennis.

Kristy Pepping said:  If the weather is cold outside or rainy and the kids really want a pool or beach day, blow up some rafts, roll out the towels and have a pretend day by the sea. No sunscreen required!

Alexandra F. said:  There are so many fun Alexa skills for kids. Or Google Assistant, or Siri, or whatever smart speaker you might have at home. My kids get a huge kick out of asking our Google Assistant to tell them jokes, call them a funny name, even ask them trivia questions. Ask Google what zero divided by zero is - it's one of our favorite answers!

Kelly R. said:  Mazes are fun brain building indoor activities for kids, and even more fun when you make your own! Give everyone a sheet of graph paper to draw a maze, and trade papers to solve each other's creations.

Kelly R. said:  Origami is a relaxing activity for kids, and they can make some pretty cool creations with just a sheet of paper. Make sure to start with easy origami tutorials that use basic folding techniques, to make sure this is a fun activity and not a frustrating one!

Kelly R. said:  Make a fun activity out of a family meal or snack by having a competition inspired by the show Chopped! Players make creative use of the ingredients already in the kitchen to come up with fun pantry meals, and a judge decides the winner. It's fun to play this with themed rounds, like "nacho round" or "marshmallow round."

Kelly R. said:  Create your own custom game board on a piece of cardboard or craft paper, design your own pawns, and invent the rules!

Kelly R. said:  Trace your kids lying down on a big roll of craft paper and have them use markers, crayons or paint to make life-size portraits of themselves.

Kelly R. said:  Make sure to balance your chill indoor kids activities with some exercise to get the wiggles out! Mine have loved Go Noodle and other awesome online exercise videos for kids when we're stuck inside.

Alexandra F. said:  Aspiring magicians and young performers can try their hand at learning some easy magic tricks to perform for the family!

Upparent said:  Remember those hand clapping games you would play at recess way back when? Take a walk down memory lane and pass the fun on to your kids by teaching them a few!

Alexandra F. said:  If your family is musical you can all jam together on your instruments of choice, or break out the karaoke machine for an impromptu karaoke party. Even very young kids can join in on the fun with their toy or homemade instruments!