45 Enjoyable Indoor Games For Kids

Image: Midjourney/ MomJunction Design Team

Indoor games for kids come in handy when it’s raining or snowing and there is no school. It also implies that there will be more time to kill at home. While some parents dread days like these, others see them as an opportunity to spend meaningful time with their children.

If you agree, we have just what you are looking for: a list of enjoyable indoor games for kids and a few parent-child bonding activities. So take a deep breath, relax, and prepare to turn a dreary day into a pleasant one!

Indoor Games For Kids

Indoor games need not just be board games, card games, or video games.

Neither do they have to be dull and boring! Here, we have listed out indoor games and activities that are fun and engaging for children of all ages.

1. Balance beam

Balancing beam is easier to set up than you think. All you need is some colored sticky tape, and you’re good to play for hours.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Colored mask tape (multiple colors for more fun)
• Space to play

How to:

1. Clear some space in a room and clean the floor.
2. Stick the length of the tape to create straight or curved lines to walk on.
3. You can use multiple colors and have unique rules for how the child can walk on them. For example, if the tape is blue, the kid has to walk with one hand on his head, or if it is green, he has to limp the stretch.
4. The child has to follow the rules and walk only on the tape and not on open land! If he does, he’s out.
5. The child who walks the length of the tape without stepping on the bare floor wins.

Infographic: Indoor Games And Activities For Children

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Quick tip:

You can make different variations of this game by using multiple colored masking tapes and creating different patterns. You can also make it more interesting by making the child walk backward.

2. Listening game

This game is both educational and fun for younger kids. The game exercises the child’s listening abilities by compelling them to concentrate.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A lot of miscellaneous items that have a distinct sound

How to:

1. Collect items such as combs, vessels, remote, books, pens, bottles, toys, clocks, etc., which have unique sounds.
2. Place the items on the table and ask the child to make a mental note of them.
3. Take the items away and ask the kid to turn the other side or close his eyes.
4. Pick an item and make a sound with it. If the child guesses it correctly, he scores a point.

Quick tip:

You could use a blindfold to make sure the kid is not peeking!

3. Ball and cup game

Teach your child

to make a cup-and-ball game toy with everyday things at home. Read to know more.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A plastic water bottle
• Ping pong ball
• String or yarn
• Screw eye hook
• Knife

How to:

1. Pick a bottle, such as the one that has a wide bottom and a narrow opening.
2. Keep the narrow opening closed with a lid, and cut the bottom to create a wide opening.
3. Poke a small opening in the ping pong ball to insert the screw eye hook.
4. Tie one end of the yarn to the hook and the other end to the bottle. You can take the cap off the bottle, put the yarn in, and put the lid back to tie the yarn to the bottle.
5. Your DIY cup-and-ball toy is ready to play.

Make this toy once, and your child can play it indoors, anytime he wants. He can play it alone or take turns to play with friends.

Quick tip:

You can even use non-toxic spray paints to color the bottle any way you want.

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4. Pitching pennies

Pitching pennies is a cool game to develop the child’s hand-eye coordination. Similar to beer pong, the game is for the entire family.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Pennies or other small currency coins
• Plastic or paper drinking cups (large size)

How to:

1. Each child gets five coins. A cup is placed on a table or a chair in front of them.
2. Ask the child to take ‘x’ steps away from the cup, where ‘x’ is his or her age. Adults can move five steps farther than the children to throw the pennies.
3. The child has to toss the coins, one at a time, into the cup.
4. The child who puts in the most coins in five chances wins.

Quick tip:

You can replace coins with marbles or even ping pong balls.

5. Indoor bowling

Bad weather ruining your bowling plans? Create your own bowling alley in your hallway. Here is how?

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Ten empty water bottles or soda cans
• Tennis ball or a plastic bowling ball
• Space to play
• Marker
• Masking tape
• Black or white non-toxic, spray paint

How to:

1. Use the masking tape to create a bowling lane. Keep in mind the age and the physical abilities of the child to determine how long the lane needs to be.
2. Peel the wrappers off the bottles or soda cans and paint them. Let them dry.
3. Arrange the bottles in order at the end of the lane.
4. Let the child use a tennis ball or plastic ball (slightly bigger than the tennis ball) to strike all the bottles or pins.

Quick tip:

You can also use a bowling game toy set if you have one. You can also tweak the rules to make the activity more exciting for the child.

6. In and out hangman

An excellent variation of the classic game, in and out can be used to revise lessons with kids. All you need is a white board and a marker.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• White or black board
• Marker or chalk
• Set of questions and answers

How to:

1. Ask the child a question and draw as many tiny blanks as there are letters in the answers. Use proper spacing to separate words and make it easier for the child to guess the answer.
2. In the classic version, you guess the letters that are in the phrase or word. In this version, you alternate between letters that are in the words and letters that are not in it.
3. So if the child guesses a letter that is ‘in’ the word or phrase in the first chance, then in the second chance, he should guess a letter that is ‘not in’ (or ‘out’) of the word or phrase.
4. Every player is allowed seven wrong guesses or as many steps as it takes to draw the stick hangman figure.

Quick tip:

Make the game fun by having quizzes about your child’s favorite movie, TV show, or singer.

7. Pen and pencil games

There are a few pen and pencil games that you can play at home, on the plane, or in the car.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Plain sheet of paper
• Pencil
• Eraser

Games you can play:

1. Join the dots: Make a 6×6 square of dots on a page. Take turns to join dots with a line. You can join only two dots at a time. If your line completes a box, you put your initial inside it. The person with the highest number of boxes wins. Once the child gets the hang of the game, move to a bigger square.
2. Tic Tac Toe is another game you can play using a pencil and paper. The game is played on a 3×3 grid square. The first person puts an ‘X’ in one of the grids and the second player puts an ‘O’. The first player to successfully get three Xs or Os in a line (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) wins. You can also play this using a whiteboard and marker.

Lego toys also make a pleasant addition to such indoor games. Kate Ross, a mother blogger, says, “Recently my son learned how to play Tic Tac Toe and I thought it might be fun to make a Lego version of a homemade Tic Tac Toe game. It was super simple to put together and it was definitely a big hit with my son (i)!”

3. Pictionary is similar to charades. However, the person who has to express a word or phrase must draw instead of acting it out.
4. Name, place, animal, thing: Divide the page into four parts: Name, Place, Animal, Thing. Set a timer for a few seconds and let the child recite the alphabet silently. When the timer stops, the child says what letter he stopped at, and the players have to write down the names of a person, animal, thing, and place starting with that letter.
5. Bingo: Bingo is a popular game that can be played at home with friends and family. To get started, each player will need a bingo card, which can be printed or made by hand. The bingo caller will randomly draw numbered balls from a bowl or container and call out the numbers. Players will then mark off any matching numbers on their bingo cards. The game continues until someone completes a row, column, or diagonal of marked-off numbers and calls out “Bingo!” to win. To make the game more exciting, you can offer prizes for the winners, such as candy, small toys, or even money.
6. Word Search: To play word search puzzles at home, you will need a word search puzzle book, or you can find online word search puzzles to print out. In a word search puzzle, a grid of letters is provided, and a list of words to find. You must find each word in the grid by tracing a line through each letter, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

8. Sock toss

This is like basketball inside the house, except you use socks instead of a ball and clothes hamper instead of the basket.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A bunch of colorful socks
• A bucket or clothes hamper
• Space to play

How to:

1. Roll up the socks into tiny balls and tie them up.
2. Place the clothes basket a few feet away from where you are standing.
3. Take turns to throw the socks into the basket.
4. Move one step back each time you get the sock into the basket.

Quick tip:

You could make this a little difficult for older kids by choosing a basket or bin with a smaller opening.

9. Big bubble

Soap bubbles inside the house can be a pain, given that they can damage the carpeting, the furniture, and the electronic appliances. So instead of making bubbles, we focus on making just one bubble in a safe place inside the house.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Dishwash soap
• Water
• Drinking straws

How to:

1. Take a drop or two of dish washing soap on a plate.
2. Add a little water and mix it slowly until small bubbles or suds start to form.
3. Ask the kids to dip the straw into the suds and blow gently and slowly.
4. Just watch as a big bubble starts to form on the plate.

Quick tip:The fun game can also become a competition of who makes the biggest or the longest-lasting bubble.

They could also use their hands instead of straws.

10. Indoor obstacle course

Indoor obstacle courses need space. If you have a big house with enough space and the house has child-proofed areas, you must try this on a snowy or rainy day.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Hula hoops
• Chairs
• Blankets
• Exercise ball
• You can add anything else that might be useful.

How to:

1. Create an obstacle course with specific rules on what to do or how to maneuver around each obstacle.
2. For example, if there is a chair or a table, tell the kids that they have to crawl under it. If there is a hula hoop, they have to use the hoop twice or thrice before moving on to the next obstacle and so on.
3. The child gets a score only if he or she has passed all the obstacles as they should have.

Quick tip:

Child-proof the room or area that you are using before setting up the obstacles to prevent injuries.

11. Follow the leader

Getting your kids to do what you want them to is easier when you make it a game, such as this one!

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Space to play and a list of activities to do

How to:

1. Pick a theme for the game – physical activity, expressions, or gestures.
2. Designate yourself as the leader or take turns with the kids, so that everyone gets to be the leader at least once.
3. Every player has to do what the leader does – jumping, stomping, clapping, making faces, and so on.
4. Try this one, and we guarantee that you’ll have a roomful of laughing kids.

Quick tip:

This is an excellent game to get the kids to workout on an otherwise dull day.

12. Slow-motion tag

‘Tag’ is an outdoor game. But when you are slow, and we mean really slow, you could play it indoors too.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Space to play

How to:

1. Start by explaining what slow motion is to the child.
2. Set up a few rules such as restricted areas and how slowly they have to move to prevent injuries.
3. Play and have fun.

Quick tip:

Child-proofing the place can be a good idea to prevent injuries.

13. Puzzles

When you cannot step out, pick up a few puzzles that you can work on all day.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• A lot of puzzles games, books, and ideas

Types of puzzles:

1. Picture puzzles, but these won’t keep you busy for long unless there are more than 25 pieces in it.
2. A picture puzzle book can be a great idea, given that you can work on one puzzle after another to keep the child engaged.
3. Crossword puzzles are a great option if you want to improve your child’s vocabulary.
4. 3D puzzles toys are good for younger children.

Quick tip:

Stock up a few puzzle books or games in the house, without your child’s knowledge, to save yourself on a rainy day.

14. Card games

Kids can play card games too. Pick simple games that can help improve the child’s logical reasoning, number identification, and arrangement and color segregation abilities.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• A deck or two of cards

Card games you can play:

Popular kids’ card games you can play include:

• Spoons, which is good for three players or more
• Garbage or trash, which is for two players
• Card memory games are similar to Mahjong. You will need two sets of a suit from two decks of cards.
• Go Fish, which is great for preschoolers and younger kids
• Crazy Eights, where the objective is to get rid of all cards
• Pounce, a fast-paced card game for two people

Quick tip:

If you do not want to use playing cards, try other card games such as Uno, Blink, and Old Maid.

15. Hot potato game

It is a simple game that can help kids build hand-eye coordination. It also teaches them teamwork.

You will need:

• A potato
• A device to play music

How to play:

• Let three or more kids sit in a circle.
• Play music and ask the kids to pass the potato around.
• If a player drops the potato while passing, they are out.
• Stop playing the music; the player with the potato in hand is out.
• Repeat passing the potato around until there is only one player left.
• It is best to have many players to have maximum challenge and fun.

Quick Tip:

You can use a water balloon to make the game more challenging and fun.

Fun Indoor Activities For Kids

You don’t always have to play a game to have fun at home. You can ‘do’ things too and have fun with the kids. Here are a few such activities for a rainy or snowy day.

16. Build a fort

You won’t need any boulders or cement to build a fort indoors. Gather a few things from around the house, and you are all set.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• What you need depends on the type of fort you want to build: Pillows, blankets, sticks, cardboard boxes, and furniture such as chairs or tables.

Types of forts:

1. Cardboard forts are perhaps the easiest to build if you have boxes of the right size. Gather a few large boxes and join them using tape. Build it any way you want, but in such a way that your kid can sit or sleep comfortably in it.
2. Pillow forts are perhaps the most popular among children, for they are soft and fun to make. You will, however, need a lot of different types of pillows for this. You can also use stacks of blankets and towels and some sturdy furniture to hold the fort.
3. Teepee tents are the simplest DIY indoor conical tents that can be made with a sheet of cloth and a few sticks.
4. Blankets and furniture forts are what you can create in a short time. Just empty a table and cover it completely with a large blanket or bed sheet. Fold the blanket up in the front to indicate the opening or entrance to the fort.

Quick tip:

You could also make a combination fort with pillows, blankets, and cardboard boxes.

17. Dominoes

Stacking up the dominoes and then watching them fall one by one is just something! And that is exactly what you should do when you have all day to yourself.

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Dominoes game set

How to:

1. Stack up the dominoes in any pattern you like. Get your child to help you with the design and arrangement. This may take you a couple of hours or so, depending on the number of dominoes in the set.
2. Once it is ready, you can ask your child to flip the first domino to set it off while you can record on video!

Quick tip:

Come up with different patterns and time them to see which takes the longest to fall.

18. Marshmallow tinker toys

Marshmallows are not just for eating. They can also be used, with pretzels, to make tinker toys.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A bag of marshmallows
• A bag or two of pretzels

How to:

1. Break the pretzels into sticks that can be used to join two marshmallows.
2. Join the marshmallows to create a house, car, soldier, snowman, or anything else.

Quick tip:

Let the child create anything he or she wants to with the marshmallows. Let the child’s imagination soar with this activity.

19. Make your own story

Another way to boost your child’s creative abilities is to make them tell you a story.

Image: IStock

You will need:

A few ideas for storytelling

How to:

1. If you have older kids, pick a theme and ask them to tell you a story.
2. With younger kids, start a story and ask them to continue it midway. That will give them some footing and also ideas for a plot.

Quick tip:

Your kid’s stories may not always make sense. But don’t stop them or correct them. Let them weave the story as they want. After all, it is fiction and need not be true.

Sometimes, children’s stories could be things that have actually happened to them. Read between the lines and talk to them if necessary, to figure out if it is just their imagination or reality.

20. DIY catapult

This is a fun activity but needs time and patience. The thrill is in making your own catapult and then using it to toss marshmallows.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Popsicle sticks
• Elastic rubber bands
• A plastic spoon

How to:

1. Stack up five popsicle sticks and bind them on both ends using a rubber band. Make four more Popsicle sticks with four sticks each.
2. Place one stack horizontally and three perpendicularly, and bind them to the horizontal one using more rubber bands.
3. Tie the plastic spoon to the other popsicle stack, place it vertically on the other side of the larger stack (horizontal stack), and secure it using bands.

The catapult is now ready for play. Place a marshmallow in the spoon and try to toss it into another person’s mouth or a cup.

Quick tip:

You can also use sticks to make the catapult. Remember that the idea is not just to play the game, but also teach kids to make cool stuff using recyclable materials.

21. Ice tower excavation

Ice tower excavation is a cool game that your children will enjoy during summers when it is too hot to go outside.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A long/tall container
• Colorful trinkets like beads, shapes, marbles, etc.

How to:

1. Fill the container with clear water and drop the toys in it.
2. Put the bottle in the freezer, until the water turns into a block of ice.
3. Ease the ice tower out of the bottle and give the child squeeze bottles, salt, and eye droppers as tools to melt the ice and rescue the trinkets.

Quick tip:

Pick a container which is uniform, throughout, in width. That way, getting the ice tower out of the container becomes easier.

22. Read books

Nothing beats the joy and pleasure of staying under the warmth of the sheets and reading a good book on a rainy or snowy day. If you are familiar with the feeling, why not let the child experience it too?

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A book or two

How to:

1. You can pick a book each and have designated time to read during the day. You can read your book, and the child reads his or her book in silence.
2. When you are on a break, encourage the kids to talk about the book or the story and how it makes them feel.
3. If your kids are too young to read on their own, you could narrate or read their favorite stories from a book.

Quick tip:

It helps to have a few books that your kid has never read before. That way, you will have the child’s attention a lot longer.

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23. Secret Messages

A simple game that inspires your little scientist to express their heart.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Sheets of paper
• 2 paint brushes
• ½ cup water
• 1tbsp baking soda
• 1tsp turmeric
• ½ cup rubbing alcohol
• 2 plastic bowls

How to:

1. To make the invisible ink, mix water with baking soda in a bowl. In a second bowl, make the color-changing solution with the rubbing alcohol and turmeric.
2. Take a sheet of paper and a brush to draw upon it with the invisible ink. Once done, leave it to dry.
3. Use a brush to apply the color-changing solution to reveal your message.

Quick Tip:

You could alternatively chop and boil hibiscus flowers, red cabbage, or beetroot and use the water as a color-changing solution.

24. Jenga Blocks

This could be your go-to game if you are looking to develop your child’s eye-hand coordination, concentration, and spatial awareness.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A box of 54 Jenga blocks
• An even surface

How to:

1. On an even floor surface or table, stack the blocks in levels of three, ensuring each new row is perpendicular to the previous level. Once stacked, carefully adjust the blocks to ensure the tower is aligned straight and even.
2. To play the game, remove one block at a time from the tower stack (leaving a row or two below the incomplete row at the top). Once done, place the removed block on top of the tower in the same alternating direction pattern.
3. Follow the same play pattern until the tower collapses and the player loses.

Quick Tip:

You can also color code some blocks and write a few truth and dare questions on them with a pencil or sharpie.

25. Guess Who

A quick and fun game that uses your observation skills that may be played at home, in a car, or in a classroom.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Guess who game play cards

How to:

1. Shuffle a set of cards and keep the pile faces down. Spread the other two sets on the floor, leaving the face up.
2. Pick a picture from the face-down pile at random and keep it hidden from the other player.
3. Take turns to ask a set of yes or no questions to identify the cards you have. As you answer, you may turn upside down the pictures that are not of use until the answer is revealed.

Quick Tip:

You may play the game without photographs too, by printing out your own set of photographs.

26. Word Bee

A fun game to improve your child’s spelling and linguistic skills.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A set of alphabet flashcards
• A one-minute timer
• Papers
• Pencils

How to:

1. Pick a letter and place it down.
2. Start the timer and write down as many words (with three or more letters) as you know from the letter.
3. Once the timer ends, check for errors. The one who has the most number of correct words wins.

Quick Tip:

You may construct sentences to teach the usage of the words as a way to make this game more educational.

27. Piggy Bank

Kids love piggy banks of their own, so enjoy making a DIY piggy bank at home this summer.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A plastic water bottle
• A blade
• Glue
• Color papers
• Scissors

How to:

1. Take a plastic water bottle. Cover it neatly with a colored paper of your choice.
2. Using the blade, cut a slit in the top section in a way that it is big enough to fit a coin or a folded currency note.
3. Cut out some ears, eyes, and nose using paper. Decorate the box to make it look like a piggy to get your finalized product.

Quick Tip:

You could opt for a small reusable water bottle or cylindrical carton boxes if you do not have access to a cardboard box.

28. Missing Number

Ensure your child becomes an expert in numbers and tables with this fun game.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A space to play

How to:

1. Pick any number from two to nine to be missed every turn.
2. Then, instruct the players to call out miss every time they arrive at the number or its multiples.
3. Start playing the game, each calling out the consecutive number to the previous. The one who never fails to skip the missing number or its multiples wins the game.

Quick Tip:

You could also play this game with two or more missing numbers, and add unique actions that can be used in place of calling out the number or its multiples.

29. Bubble Papers

A simple yet playful activity to bring out your child’s creative side and make them go on for hours.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Staws
• Food coloring
• Sugar
• Liquid dish soap
• A cup of water
• Card Papers

How to:

1. Start by adding a few drops of dish soap to a cup of water. Then, sprinkle in a bit of sugar and a few drops of food coloring. Now, dip one end of the straw into the water.
2. Put the straw on the paper and blow from the other end to create bubbles on the surface, creating beautiful patterns. Once you’ve done this, dry it.

Quick Tip:

You may alternatively cut the top half of a bottle, put a sock over the bigger end, and use it to make bigger bubbles.

30. Quick Recall

An interesting game to test and improve your child’s capacity for memory and recall.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A box with lid
• Several small objects or toys
• Stopwatch

How to:

1. Place small objects such as keys, pens, figurines, and toys in a box. Let the child look into it for twenty seconds, then close the lid.
2. Now, ask the child to close their eyes and count to 20. Once done, set a one-minute timer and let them recall the objects in the box.
3. When the timer beeps, check how many objects the child got right.

Quick Tip:

Alternatively, you may hide all the objects that were in the box and turn this into a treasure hunt cum memory recall game.

31. Hat Me Hatter

A game for someone who likes a quiet time of skillfulness, creativity, and attentiveness.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Sheets of colored paper
• Plate
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Pencil
• A piece of thread

How to:

1. Take a sheet of paper and trace a semicircle on it using a plate.
2. Cut the semi-circle shape. Now, fold the paper into a cone and staple the edges.
3. Once done, attach a piece of thread to form a belt under the neck.

Quick Tip:

You could also print out several hat-making instructions from an origami website or craft book to make other types of hats.

32. Musical Tiles

A game that gives a musical twist to the classic hopscotch. A way to kindle the interest of a music-loving toddler.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Painters tape
• Rattles

How to:

1. Mark a few tiles with the painter’s tape and place a rattle in the box.
2. Get your child to hop from tile to tile. When they land on a tile, ask them to shake the rattle before moving forth.
3. You may even name each tile with do, re, mi and call out the tiles to make the music sound more melodious.

Quick Tip:

You may need to use musical toys that each have a different sound. You may even pick things that make sounds like whistles or horns.

33. Head To Hat

A game of quick wit and stealth that brings out the competitor in you. This game improves children’s listening and comprehension skills.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A party hat

How to:

1. Ask two players to face each other with a two-foot gap between them. Place a hat in the middle.
2. Now, ask them to only pick up the hat when you call out ‘hat.’
3. Ask the player to walk slowly towards the hat at the beginning of the game. Gradually increase the speed at which the player approaches the hat as the game progresses and to increase the challenge.

Quick Tip:

You may substitute other interesting objects for the hat, such as candy, a toy, or stickers.

34. Stack It Up

A simple game to increase logical thinking, reflex speed, and attention span.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Paper cups
• Stopwatch
• A hairdryer

How to:

1. Give each player a dozen paper cups each and ask them to stack it up into a tower.
2. Set the timer for one minute and start the game.
3. As they stack up, blow air onto their cups with the dryer.

Quick Tip:

You may also make the game more challenging by offering them a pack of playing cards to stack.

35. Red Hot Coal

A classic game that increases eye-hand coordination, reflex speed, and gross motor skills.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A bag of plastic or tennis balls

How to:

1. Start by giving each player a set of two balls. Tell them that these balls are pieces of hot coal.
2. Instruct the players to keep the items in the air by continuously tossing and catching them.
3. Ask them to keep from stopping in between. The one who does not drop any of the coals wins the game.

Quick Tip:

Keep adding more balls as they successfully manage to do with the previous number they juggled.

36. Marbles Shooter

A traditional game that teaches goal orientation, concentration, and logical thinking.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A chalk or painter’s tape
• A bag of marbles

How to:

1. Draw a circle and place five marbles in the center.
2. Give each player one marble and ask them to aim and hit the marbles within the circle.
3. The person who removes the most number of marbles from the circle wins.

Quick Tip:

Ensure that the playing surface is soft enough for the marbles not to bounce off when hit and firm enough for them not to sink.

37. Bag The Bone

A game that increases your skills of observation and builds the bond between siblings, friends, and cousins.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A bag of toys
• A chalk or tape

How to:

Divide players into two teams and have them line up on opposite sides of the room. Draw a circle in the middle of the room and place the bone (a toy) in the center.
A player from each team must race to grab the bone and return to their side without being tagged by the opponent.
The team with the most successful retrieves wins.

Quick Tip:

For older kids, you may make this game difficult by pairing two players together and binding them together at their ankles.

38. Pillow Cover Race

An indoor version of the classic sack race game that never fails to entertain kids and parents alike. This is an exciting way to keep children physically active even when indoors.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Old pillow covers
• An empty space

How to:

1. Ask each child to put their feet inside the pillow cover.
2. Set a designated finish line and ask each child to hop and reach it.
3. You can finish it off with a pillow fight to make the game more fun.

Quick Tip:

You may use old but clean sacks as well. If the floor feels too hard, you may spread a mattress or soft mat for the race.

39. Balloon Bounce

A classic game that can tire one out quicker than we imagine. This game improves concentration and eye-hand coordination.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Balloons

How to:

1. Give your child some balloons to blow. Once done, knot the opening and let the balloon float.
2. Ask your child to use their body to keep the balloon from touching the floor.
3. Also, instruct them not to catch the balloon with their hands at any point unless necessary.

Quick Tip:

You may use a paper plate or toy racket to play some balloon tennis.

40. Opposites Error

Find yourself having fun as you fight your neurons to do the opposite of what’s shown.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A space to play

How to:

1. Stand facing your child, about a foot apart, and tell them to do the following pairs of actions — clap-stomp, kick-punch, sit-stand, and sleep-wake. Do the actions along with them.
2. Once done, tell your child that now they have to do the opposite of the action in the pair. So, if you clap, they must stomp, and if you kick, they must punch.
3. Do the actions randomly and see how many opposites your child remembers.
4. Extend the fun by having the child perform the actions while you do their opposites.

Quick Tip:

You may make the game more interesting and challenging by only describing the action and having the child perform the opposite action.

41. Twister Game

A fun and interactive game that will leave you rolling on the floor as you wheeze through bouts of unending laughter.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Spinner
• Twister mat

How to:

1. Spread the twister mat on the floor. Spin the spinner to determine which body part (hand or foot) and color you must place on the mat.
2. Then follow the instructions, placing your hands or feet on the corresponding colored circles while trying not to fall.
3. The player who stays on the mat without toppling or touching the ground, maintaining their balance, wins the game.

Quick Tip:

It is essential to ensure that you do a quick warmup before you play this game to prevent injuries.

42. Maze Runner

This obstacle course game increases body balance and spatial awareness.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• A ball of yarn or ribbons
• Toys
• An empty box

How to:

1. Take a ball of yarn or ribbons and weave it through a narrow walkway within the house near a staircase or along a few chairs.
2. Place toys all through the maze for the children to pick up.
3. Keep an empty box at the other end of the maze into which the children can drop the toys.

Quick Tip:

You can also add some obstacles through the maze to motivate your children to actively engage in the game.

43. Soap Skate

A messy game for when children are in the mood to skate but are forced to stay indoors. A great entertainer that also helps you improve your body balance.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Soap liquid
• A mug of water
• A tarpaulin
• A swim ring

How to:

1. Lather some liquid soap in a water tumbler and pour it over a tarpaulin sheet.
2. Get your child to wear a pair of wet socks to slide all over as if skating.
3. They may even use a swim ring to slide over the surface.

Quick Tip:

For the safety of the children, it’s best to ensure they wear knee and elbow guards and play under adult supervision.

44. Scrabble

A classic word game that makes for an educational experience.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Scrabble tiles
• Tile holders
• Scrabble board

How to:

1. Each player picks seven tiles and uses them to form simple words on the board.
2. After forming their word, the player jots down the total points they have earned in that round.
3. Once done, the player picks the same number of tiles that they have used up to form their word.

Quick Tip:

For younger children, use the easy side on the junior Scrabble board to help them match the letters with the words present on it. This may help them become familiar with the game.

45. Paper Beads

An activity that encourages fine motor skill development.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Magazine sheet and newspapers
• String
• Glue
• Scissors
• Toothpick

How to:

1. Make fan-folds with a magazine sheet into equal strips and cut them out.
2. Now, apply some glue to the strip of paper and roll it into a bead-like shape with the help of a toothpick. Remove the toothpick to see a clean hole in the bead.
3. Once you have made enough beads, put a string through the holes to make bracelets and necklaces out of them.

Quick Tip:

You may make round beads by making paper mache out of newspapers and rolling them with glue. You may also add color to make the beads more attractive.

Indoor scavenger hunt, musical chairs, bean bag toss, ring toss, chess, scrabble, monopoly, the Settlers of Catan, Jenga, and Twister are some classic game choices to make a dull afternoon bright and happening.

Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team

Are you looking for fun activities to keep your kids entertained indoors? Check out our video on 100 Things To Do With Kids Indoors! From arts and crafts to board games, there’s something for everyone!

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Elisa YiEarly childhood educator

Elisa has 17 years of experience in early childhood education as a teacher and a director. With a passion to work with young kids, she did her post graduation in Education and received her online teaching certificate from California State University, East Bay.

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Harshita MakvanaB.Com, PG Dip

Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing.

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Deepa ThomasMA (English)

Deepa Rachel Thomas holds a master’s degree in English from the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. She has done a certification course in Child Development and worked as a mentor for young children at an NGO that focuses on helping children develop their language and soft skills.

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