Too wet to play outside? Need to cool off on a hot day? You or your child is feeling unwell? We have pulled together a list of the BEST Indoor Activities for kids to help you out and keep your kids away from their screens for a while.
As much as we love to play outside, it is not always possible and we all know what happens when the kids have been stuck inside for too long. They start to get bored and cause mischief, so before this happens you need to step in with one of these indoor activities for kids.
Arts and Crafts
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The ultimate way to entertain kids indoors.
- Try some Indoor Rain Painting to distract your kids from the rain outdoors.
- Have you had a go at Tape Resist Sponge Painting before?
- Shake it up with this Mess Free Painting Activity.
- Challenge your kids to create their own Kandinsky Lines and Circles Art.
- Your kids will go dotty for this Pointillism inspired art project.
- Do your kids love Dinosaurs? Then why not paint with some!
Indoor Pretend Play
This has to be our favorite way to play indoors. Watch their imaginations come to life in one of these activities:
- Make and then play with your very own Cardboard Castle.
- Raid your dressing up box and put on a show.
- Encourage kids to use their imaginations to set up their own pretend play library.
- Let’s Play Restaurants.
- This simple teepee is a great prop for imaginative play.
- Make your own Zoo Small World Play.
- Make and play with a Chalk City.
- Blast off with some Astronaut Pretend Play.
- These free Printable Grocceries will make a great addition to any a pretend supermarket.
- An old classic with a new twists Finger puppets.
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Indoor Scavenger Hunts
Sending your kids off on an indoor Scavenger Hunt around the house is a great way for them to let off some steam.
- Going on an Alphabet Hunt is a fun way for preschoolers to learn beginning sounds.
- Younger kids will really enjoy going on this Colour Scavenger Hunt.
- Print out and play with this Alphabet Scavenger Hunt.
- Have fun and learn all about the structure of your home when you go on this Architectural Scavenger Hunt.
- Enjoy all the fun of the farm indoors when you print and play with this Farm Scavenger Hunt.
DIY Games and Puzzles
Making up or making your own games indoors is a great way to fill a rainy afternoon:
- Make your own Bean Bag Toss Game from old socks.
- Can you find all the items hidden in our Rainbow I-spy Bottle?
- Enjoy a game of Indoor Golf.
- Play a fun game of bowling together.
- Print and play with these free Truck Puzzles.
Indoor STEM Activities
Challenge inquiring minds to explore one of these activities which focus on Science, Engineering and Math.
- Go digging for Dinosaurs in this fun science experiment for kids.
- Bring out your recyclables and have fun building with them.
- Enjoy some snack time Edible Engineering.
- Explore the science of Ice in this Frozen themed preschool melting ice experiment.
- Have a go at turning Mega Bloks into Famous Mounments.
- Science meets play in this exciting Volanoes and Dinosaurs activity.
- Learn all about Magnets with this fun sorting activity.
Books and Reading Nooks
What can be nicer than snuggling up with a good book indoors with your kids when it’s cold and dark outside?
- Snuggle up in this Flash Light Fort and discover some new books together.
- Try these book themed activities to help teach your preschooler numbers.
- Turn an old quilt into a Teepee and then read a few books inside.
- You can find lots more ideas for Reading Nooks here.
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Invitation to Play with…
You provide the materials and then sit back and watch what the kids decide to do with them.
- A Bubble Wrap Play Mat is the perfect antidote to a wet day.
- Setting up a Play Dough invitation is always a winner over here.
- Gather together your felt scraps and make some Monsters.
- Invitation to Play with Heart Faces is quick to set up and sure to entertain.
- Invite your kids up to the Kitchen Table to enjoy these activities together.
- Invite your child to excavate a bowl of rice to see what treasures they can uncover.
- Pick up a cheap bunch of fresh flowers and invite your kids to cut them up.
Get Moving
Re-direct that excess energy away from your furniture and towards on of these fun activities to get your kids moving indoors where you want them too.
- Discover the Sensory Benefits of Jumping.
- Setting up an Indoor Obstacle Course will never go out of fashion.
- Dance around the house to these Traditional Musical Party Games.
- Get your kids moving with these Under and Over Energy Boosters.
- Great tips here to get your kids started with Yoga.
- Move like a Dinosaur in this Gross Motor Skills Game.
- Go on a Bubble Wrap Number Hop.
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Sensory Play
Calm down cabin fever frustrations with a spot of soothing sensory play.
- Get messy with this Horsie Horsie inspired messy play activity.
- Host your own I’m a Little Tea Pot Water Tea Party.
- Stick your hands in and get messy playing with this sensory oobleck.
- Make and play with Snow Dough.
- If you have snow then add some to this Winter Water Play activity.
- Write and draw in our Raindow Rice Sensory Tray.
Junk Modelling
We always have a box of recyclables to hand to pull out on a rainy day. It’s amazing what you can make with your junk!
- Turn Cardboard Tubes into Old Macdonald’s Farm Animals.
- Have fun turning a sheet of old bubble wrap into a Jellyfish or a Tortoise.
- Raid your baking supplies for cupcake liners and turn them into Cute Ducks.
For even more Junk Modelling ideas check out our book: Green, Crafty and Creative.