Playing is not simply for fun, it is a stress-buster, it is an activity that keeps us healthy without giving us the time to realise its value. When kids are tired of studying for long, games are their rescue which they look forward to eagerly. But in this scorching heat of Summer, no parents allow their kids to go out and play in the Sun.
It is their summer holidays, you can’t keep children away from playing. So, what can you do? You want them to play but you want them to be safe as well. Why don’t indulge your kids and their friends in indoor games? Anyways, for the kids of this generation, indoor games mean video games or games on mobile phones. But, as parents, you can show them the games of your times.You had fun right in your childhood playing those indoor games and fighting with your sibling, didn’t you? So, teach your kids the same!You can try brain games too as they will be helpful for your child’s development.
40 Highly Enjoyable Indoor Games for Children
There’s nothing like a good game to bring a family together. Here is a list of kids’ indoor games that can suit you well when you wish to spend some family time, or the weather doesn’t allow outdoor activities. Break their boredom with these games:
1. Balancing Beam
This is an easy activity and can be great for younger kids and toddlers and helps them improve motor skills and their balance.
What You Will Need
- Coloured tape
- Flat floor space to play
How to Play
- Stick different coloured tapes tape on the floor
- Each coloured tape can have a different rule to walk on. For example, you can ask the kid to walk on one leg on the red coloured tape
- The child has to walk only on the tape. If he falls off the tape, he’ll be out of the game.
- The child that walks the entire length of the tape without falling off the tape wins the game
Suggestion
Make the game interesting by changing the rules
2. Pitching Pennies
This game will help in building your child’s hand-eye coordination.
What You Will Need
- Pennies or currency coins
- Large sized paper or plastic drinking cups
How to Play
- Place the cup on a chair on the table in front of the children
- Give each child 5 coins each
- You can ask the child to take a few steps away from the cup in accordance with his age
- Explain to your child that he has to toss the coins, one at a time, into the cup
- The person with the most coins in the cup wins
Suggestion
You can use marbles or ping pong balls in place of pennies to play this game.
3. Indoor Bowling
Create a simple bowling alley in your house and have fun. This game is also ideal for hand-eye coordination in children.
What You Will Need
- Flat floor space to play
- Ten empty bottles or soda cans
- Plastic ball or a tennis ball
- Tape
- Marker
- Spray paint (non-toxic)
How to Play
- Using the tape, create a bowling lane
- Peel off the wrappers of the cans and the bottles and spray paint them. Allow them to dry
- Arrange the bottles at the end of the lane. You may arrange it like bowling pins or stack them on top of each other to form a pyramid
- Ask the child to strike this arrangement using the ball
Suggestion
You can even opt for readily available bowling set in case you have one.
4. In and Out Hangman
This game can be engaging for young kids and may even be a fun way to learn.
What You Will Need
- White or blackboard
- Marker or chalk
- Set of questions and answers or words and hints
How to Play
- Ask your child a question and on the board draw tiny blanks to correlate with the number of letters in the answer. Allow enough space between two words to make it easier for the child to guess the answer
- Instruct your child to guess one letter in the answer and one letter that isn’t in it alternatively.
- Your child is allowed seven wrong guesses, which is the number of steps it takes to complete a hangman figure
Suggestion
You can make the game exciting for your child by asking about his favourite toys, movies, etc.
5. Pictionary
Pictionary is a fun game that requires one player to draw an image indicating the word, where the other player has to guess it correctly.
What You Will Need
- Paper or board
- Pencil or marker
How to Play
- Write down different words on pieces of paper and drop them in the bowl
- Ask your child to pick up the pieces and draw it on the board without telling you what it is. Alternately, you can draw, and he can guess
Suggestion
You can make this game more fun by having groups and competing against each other.
6. Sock Toss
Using some folded up socks and a bucket, you can enjoy a game of mini basketball right at home.
What You Will Need
- Space to play
- Socks
- Bucket
How to Play
- Roll up the socks into little balls and tie them
- Place the bucket in one place and ask your child to move a few steps away from it
- You can then take turns to throw the sock balls into the bucket. Move further away from the bucket after each turn
Suggestion
It can be made challenging for older kids by using buckets with a narrower opening.
7. Indoor Obstacle Course
You can build an obstacle course around child-proofed areas; this is a fun option for kids of various ages.
What You Will Need
- Chairs
- Blankets
- Exercise ball
- Hula hoops
- Anything else that may be useful
How to Play
- Set up the course as space permits and as you would like it and make the rules
- Each obstacle may require a different way to cross through it. For example, ask your child to pass from under a chair or pass through the blanket tunnel twice before he could move on to the next obstacle.
- He will be given a point only after successfully completing each obstacle
Suggestion
Child-proof the area before setting up an obstacle course to avoid any injuries.
8. Follow the leader
If you have several kids at home, this activity can be great fun and is one of the easiest ways to get the kids to follow what you are doing.
What You Will Need
- A list of simple activities
- Space to play
How to Play
- Select different themes for the game. It could be physical activity, gestures, or expressions
- You can be the leader or give each child a chance to be the leader
- All the players will have to mimic what the leader does, jumping, dancing, laughing, etc
Suggestion
This game can be the perfect excuse to squeeze in some exercise when kids are bound inside the house.
9. Puzzles
Give your child access to various puzzles that can be both engaging and educational.
What You Will Need
- Different kinds of a picture or word puzzles
How to Play
- Explain to your child that he needs to set the pieces of the puzzle together to form a picture in case of a picture puzzle
- If you have younger children, you can try some 3D puzzles toys
- Words puzzles are excellent for older kids in order to improve their vocabulary
Suggestion
Keep some puzzle books handy at home that can be given to your child when you cannot get out.
10. Card games
Simple card games are great for kids in order to mould their logical reasoning and colour and number identification.
What You Will Need
- A deck of cards or two
How to Play
- You can play simple kids card games like spoons, trash, cards, memory card (needs two decks), crazy eights (where you need to get rid of all your cards), etc.
- Go fish is a simple card game that is ideal for pre-schoolers.
Suggestion
You can always opt for Uno, which can be a fun alternative.
11. Building a Fort
Although not necessarily a game, it can keep your child engaged and occupied.
What You Will Need
- Pillows
- Chairs
- Cardboard boxes
- Blankets
- Anything else in the house that can be used
How to Play
- To make a cardboard fort, you can simply stack up a few cardboard boxes together and stick them with tape
- Stack up pillows on two sides with a gap between them and throw a blanket over for a simple pillow fort
- A few sticks and a blanket can help you build a tepee tent
- Simply cover a table or a couple of chairs with a blanket, and you’ll have a small fort. You could also fold up the blanket on one side and call it an entrance
Suggestion
You can build a fort with pillows, cardboard boxes, and blankets with your kids.
12. Dominoes
Stacking dominoes and watching them fall in quick succession can be enjoyable for people across ages. It can also give your child something to do for an entire day.
What You Will Need
- Dominoes game set
How to Play
- Stack the dominoes in the pattern and arrangement that your child prefers. You can help your child with this.
- Once all the pieces are set, you can ask your child to flip the first piece and watch as the rest follow suit.
Suggestion
Try different patterns and capture the entire thing on video for a memory that will last.
13. Ice Tower Excavation
Ice tower excavation is just the game your child needs when it is too hot to step outside. It is simple and can be enjoyed for hours.
What You Will Need
- A tall container
- Different toys and trinkets
How to Play
- Place the toys in the container and fill it with clear water
- Place this container in the freezer until the water turns to ice, and the toys are trapped inside
- Ease this ice block out of the container and arm your child with tools like salt, eye drops, and squeeze bottles to melt the ice and rescue the toy
Suggestion
Use a container that has a uniform width to make it easier to take the ice out of it.
14. Read
Getting your child into the habit of reading is a great way to keep him occupied on most days.
What You Will Need
- Books
How to Play
- Pick up a book with pictures and read with your child
Suggestion
Get your child a new book each time to captivate his attention.
15. Freeze
This simple game can be a great family activity that both adults and kids will enjoy.
What You Will Need
- Music
- Space to play
How to Play
- Play the music and dance till the music stops and ask everyone to freeze in the position they were in.
Suggestion
You can even ask the kids to pose in specific postures to make the game challenging.
16. Paper Bag Skits
This creative game is ideal for older kids and can be played during a sleepover when you have a lot of kids together.
What You Will Need
- Paper bags filled with small props like spoons, jewellery, ball, sock, etc.
How to Play
- Form groups of kids and give each group a paper bag filled with different props
- Tell them to create a small skit using the props they have received
- After 15 minutes, allow each group enough time to showcase what they have planned
Suggestion
This game can be made more creative with elaborate props.
17. Hide and seek
With some space inside the house, you can play this for hours.
What You Will Need
- Space to play inside the house
How to Play
- Ask one child to close his eyes and count till 20 until the rest of them hide in different places
- Once the seeker is done with counting, he will have to go to find others
- The first person to be caught has to count the next time when the others hide again
Suggestion
You can take the game up a notch by playing it in the dark. Ensure to child-proof the house before doing so.
18. Treasure Hunt
With a simple yet fun treasure hunt game, you can give your kid the chance to learn and utilize his cognition.
What You Will Need
- Hints and clues at each hidden location
- Coins or treats
How to Play
- Hide treats or coins in various places like under the bed or in cereal boxes along with clues to the next location, creating a trail
- Give your child a hint to where the first clue is and let him find the rest on his own
Suggestion
Leaving some currency coins along with the clues can be a great option.
19. Hot Potato
This indoor game is ideal for young kids in a group.
What You Will Need
- A potato or a ball
How to Play
- Make them sit in a circle and pass the potato to each other
- Play music
- Stop the music, and the kid with the potato is out. The last one to remain wins
Suggestion
You can play this game with any prop like a ball or a toy.
20. The Listening Game
This game can engage your child’s senses and help him improve his listening skills.
What You Will Need
- Several objects like toys, combs, salt shakers, spoon, etc.
How to Play
- Place the objects before the child and let him observe
- Now have your child close his eyes
- One by one, use individual objects to create a sound and have your child guess what object it was
Suggestion
You can use a blindfold to ensure that your child doesn’t get tempted to peak.
21. Bubbles
This is one of the easiest ways to enjoy bubbles indoor without creating a mess.
What You Will Need
- Straw
- Dishwashing soap
- Plate
How to Play
- Place a small amount of dishwashing soap on a plate and pour some water on it and mix it until some suds begin to form
- Ask your child to place one end of the straw in the suds and blow gently from the other end to make bubbles
Suggestion
You can play this with several kids and see who can make the largest bubble.
22. Simon Says
Simon says is a classic game that can be enjoyed by all the members of the family.
What You Will Need
- Space to play
How to Play
- Instruct your kids that they are to do what you say only if you start the command with the phrase ‘Simon says…’
- If you say anything without saying the phrase, they aren’t supposed to do it. If they do, they will be out of the game.
- The last person to follow all the commands accurately wins and gets to become the next Simon.
Suggestion
Make the game more challenging by tricking the children.
23. Touch and Feel Box
This entertaining game can be a good learning experience and teach the children to identify the object by touch alone.
What You Will Need
- Shoe box
- Different objects
How to Play
- Cut out a hole in the shoe box big enough for the child to fit his hand inside.
- Place different items in the box and ask your child to identify them by touch alone.
Suggestion
Make the game fun by adding objects of varying textures.
24. Playdough
Give your child some playdough, and you can see his creativity unfold.
What You Will Need
- Playdough
How to Play
- Set your child at a table or in his room with play dough and ask him to create anything that he likes
Suggestion
You can also give him names of specific objects and ask him to mould them to improve his cognitive skills.
25. Imaginary cooking
If your child shows interest in the kitchen, this can be the perfect game for him/her.
What You Will Need
- Simple utensils or a cooking set
How to Play
- Give your kids access to a few utensils, and you can watch as their imaginary cooking skills unfold
- You can also place orders for them to prepare
Suggestion
You can give your child simple cut vegetables to make it all more real.
26. Family Photo Game
This game can improve your child’s memory.
What You Will Need
- 10 or more family photos
How to Play
- Arrange the photos in front of your child
- Call out the name of the family member and your child should be able to identify them in the photo and point them out
- You can also name the location and with for your child to point out
Suggestion
You can play this game with pictures of other places and objects as well.
27. Kids Yoga
Yoga is a great activity to enhance flexibility in your kids.
What You Will Need
- Flashcards with pictures of the postures
- Yoga mat or a carpet
How to Play
- Teach your child simple yoga poses and encourage him to do it when you name it
- You can use flashcards with the names and pictures of the postures to help your kid remember
Suggestion
Make the activity more engaging by teaching your kids animal poses and playing songs during the activity.
28. Balloon Ball
This game also improves a child’s hand-eye coordination.
What You Will Need
- Balloons
How to Play
- Blow up some balloons and play throw and catch with your child.
- You can also challenge your child to gently tap the balloon against the ground to keep it in the air.
Suggestion
This game can be challenging with more than one balloon of different colours.
29. Home Band
Create a musical instrument with simple things from around the house and encourage your child to play.
What You Will Need
- Buckets
- Shakers made of a plastic bottle with beans or coins
- Any other utensil or container that can be used
How to Play
- Provide your child with these objects and allow him to get creative.
- You can even sing along for a better experience.
Suggestion
Keep adding objects to the mix to encourage his creativity further.
30. A Dance Party
Dance party can be a fun way to spend your time indoors.
What You Will Need
- Music and space to dance
How to Play
- Play your child’s favourite music and dance freely, or copy choreographed dance moves.
Suggestion
You can even choreograph your own routine to make it exciting.
31. Magic Show
Simple, easy-to-do magic tricks can leave your little one in awe.
What You Will Need
- A cup and a coin or clip
How to Play
- Place the clip under the cup and slowly, without your child noticing it, drop it on the edge of the table
- Lift the cup to reveal nothing. Your child will be amazed that there is nothing under the cup
Suggestion
If you are creative, you can try more magic tricks to awe your child.
32. Land, Sea, Air
This make-believe game can be the best for a fun time at home.
What You Will Need
- Space to play marked by various things
How to Play
- Divide your house into two parts, namely land and sea.
- When you call land, your child needs to jump on the land, and when you call sea, he has to jump on the floor that you decide. If you call air, he’ll need to jump as high as possible.
Suggestion
This game can be paired with a good amount of exercise along with fun.
33. Musical Chairs
This is a game for whole family or a group of kids.
What You Will Need
- Music
- Chairs
How to Play
- Place chairs (1 less than the total number of players) in a circle
- Play music and ask the players to dance around the chairs
- When the music stops, they will need to sit on the closest chair. The person without a chair is out of the game. This chair and music game is very much fun.
Suggestion
You can ask the players to run around the chair to make it more challenging.
34. Guess the Person
This is a pure guessing game and can be played by the whole family.
What You Will Need
- A piece of paper to write the names on
How to Play
- Your kids will write a name of a family member, friend or teacher on the paper and keep it with him
- You will need to guess the right name of the person
Suggestion
This game can be more interesting by giving clues about the person.
35. Chinese Whisper
This simple game can end up with hilarious results. It is best played in a large group.
What You Will Need
- Space to play
How to Play
- Sit around in a circle and whisper anything into the ear of the person sitting next to you.
- This has to continue until the message reaches the last person and he will need to announce it out.
- The game is fun because the message usually gets distorted by the time it reaches that last person.
Suggestion
Make the game challenging by whispering long phrases.
36. Carom
This four-player game is perfect for some family time.
What You Will Need
- Carom board, coins
How to Play
- Aiming a striker, you will need to hit the other coins into the pockets on the corner of the board
- Different coloured coins have a different value, and the rules may differ across the region
Suggestion
Make the game competitive by playing in teams.
37. Head Pop
Popping balloon can be a fun activity for anyone, including adults.
What You Will Need
- A cap with a pin or a needle attached to it
- Balloons
How to Play
- Hang or stick the balloons at different heights
- Make your child wear the hat and jump up to pop the balloon
Suggestion
Exercise caution and ensure that your kid does not touch the needle or the pin.
38. Snakes and Ladder
Snakes and ladder is a classic family game that can be enjoyed by everyone.
What You Will Need
- The snake and ladder board game with dice and coins
How to Play
- Each person gets to roll the dice and move as many spaces as the number on the dice
- If you reach a ladder, you climb up, and if you fall on the mouth of a snake, you will need to drop down to the tail
Suggestion
Play this game with three or four players for the best time.
39. Sorting Colours
This game is ideal for toddlers and younger kids, and it aids in cognitive development.
What You Will Need
- Bowls
- Marbles or small items of different colours
How to Play
- Mix up items of all the colours together.
- Now ask your toddler to sort items of the same colour and put them each in a different bowl.
Suggestion
If you are using marbles ensure to supervise your child to avoid any choking hazard.
40. Rock, Paper, Scissors
This simple, yet engaging game is a favourite among many.
What You Will Need
- Space to play
How to Play
- You and your child will have to make the gesture of rock, paper, or scissors with your hand simultaneously.
- Rock – folding your hand into a fist, paper – outstretched palm, scissors – a V shape using your index and middle finger.
- The rule of the game is that rock trumps scissors, paper trumps rock, and scissors trump paper.
Suggestion
Write down your points and see who wins the most number of sets.
Write down your points and see who wins the most number of sets. It’s natural that you won’t be able to play with your child all the time. Commitments like work at home or office might keep you busy. But, your baby can use his me-time to develop his “Smarts”. To encourage his overall development, you can also buy activity boxes that are designed for kids. The activities in these boxes can help improve your child’s eye-hand coordination, sense of direction, vocabulary, and other soft skills at the right age. Furthermore, your kid will learn about the world in a fun way.
Read this article in Arabic: لعبة داخلية ممتعة للأطفال
