Whether it’s raining outside or you’re just looking for something to do indoors, these seven activities will help keep the kids entertained. From building a fort out of blankets and chairs to creating slime, these are great distractions for those rainy days. It’s also an opportunity to teach your children how to use tools like scissors and glue guns while introducing them to new skills like drawing.
All of these fun indoor activities for kids listed here can be done with minimal preparation time or money, so you’ll have no excuses not to whip something up!
1. Bake and Decorate Cookies
This is one of the simplest but most useful activities. You can use a cookie sheet, an oven, and any frosting you wish. Make a baking sheet by gluing together 2 or more wooden sticks or dowels to make a sort of basic frame. This will act as the base for displaying the cookies around it in nicely arranged rows. You can decorate each cookie with frosting and sprinkles and then stick them into the baking tray to make them look nice. As they cool they will harden making them very stable when you place them on a shelf or countertop.
2. Make a Fort
This is a classic activity that everyone loves to do. You can use something as simple as towels and blankets to make a fort. Grab some old sheets and draping them over chairs and couches will create the perfect structure for kids to crawl into and have fun playing pretend games or pretending they are playing dungeons and dragons with their friends. Frankly, this can be done with just about anything. As long as you can cover it up in some way, it will work well for making some sort of fort for the kids.
3. Play a Game
You can make your own game or you can use one of their existing games. If you have an old game that is used just for decoration like Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, or even playing cards, you can set up a way to play the game outdoors using small objects. You could use mini marshmallows, blocks, or anything else that might be fun to play with and it can easily be played without having to go outside.
If you don’t want to take the time to make your own games then a good old-fashioned board game is always fun. Just place them on tables or on the floor in front of the sofa and see who wins each round.
4. Play Catch
Make sure to use a soft ball like a beach ball or inflatable pool toy. Kids love to catch balls and even better if they can throw them back and forth with another kid or make their own homemade baseball glove. It doesn’t have to be a ball though as you can make a glove of any material that catches your fancy. You can also use any old plastic containers with lids to make gloves out of. For the glove, you just need to cut them into the right size and fold them over the top opening so they stay folded when you are playing catch with it.
5. Have a Dance Party
This is a great way to get the kids moving. Just make sure to choose a location where you don’t mind them dancing around the house. The kitchen floor works well or even the living room if there are no breakables around except for an easy chair or two that can be moved out of their way when need be. If you don’t have any music, you can always go online and download some songs of your own choice but there are also many kid-friendly songs available as well. There are also plenty of websites with kid’s music that you can use as well.
6. Play a Board or Card Game
There is nothing better to keep the kids occupied than a good old-fashioned game of cards or board games. You can take out your favorite board games and playing them together as a family is great fun. It doesn’t matter if kids are too young to play every game you want to play because they can still pretend that they are part of the game by rolling some dice, moving the pieces on the game board, and taking turns moving their own piece.
Conclusion
You can’t try to force your children to become passionate readers or great athletes because they may not be naturally inclined in either direction. However, you can provide them with the tools they need to succeed and that begins by exposing them to various kinds of activities that will attract their interest. The best way to do this is by being proactive in providing the right resources and opportunities for them whenever possible.
