"Rain rain go away. Come again another day…."
You remember the song, right?
Well, most of the time, the rain doesn’t go away. It keeps raining for hours and sometimes days.
This means kids have to stay indoors and find creative ways to keep themselves busy. Also, think of how confined we all are as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unfortunately, today, that often means watching TV and playing video games- two activities that are bad for their bodies and their brains as well.
That doesn’t have to be the case, though. With these seven creative indoor games, your kids can have a blast without stepping outside. What’s more, they get to exercise their bodies as well as their brains while at it.
Let’s dive in.
Pitching pennies
Pitching pennies is the kid’s version of beer pong. It's a great way to improve the kid’s hand-eye coordination and have fun as well. The best part about this game is that even parents can participate and have some fun family evenings. To play the game, you will need;
- pennies or other small coins
- plastic drinking cup or any such kind of a container
Place the cup on a table in front of you and give each child five or ten coins. The idea is to take one step forward and throw the coin inside the cup. Granted, some of the coins will miss the target while others will go right in, and that’s where the fun is. The person who has the most coins inside the cup wins.
You can replace the coins in this case with ping pong balls or plastic marbles. That said, some people have gotten really creative to the point of using socks and a basket. Just roll the socks into round balls and throw them one by one into a basket. Of course, this is easier than pitching pennies, but it’s just as fun.
Building
We are yet to meet a child who doesn’t love building stuff and then destroying them. No wonder every household with kids has building blocks. Try out big building blocks. With these blocks, kids can tap into their imagination and creativity to make anything from castles, towers, spaceships, cars, shops, and even animals. What you can build using blocks is only limited to your imagination. Since the blocks are made of solid and durable cardboard or plastic, kids can feel free to knock down the towers and watch as they crumble to the ground without worrying about ruining the toys.
Indoor bowling
Yes, we know that regular bowling is also done indoors. When you are at home though, you have to get creative with the materials. You can use tape and marker to create the bowling lane and empty plastic bottles or soda cans as the bowling pins. Stack the cans together or arrange them how bowling pins are positioned at the end of the alley and then start throwing plastic or tennis balls at them. With every stack you knockdown, you get points, and these will be tarried at the end of the game. If you don’t want to improvise with the materials, you can buy a readily available bowling set from the store and just make the alley at home.
Pictionary and charades
Pictionary is another fantastic indoor game that utilizes the power of imagination and creativity. For the game, you will need a paper/board and pencil/marker. Write down different words on small pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Each child can pick one of those pieces, read it, and draw the content on the board without telling anybody what it is. The rest of you will have to guess as they draw until someone gets it correctly.
If your kids are bigger, you can alternate Pictionary with charades. Again, the words or phrases will be in the bowl, and one person will pick a piece and use actions to explain what it is. The rest of the group will look at the actions and guess the word. Both Pictionary and charades are best played as a family, and you can make them more fun by dividing the group into two competing sets.
Puzzles
When it comes to working out the brain, only Sudoku can beat puzzles. The ability to put together a hundred or more random pieces into a masterpiece is something that requires not only a lot of brain power but also teamwork. Choose a puzzle depending on the age of your kids and show them how to complete it. You can work together as a family as you chat until the picture comes out. For kids who are still learning vocabulary, choose word puzzles to help them learn words and put together letters.
Treasure hunt
If you want some indoor adventures, you can try a simple treasure hunt game where you hide stuff around the house, and the kids have to find them. This will utilize the child’s ability to read and understand as well as their cognition. For this game, you will need;
- hints and clues written down on small papers for each hiding place
- coins or treasures of your choice
Hide the coins in various places around the house, like in cereal boxes, under the bed, on top of the fridge and even in their pockets. Write down clues for every place you have hidden a coin to guide them. Let the kids find the treasure.
Touch and feel
For this entertaining game, you will be utilizing the child’s senses. Put different objects in a box and blindfold the kids. The kids will have to put their hands inside the box, touch or pick up an object and guess what it is. Make the game fun by adding things that are not so familiar and with varying textures.
There are many other indoor games kids can play when it’s too cold or too hot outside. The idea is to choose a game that’ll exercise the child’s brain and body like outdoor games. Some of those activities will need you to be part of the game, so you have to set some time to play with the kids. However, you can also pick some games where kids can play on their own without your help. For example, building blocks, drawing, and creating stuff with playing dough doesn’t require any attention from you.