55 Fun Indoor Games and Activities For Kids

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, a line we have grown up hearing. Playing has always been considered an important exercise for a healthy body and a healthy mind.
But what to do when you are stuck inside your house with your kids? Additionally, this pandemic making things worse. While we have found other activities to keep ourselves engaged with, kids had to resort to their ultimate source of entertainment, the internet. But we all know how important physical exercise is.

So here we bring you 55 indoor games and activities that will keep your kids engaged. The steps to play and their importance are also mentioned. Don’t let your child sit idle at home. Make it interesting for them.

1. Tape Shapes Game

These games involve your child doing physical work. They have to run, walk, crawl to different places which teaches them about different positions and postures. At the same time, it also invokes the child to act speedily, upon hearing the command.

How to play:-

Use the tape to put a variety of shapes, letters, and numbers on your floor.
Tell your child to stand on their favorite one.
Then give them instructions to follow that will lead them to their next destination.
For example, you can say “bear crawl to the square”, “hop like a Frog to the T”, “Run to the rectangle”, “slither to diamond shape”.

2. Tape line

This game will let the concentration power of your child, be used to the fullest. They need to be attentive to be able to know the commands and actions.

How to play:-

Make 10-15 separate lines of tape, each one foot apart, on your floor.
Label the first line as the “start” line and then give your kids simple instructions like:

Long Jump: See how many lines they can jump over at one go. Have them try and beat their best score each time. You can experiment with arms swinging vs. arms behind their backs.

Run ‘n’ Jump: Allow them to take a running start and see if they can jump even further!

Long Jump Backwards: Increase the difficulty by performing the tasks jumping backward.

Hop: How far can they jump with one leg?

Reach ‘n’ Stretch: How far can their leg reach with one foot on the start line.

3. Create a Race-Car Track

Missing a car race track? Create one in your home. Kids really love car racing and stuff. Pulling this will make them happy and they can enjoy it.

How to play:-

Use your painter’s tape or just any tape to make a huge road system for your kids’ matchbox cars.
Make the track scale furniture and other obstacles or just any raised platform.
Have the kids run over the race track with their cars.
The key of this game to make it large-scale is to keep the kids busy so they are engaging their core muscles while crawling all over.

4. Hopscotch

Your kids will definitely love this game. This takes the combined efforts of the mind and body. Let your child play with this.

How to play:-

Make a simple hopscotch “board” on your floor.
Teach your kids how to play it.
Tell stories of your childhood, how you used to play.
Then leave them to think this is the coolest game ever.

5. Number Squares

Want to teach your child number? But in a cool and interesting way? This game will make it fun for them.

How to play:-

Make a large square with the help of your tape.
Divide it into more small squares.
Mark random numbers in each space.
Now you can give your child instructions to move from one square to another.
Like “jump to 10”, “zoom to 3”, “slither to 67”.

6. Don’t Let The Balloon Touch The Ground

This game is one of the easiest. You just have to inflate a balloon and the rest work is done. The balloons will be happily moving around and this will help the child in developing his gross motor skills while burning off some of that rambunctious energy. This requires physical work. This game is also great for improving arm strength and hand-eye coordination

How to play:-

Instruct your kids to hit the balloon up in the air but don’t let it touch the ground.
You can make it more challenging for older kids, by telling them to juggle more than 1 balloon or tie one hand behind their back.

7. Penguin Waddle

This game requires both physical and mental concentration. While your child will do physical exercise, they must have the required concentration to win this game.

How to play:-

Place a balloon between your child’s knees.
Make them waddle across the room without dropping them.
You can make it more challenging for older kids by having them go around a few obstacles.
If they drop it, they have to go back to the start.
If you are having multiple kids, then you can make them play as a team with the balloon placed between their hips.

8. Balloon Taps

This game will increase their flexibility. They will burn calories every time they jump, so they will stay healthy. It can also help in increasing their height. It is a tedious physical exercise.

How to play:-

Hang a balloon by a string from your doorway.
Make sure that it is a few inches higher than your child’s arms reach.
Then challenge them to try and tap it with their hand.
Count how many they can do in a row without missing

9. Balloon Foot Balance

This game can be played lying down on the floor. With no physical activity required, it is the game of concentration and patience. Your child will learn a lot while playing this game.

How to play:-

Have your kids lie on the ground with their legs up in the air.
Make them try and balance the balloon on their feet.
The kid from whom the balloon escapes first will lose.

10. Balloon Volleyball

This game will make your child tired. This requires running and hitting the balloon at the right time. Through this, your child will know the importance of the right time.

How to play:-

Make a “net” by tying a piece of string between 2 chairs.
Have your child hit the balloon back and forth by running from one side to the other.
He must try to keep it off the floor.

11. Target Practice

This game will make your kid exercise a lot and he will enjoy in the meantime as well. This is basically a mind relaxing game.

How to play:-

Set up some targets like empty water bottles or paper towel rolls will work great.
Have your kids try and knock them down with Nerf guns or throwing soft objects.

12. Wiggle Jar

This game requires physical activity and understanding the instruction written on the cards. Your kids will learn through the process of playing.

How to play:-

Print out the inventive activity cards.
Place them in a jar for whenever your child needs to let the “wiggles” out.
These cards are packed with great movements and silly actions like “pretend you’re in a band for 2 minutes: play the instrument of your choice” and “push the wall (hold it up) for 30 seconds”.
You can ignore the few cards that have outdoor activities for when you’re truly stuck inside!

13. Ping Pong Ball Catch

An easy game to play and have fun. While playing this game, the kids have to move around and guess where the ball will fall and catch accordingly.

How to play:-

Get those plastic red Solo cups and a few ping pong balls that will fit in the cup.
Have your kids toss the ball to a partner and try and catch it in the cup.
You can keep increasing the distance to make it more challenging.
For a single-player, they can simply throw the ball in the air and try and catch it.

14. Potato Drop

This is a fun game and most kids like it. The kid will learn to concentrate while playing this.

How to play:-

All participants have to place a potato between their knees.
Then race to the finish line.
There they have to drop it into a designated bowl or bucket.
If the potato is dropped, or if hands touch it, they have to go back to the start and try again.

15. Movement Chain

Kids will have to work on their memory power while playing this game. It requires a combination of physical and mental work.

How to play:-

You will require at least 2 players for this interactive game.
The first person starts by performing a certain movement, anything simple like jumping 2 times, or more complex like holding a plank for 30 seconds.
Then the next person has to perform the first movement and then add on another, forming a chain.
The following person does the previous 2 movements, plus adds their own.
You continue in this fashion until the chain sequence is broken and then that person is out.
The last one standing is the winner.

16. Mirror, Mirror

This can be a fun game for your little ones. It does not require any mental work to be done. They just need to copy.

How to play:-

Stand face to face with your child, about a foot apart.
Have them attempt to copy all your movements.
You can do something like reach up and stretch to the sky. Do 10 jumping jacks. Run in place. Act like a monkey.
Make it fun and you’ll both be working up a sweat in no time.
Then switch roles and copy your child.

17. Airplane Landing

This is something we all have played in our childhood, in classrooms, corridors, and everywhere. It’s time to teach it to your children.

How to play:-

Make paper airplanes and throw them.
Then they will have to collect it and bring it back to the start line without walking
They can do something like running, hopping, skipping, twirling, crawling…let them get creative!

18. Crib Mattress Slide

Make your indoor stay nothing less than a park experience. Are there any children who do not like to slide?

How to play:-

Take a crib mattress and prop it up on a bed or soft chair.
Make sure it creates a slide to the ground.
Now your kids can climb up and slide down over and over again.

19. Cotton-Ball Crawl

A game of patience and physical work. Your child will learn to work through things when they do not work their way at once.

How to play:-

It involves moving a pile of cotton balls from one room to another using a spoon.
The feather-weight cotton balls make it easy to fly off if they don’t balance it just right!

20. Alligator Alley

This game demands quick movements and jumps. You have to find your way through the hungry alligators.

How to play:-

Simply scatter some “islands” or “boats” across the floor.
You can use pillows, stuffed animals, books, etc.
Then have your kids jump from one to the next without falling into the “water” and risk being eaten by a hungry alligator.
Bonus points if you play said hungry alligator and chomps after them when they stumble!

21. Lego Colour Hunt

Children usually like hunt games. It includes physical activity and is fun to do.

How to play:-

Select 4 pieces of colored construction paper and then collect 10 Lego pieces that match each one. For example 10 yellow Lego pieces for a yellow piece of paper.
Now hide all of the Lego pieces in one room or one area of your house and lay out the colored paper on a table or the floor nearby.
Start the clock and have your kids start hunting.
Once they’ve found a Lego, they need to return it to the piece of paper that matches in color.
See how long it takes them to find them all.

21. Puzzle Piece Hunt

Kids are fond of puzzle games. It takes mental focus to understand, analyze and play the game. You can be creative and add the physical element as well.

How to play:-

Hide all the pieces of a wooden board puzzle.
Have your child search for them.
And return each piece to the board as they go.

22. ABC Hunt

Your toddlers must not get bored, right? And you can let them analyze things. The best option is to make them move around the house searching for things.

How to play:-

Have your kids go around the house with a basket, collecting items.
They must start with each letter of the alphabet like A for apple, B for Barbie, C for Crayola, etc.
You can give them a checklist to mark off each one as they go.

23. Scavenger Hunt

You can also send your kids on a scavenger hunt. This will not tire their mind, with only physical work.

How to play:-

Send your kids on a fun hunt around the house collecting various items.
List the items.
You can also make it fun by including specific things like “your favorite bath toy” or “a pink sock” to more general categories like “something that begins with the letter T”.
And yes, set that timer!

24. Flash Light Scavenger Hunt

This can be fun, interesting, and scary as well. Kids mostly have to feel and guess the object.

How to play:-

If you have a room that can get sufficiently dark by turning off the lights and closing the blinds, then send your kids on a Flash Light Scavenger Hunt.
They will have to find certain hidden items in the dark using a flashlight.

25. Mission Impossible Obstacle Maze

This game requires a little use of the brain to avoid being stuck and of course the use of physical power. Kids usually go mad about this.

How to play:-

Using either crepe paper or flag tape and create an intricate maze in a hallway.
Then instruct your kids to navigate their bodies through.
Put the tape up high and down low, forcing them to step over and crawl under at various points.

26. Life-size Book Maze

Kids require smartness and intelligence to get their way out. They become very fond of this game as it is interesting and fun to play.

How to play:-

You can use books and other household items like clothing, brooms, and sports equipment like bats and sticks would all work well.
Create a large-scale maze that will challenge your kids to find their way out.
Once they have the hang of it, have them crawl, hop, or walk back through it!

27. Basketball

What’s the problem if you can’t go out? You can bring the outdoor games indoors. If your child loves basketball, have one for him indoors.

How to play:-

If you have a little tikes basketball hoop, then you’re all set to play with a soft foam ball. Or else you can just grab some laundry baskets or beach buckets and place them on the floor, stairs or hang from a door handle or hook.
Make-shift your own balls with a wad of newspaper, bean bags, soft toys or rolled-up socks.
Set up lines of tape to see how many shots they can make from each one.
Or set a timer for 1 minute and challenge them to make as many baskets as they can.

28. Figure Skating

Teach your child that skating and cleaning can be done together. And cleaning can be fun too.

How to play:-

Clear an area on your floor.
Grab your hat and mittens, and pretend you’re gliding across the ice.

29. Bowling

Bowling can be one of the best games that you can engage your kids with. They already know the rules and they will enjoy playing it.

How to play:-

Set up your bowling “lane” with some painter’s tape and use plastic bottles or cups for pins.
Use any type of ball to bowl, attempting to knock down as many pins as possible.
Keep track of the score, or simply aim to knock them all down in one turn.
You can also create a plastic cup pyramid to up the fun factor even more.

30. Soccer

Your kid is a soccer fan? Bring it home. With all the energy that is put into playing this game. It will keep your child healthy and in a good way.

How to play:-

Bring outdoor nets inside or set up a goal using 2 cones or plastic cups, a chair score by getting it through the legs, or a simple piece of tape.
Use any softball or a super fun gliding ball!

31. Mini-Golf

You can also create a mini-golf at your house. Golf being a game of patience, concentration, and mindful thought, your child will learn a lot.

How to play:-

You can use mini golf putters, long rolls of wrapping paper, hockey sticks, or pool noodles.
Then tape some plastic cups lying on their side to the ground, or create tunnels with pieces of construction paper.

32. Hockey

This does not have to be traditional hockey because you cannot recreate it. But you can create your own version of indoor hockey.

How to play:-

Use balloons and pool noodles for young kids, or a knee hockey set.
Let your kids have fun in this hockey version.

33. Egg ‘n’ Spoon Race

An extremely easy and used game, which requires nothing but patience and concentration to stay till the end and win. It does not need any physical activity, but the mental work is praise-worthy.

How to play:-

Grab a spoon and any small round object that will fit on top.
Create a course for your child to navigate through and see if they can do it without dropping it
Once they’ve got the hang of it, go for speed!

34. “Potato Sack” Race

You can update this classic by using pillowcases. Nothing just pure fun.

How to play:-

Have your kids step in and hold it up around their waist.
Then hop to the finish.

35. 3-Legged Race

This game can be a great way to teach your children teamwork and team spirit and why cooperation is required in a team to win. Using physical power, they roll and have fun.

How to play:-

Tie your kids’ outside ankles together with something soft and stretchy like a long ski sock, PJ pants, or bandage wrap.
Now they’ll have to work as a team to coordinate their movements to get from point A to point B.
This is one of our favorites because it not only builds gross motor coordination but is also great for siblings bonding too!

36. Wheelbarrow Puzzle Walk

This will tire you and your child both. A lot of physical work needs to be done.

How to play:-

Set up a wooden puzzle board and scatter the pieces around a room.
Grab your child’s ankles and hold them up so they can walk on their hands to collect them.
They have to bring each piece back 1-by-1 and fit it into the board until the puzzle is complete.

37. Hula Hoop

What can be a better time to use the hula hoop, rather than using it now. Your kids will enjoy this physical activity and it will keep them fit as well.

How to play:-

Turn it into a game and see who can do the most circles around their waist, arm, or ankle.
You can also try rolling it back and forth between 2 people, or see if your child can put some backspin on it and make it return to themselves.
For little ones, put it on the floor and practice jumping in/out, side-to-side or have them pick it up and use it as a steering wheel to drive an imaginary car all around the house!

38. Jumping Limbo

Are your kids tired from sitting idle all day long? Let them do some jumping.

How to play:-

Do the Limbo in reverse: instead of going under, have your kids jump over.
You can use something flexible like a stretchy exercise band, crepe paper, or jump rope, have 2 people hold it, and start it on the ground.
Have your kids run in a circle and then jump over it.
After a few successful jumps, raise it an inch or two. Keep raising it until they can’t jump any higher!

39. Red-Light, Green-Light

This can be a fun way to teach your kids the traffic signals and what each light signifies.

How to play:-

Tell your kids to listen to your commands and act accordingly.
Yellow Light: Get ready
Green Light: Run from point A to B
Red Light: Stop

40. Hide-and-Seek

This is a game your kid already must have played. So you can make it more active by having them hide on different levels of your house.

How to play:-

Tell your kids to hide on different floors.
Every time, that way they’re going up and down stairs every few minutes.
Or, have the player that is found first perform a “penalty” that can include classic exercises like jumping jacks, burpees, or sit-ups!

41. Bubbles!

There is not a single child that doesn’t get excited about bubbles. Kids will get excited and run and jump.

How to play:-

Blow some bubbles with a wand.
Challenge your kids to pop them all before they touch the ground.

42. Parachute

This game involves your whole family. You all can come together and enjoy this game out.

How to play:-

Everyone must take it aside.
Rapidly move your arms up and down.
Put some small balls or balloons on top and try and fling them off.

43. Animal Movement Activity Dice

For the pre-schoolers, this game is just perfect. This game will make them laugh and they will enjoy it throughout.

How to play:-

Simply print and stick the engaging animal movements onto a wooden block.
Give them to the pre-schoolers and they won’t be able to hold back the giggles whenever they roll “Waddle like a penguin”.

44. Move Like An Insect Gross Motor Dice

A cool and enjoyable game for your crawling babies. With no mental work to do, they just need some physical activities to get engaged with.

How to play:-

Get printable dice from Life Over C’s and their movements.
Your kids will be having a blast crawling like caterpillars and flapping like butterflies while burning off tons of energy!

45. Movement Charades:

This game will be played in teams. It can work as a great way of teaching the kids teamwork and cooperation.

How to play:-

Pretend to be your favorite animal, superhero, or sports player by imitating their signature moves but no sounds allowed.
The rest of the players try and guess who they are – the first one to do so correctly, gets a point.
If your kids have trouble thinking on the spot, write down some suggestions and place them in a hat to draw from when it’s their turn

46. Create a Show

Work together as a team, let your whole family come together, and put up a show. This can be fun and the kids will learn a great deal in the meanwhile.

How to play:-

Invite your kids to create their very own play.
The only catch is that they have to create it around an active prompt you give them – this could be a sport, activity (karate, dance, gymnastics), or our personal favorite, a Circus Show full of juggling (attempts at least) and jumping through hoops.
Once they’re ready to perform, videotape it so it feels like a real production.

47. Put on a Fashion Show

Kids love to dress up, and this idea brings that love to the next level. Turn a boring day at home into something interesting and exciting.

How to play:-

Create a long runway out of tape or kraft paper.
Invite your fashionistas to perform their best walk while you pump the music.
You can also play the judge awarding points for style, creativity, and overall strut.

48. Snowball Fight

You can always create an indoor snow fight. This will be fun and everyone can enjoy it by staying inside the house.

How to play:-

Create your own snowballs with scrunched-up pieces of newspaper or buy a fun indoor snowball fight kit.
Make your own fort to take cover in between throws.
This is a kid-favorite and they burn a ton of energy ducking and darting out of the way of incoming blizzards.

49. We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

Every kid loves a hunting game. And in this type of activity, the whole family can get involved. You can play to show support to your kid.

How to play:-

Hide a bear or any other stuffed animal somewhere in your house.
You can have your child find it or you can act with them as if you are searching too.

50. Dance Party

Tell me a better way to burn some energy and stay healthy and fit inside a home, rather than doing a dance party. Your kids will surely tune in with this.

How to play:-

Turn on the high-energy music and have a dance-off!
Make sure you have a large open space and twirl, twist, and shimmy your way around the room.
Add in musical instruments or turn off the lights and break out some glow-sticks to prolong the party.

51. Freeze Dance

This game can be an add-on to your dance party game. While you are in a celebration mode, there are just some changes in the rules.

How to play:-

Add in a game to your dance party where one person stops the music and everyone else must instantly freeze.
If you catch someone moving, they’re out. The last one standing (or dancing in this case), wins.

52. Musical Letters

This game can be great for your child to learn letters, colors, numbers, etc. They will learn it in a fun way.

How to play it:-

Make pieces of paper with big letters on them and spread them around the room.
Play some music while they dance and then stop it and call out one of the letters.
They have to immediately find the letter and sit down on it. If they pick the wrong one, have them do 15 jumping jacks.

53. Paint Chip Color Hunt

Now it’s time to play with some colors, and teach our kids some colors. Why not do it in a fun way?

How to play it:-

Pick up some brightly colored paint chips from your local hardware store.
Ask your kids to find items that match each color as closely as possible

54. Sticky Note Wall Bop

This game can prove to be one of the best ways for teaching words to your children apart from the letters, numbers, colors, etc. When a child learns and enjoys, they tend to remember it faster.

How to play:-

Attach 26 sticky notes to the back of a door and write a different letter on each one in random order.
Make a “start” line a few feet away from the door, and have your child stand behind it with a softball, bean bag, stuffed animal, or pair of rolled-up socks.
Now instruct them to throw their object to try and hit the “A” or the “T”.
Players with more advanced aim and spelling skills can try and hit all the letters in specific words.

55. Balloon Foot Balance

Game of concentration, strength, and patience is here.

How to play:-

Have your kids lie on the ground with their legs up in the air.
Tell them to try and balance the balloon on their feet.
It’s not an easy task and requires a lot of concentration. It’s also a great core workout!