If you’re looking for easy and low-cost indoor activities for kids, look no further! We have a list of over 100 ideas that will keep your little ones entertained. From simple activities to fun crafts, these ideas are perfect for school breaks or rainy days. We even have a free printable checklist so you can keep track of all the activities you’ve done.
Sensory Play
Sensory play is a great way to engage your child’s senses and stimulate their creativity. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Make homemade playdough or try our cloud dough recipe.
- Create homemade slime or experiment with different slime recipes like fluffy slime, butter slime, rainbow slime, or clear slime.
- Make play mud, rainbow rice, fake snow, or a sensory bin.
Crafts
Crafting is not only a fun way to pass the time but also a great opportunity for kids to express their creativity. Here are some craft ideas to try:
- Make paper airplanes.
- Try salt painting using snowflake or firework templates.
- Create suncatchers with handprints, butterflies, or leaves.
- Make salt dough or sponge stamps.
- Build a cereal box aquarium or try scratch art.
- Make your own bookmarks using templates like Minions, Olaf, Trolls, or Toy Story characters.
- Paint pet rocks or make recycled crayons.
- Create paper boats, finger paint, or make friendship bracelets.
- Make a bird feeder or decorate T-shirts.
- Try paper bag puppets, handprint art, or make a scrapbook.
- Decorate leaves, make a time capsule, or do button art.
- Paint with watercolors or color in a coloring book.
- Make paper butterflies, paper sailboats, or paper flowers.
- Build a cardboard castle or make tissue box monsters.
- Create a toilet paper roll butterfly or try other toilet paper roll crafts.
- Stamp with celery to make celery flowers or try chalk ice or puffy sidewalk paint.
- Draw a self-portrait or use rubber stamps for added fun.
- Explore scrape painting or paint a recycled jar.
- Make your own superhero costume or try other activities.
Activities
Engaging in activities together as a family is not only fun but also a great way to bond. Here are some activity ideas for the whole family:
- Build a fort or have a pillow fight.
- Write a story or make ice cream in a bag.
- Try making homemade gummy bears or fruit roll-ups.
- Have a movie day or put on a fashion show.
- Bake cupcakes or muffins or do some yoga together.
- Build an obstacle course or make dinner together.
- Play with magnetic tiles or build something with Lego.
- Build a stack of cards or put on a puppet show.
- Make a treasure hunt or create your own indoor bowling game.
- Learn to draw or put on a play.
- Make indoor hopscotch or do a family chore together.
- Have a dance party or tea party.
- Play with water in a bin with toys or set up a play store.
- Make a sock toss game or create Perler bead art.
- Write in a journal or use dot markers.
Games
Games are a fantastic way to entertain kids and keep their minds active. Here are some game ideas:
- Play “Would You Rather” or I Spy.
- Try a game of Simon Says or play board games.
- Play hide and seek or have an indoor scavenger hunt.
- Enjoy a game of bingo or play card games.
- Do a puzzle or play charades.
- Build your own game or play freeze dance.
- Try playing hot potato or play marbles, dominoes, hangman, or tic-tac-toe.
Educational
Indoor activities can also be educational. Here are some ideas to keep your kids engaged and learning:
- Read books or do a science project.
- Learn origami or explore new animals.
- Learn a new card game or try your hand at sewing or knitting.
- Solve brain teasers or learn a new language.
- Discover facts about different countries.
Over 100 ideas for indoor activities for kids are included in our free printable. Click here to get the free printable.
And if you’re looking for even more ideas, check out our book – “Fun and Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials.” This book is filled with recycled crafts using materials you can find around your home, like egg cartons, cardboard, newspaper, popsicle sticks, and jars.
For more summer activity ideas, be sure to check out our Summer Bucket List for Kids.