37 Awesome Indoor Activities For Kids To Banish Boredom This Winter

All you need is a good imagination to turn an entire playroom into a bubbling hot bath of molten lava! Throw some pillows on the floor and tell your kids their toes can’t touch the carpet. They’ll be entertained for hours.

If putting on a play or acting out a story isn't enough and your competitive kids need something that rewards a winner, try charades. You’ll be surprised how quickly they pick up the rules and won’t be able to stop playing once you see how hilarious they are in action.

Just because you can’t play outside doesn’t mean you can’t think about the outdoors. With this activity, pop some popcorn and grab a needle and thread then help your kids make winter birds a tasty treat you can string up in a tree or on a porch.

Have a pantry wall you don’t mind getting graffitied? Then treat your fam to an indoor kids activity they’ll be able to look back on for years: A measurement wall. Just grab a pencil and mark each of their heights.

Here’s a great one if you have a few children, have them build their own scavenger hunt to test their siblings. Or, if you have an only, you can make the scavenger hunt for them. Make the clues as hard, silly, or odd as you want.

If this extended isolation has taught us anything, it’s an appreciation for board games. There’s a reason every house has a cupboard full of them: they’re timeless kids indoor activities. If you loved Jenga as a kid, consider how much fun your child will have playing with it! Now is the time to ransack the house for old games like Guess Who?, Clue, and even chess (follow it up with a viewing of The Queen's Gambit).

Grab some old newspaper, set a space at the dining room table, and break out the washable watercolors. It’s time to channel Mary Cassat or Monet. You might be surprised how engrossed kids get when given some paints and a little background music.

If your child is too young for paints, PlayDoh is a great distraction. Again, prep your space with some kind of covering to avoid finding bits of dried dough in the weeks to come. Then grab some cookie cutters, a rolling pin, and anything else that can make shapes.

Ok uptight parents, hear me out. You can always re-fluff those throw pillows later. The joy your children will have building a fort from couch cushions is well worth the free hour it will grant you to do whatever else in the house.

Have a tiny gumshoe on your hands? Is your child always asking questions and digging for dirt? Then now is the perfect time for them to start constructing their own family newspaper. For any curious kid, this is a great way to teach them about listening and writing. If you really want to sweeten the deal, give them a recorder so they can take official notes.

“Alexa, play Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake it Off.'” Sure you might never want to hear the song again when your kids are done putting together a dance to the song, but the fun they’ll have choreographing their own music video will be well worth it.

Kids have been putting on plays in their living rooms since time immemorial. Why? Because it’s fun! Don’t sweat it if you don’t have a script. This is the perfect time for children to let their love and appreciation of make believe transform into an actual show. It’s the ultimate kids indoor activity, really.

You’d be surprised how much kids enjoy taking old family photos and compiling them into a book. Short of printed images, you could always let them do some collaging with cast-off magazines as well.

Wiggle breaks are essential for most kids, but if the outside is not an option, do some interior calisthenics by finding an open space to practice handstands.

Have a spice cabinet? A bandana? A willing participant? Then you have all you need to play guess the food. Simply blindfold little brother, then have him guess each food you put on his tongue. Parental discretion advised.

If you want to have a good laugh, ask your child to collect objects to put in a time capsule. You’ll be amazed what they declare as their most dear items. It can be a great moment to compile some of their thoughts too. And you don’t have to bury it in your yard. Tucking it in a closet and finding it years later is just as fun.

The internet has all kinds of great little at-home herb kits and come to find out, kids love watching things grow. Make it a whole daily ritual watering your herbs, noting their growth, then harvesting them for delicious meals.

Who says you have to know how to write to have a pen-pal? A picture is worth a 1,000 words, so have your kid draw or write a short message and send it to a friend. Encourage the back and forth. It might develop far beyond the early messages to a lifelong correspondence.

Scaling a doorway can make your child feel like a super hero and, let’s be honest, poses little risk to the construction of your home. Certainly less than those backdoor basketball hoops. Challenge your kids to see if they can too.

No duh, right? But seriously, hours indoors are ripe for some reading time and it can be a great time to start with a story you read to your kids (then encourage them to take some time for their own reading alone).

Reading comprehension can be improved by asking a child to speak back a story they just heard or, better, yet, act it out. For kids who struggle with reading, especially, the process of acting out the words can help build their understanding and confidence.

Who can find the craziest hiding spot in your house? You or your kids? Give it a try.

If your child loves to watch Great British Baking Show, let them try to earn their own “Hollywood handshake” by decorating some cookies one afternoon. Gone are the days of having to make all that frosting by hand. Today you can buy it prepacked at most grocery stores for easy clean up.

Most phones have a video function these days so use it to spread some cheer. Film your kids sending a special message of love to their grandparents.

You’re never too young to start writing poetry. Kids who have exposure to Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein might want to give their own poetry a try. Have them jot down a few lines of free verse for a week, then compile it into a poem for them.

Believe it or not, your hours folding laundry while watching HGTV might just be wearing off on your kiddo. That’s right, you could have a future interior designer on your hands. See if they’ve got what it takes to become the next Love It or List It host.

Have a granny who knits, does needlepoint, smocks or does crocheting? Get her on Zoom and have her teach your child how to do the same. It’s a great way to pass on a family tradition and learn a new craft in the process.

You don’t have to have special origami paper to start folding paper. Grab some computer paper and google some instructions for a morning spent making all kinds of creative creatures.

My husband can name all the states in Alphabetical order. He can also list all the presidents by term. And ya know what? It’s not just a great party trick. It’s a legit way to improve memory and do a little historical research in the process. Kids can do the same and make it a game.

Here’s something I recently discovered: the internet is full of kids trivia questions. Just google it, then ask away. You’ll be amazed how swiftly an hour goes by.

If your children are in need of some instant gratification, paper snowflakes are it. Follow these Martha Stewart instructions (or don’t) and you’ll have winter wonderland in now time.

Fun fact: You can play go fish with any regular old set of cards. And once your kids know the game, they can teach others.

Have dozens of Amazon boxes building up? Let your kids go to town on them with their imaginations and turn them into castles, spaceships, and forts.

Ok, so parent supervision is strongly recommended on this one, but if you really want to stretch the limits of your children’s afternoon while having a good laugh, see how many marshmallows they can stuff in their mouths. Bonus points if you participate too.

Hey, it worked in the ‘70s.

Hear me out, you can make this a game too. Tell them they’re working a Gap or Target and have to fold their clothes like they do at the stores. You might be surprised how into they get.

No joke, this is a legit exercise for kids and really something we all should do. Have them practice gratitude daily. It never hurts to look on the bright side of things.