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44 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids Stuck at Home

Mar 18, 2020 Leave a comment The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure

Finding things to do while stuck at home with kids for long periods of time can be a struggle, to say the least. Especially when your kids are full of energy and wanting to be entertained almost 24/7!

Heck, even just being stuck at home as an adult can get boring if all you can think of doing is binge-watching Netflix. Luckily, I’ve had my fair share of stay-at-home days and with some help from the rest of the Fabulessly Frugal team, we’ve compiled a list of 44 fun indoor activities for kids. (That being said, these are great for adults too.)

Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Below you’ll find everything you need to entertain your kids (or yourself) while stuck at home. We’ve got activities that will get you moving, educational and informative activities, fun ways to relax and unwind, and more!

1. Take a Virtual Museum Tour

Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t see something new! With Google Arts & Culture’s virtual museum tours, you can experience artwork from all over the world, right from your home.

2. Play Card Games

A simple deck of cards can provide hours and hours of fun. Here are over 40 card games you can play right now. Take the time to learn a couple of new ones, or just enjoy the classics you already know a love!

Or, if you’re looking for something a little different, check out these fun stay-at-home card games.

3. Go on a Virtual Field Trip

Explore the surface of Mars, see a virtual farm tour, explore the Great Wall of China, and more! Check out these awesome virtual field trips.

4. Read a Book

Some silent time is always a good idea if you’re stuck at home as a family, and a bit of reading is a nice way to entertain the imagination. You can also read to your children if they’re not yet old enough to read on their own.

For some book ideas, check out these top books for kids ages 5-7. You can also get a free 1-month of Kindle Unlimited right now if you want more options.

PS: For moms that need some new reading material, check out our favorite clean romance novels.

5. Teach Your Child How to Read

Another option if your child isn’t able to read on their own yet is to take this opportunity to teach them! Here are 9 effective ways to teach your child how to read to help you get started.

6. Start a Family Book Club

One last idea to go along with the reading ideas above? Start a family book club! Have everyone read the same book and then talk about it over a special dinner. This can work just as well if you’re reading the book to your kids too.

7. Fill Out Workbooks

One of the most important things to do while stuck at home with kids is to keep their minds active and learning. Books and fun virtual tours are great for this, but it’s important to focus on the fundamentals as well, like math.

Workbooks are great for this as they focus on certain grade levels, and they don’t require the internet. Check out these awesome workbooks for kids to find something for your child’s grade level.

8. Do a Puzzle

Puzzles are another one of those fun indoor activities that also provide a good learning lesson. By doing puzzles as a family you’ll bond together, and your child’s problem-solving and quick-thinking skills will improve too! Find puzzle deals on Amazon if you don’t already have some at home.

9. Play Family Games

Playing fun games with my family is one of my favorite ways to pass time, and there are more games than ever out there these days! Some are extremely silly, some require teamwork, and others are heavily competitive every man for themself type of games.

To get some new ideas that you may not already have, check out these fun family games to play at home.

10. Play a Video Game

Non-electronic games (like the boardgames above) are great, but video games are good too! Just be sure not to spend too much time on them.

Oh, and if you don’t quite understand your child’s love for video games, being stuck at home gives you a great opportunity to learn! Ask to play with them and get them to tell you about their favorite games.

11. Paint Food

Don’t worry, this doesn’t involve food waste! We’ll be painting with edible paint which means you can eat your colorful food afterward (the kids will love it). Grab some marshmallows, popcorn, a couple of slices of bread, whatever you have, and try this fun food painting activity!

12. Paint Rocks

Rocks are quite the versatile canvas, and they’re easy to come by too. For some ideas on what to paint on them, check out these easy rock painting ideas for beginners.

13. Make Homemade Playdough

If you already have Playdough on hand you could just play with that, but making your own homemade Playdough makes things even more fun! It’s a bit of a learning experience too. Plus, the kids can choose what colors they want to make their Playdough in which really adds to the fun.

14. Make Kinetic Sand

This is another fun science experiment that the kids get to play with afterward. Kinetic sand is really cool too and it’s a great sensory experience. Learn how to make kinetic sand.

15. Have a DIY Concert

Sometimes the best way to let loose is to get the entire family together for a home concert! Try making a few of these DIY musical instruments so that everyone has something to play! This activity is sure to create some long-lasting memories. And who knows, you might make the next hit song! 😉

16. Do String Art

String art is great because it’s super kid-friendly and there’s a good chance you already have some string at home to get started. Check out these 20 string art projects and ideas for some inspiration. They’re all super beginner-friendly!

17. Make Gak

Playing with gak is another great sensory activity. If you’ve never heard of gak before, it’s basically just a big ball of ooey-gooey slime, and kids LOVE it! It’s also super easy to make and can be customized into many different colors. Learn how to make gak.

18. Binge Watch a Documentary Together

You may have some documentaries at home already, but if not, there are plenty of them available for free online. Check Youtube (just search for documentaries and a topic you’re interested in), or check out this website.

19. Learn a New Skill

Having your kids stuck at home with you is the perfect opportunity to teach them some valuable life skills. Show them simple cooking techniques (e.g. how to cook an omelet), how to play an instrument, how to do the laundry and iron clothes, how to plant seedlings …there are so many different things!

If you have older ones at home, you can teach them other more advanced things like how to change the car oil, how to swap a tire, how to write a check, etc. These are all things that will prove extremely valuable in the future.

20. Write a Letter

Here’s a good one that will keep your child entertained for a good chunk of time…get them to write a letter to someone! It could be an aunt or uncle, a friend, grandparent, or even a pen pal from across the globe.

21. Spring Clean Together

If you’re stuck inside with your kids there’s really no better time to get your spring cleaning done. For max efficiency, check out our spring cleaning checklist and learn how to make spring cleaning a family event.

22. Do a Household Project

have any other things that need to get done around the house? For example, have you been postponing a paint job? Trying to get your home organized? Have a weekend project that’s been going unloved for a while? Get to work on them together!

23. Have a Dance Party

If you have a child or toddler who just loves to get up and dance, have a family dance party! Not only is this a great way to lift the mood around the house and bond as a family, but it’s also an awesome workout.

24. Take a Nap

You may be trying to keep yourself and the kids entertained at all times if you’re stuck inside, but be sure to include some downtime too! Put down the screens and everything else and just lie around for a bit, take a nap, and get refreshed.

25. Indoor Scavenger Hunt

An indoor scavenger hunt can keep kids entertained for hours if it’s done right! Come up with a theme for your hunt, hide objects and clues around the house, and be sure to give the kids a prize once they complete the solve the mystery or find the hidden treasure.

26. Play with Homemade Glitter Slime

DIY glitter slime is similar to the homemade gak we talked about above, except it’s a lot more fun to look! The glitter really adds to the sensory experience and it’s actually quite relaxing to play with.

27. Do a Science Experiment

We’ve already listed a couple of harmless home science experiments above (like the glitter slime), but there are a ton of other ones you can do with household supplies. Check out these 50 easy home science experiments for ideas.

28. Make Paper Flowers

Sometimes the simplest of crafts are also the most satisfying! With a bit of paper and common crafting tools, you can make an assortment of beautiful DIY paper flowers.

Find more spring art activities for kids.

29. Build a Fort

Grab some pillows and blankets and build a nice little fort, or get the kids to work together on one! This will keep them entertained for hours during the building process, and they’ll love hanging out in their homemade fort afterward. They can watch movies in there, play games, and more!

30. Draw

A paper and pencil are all you need for this super simple indoor activity, and that’s what makes it so great. If you’re trying to keep your child entertained, challenge them to draw something for you, like a truck, a house, or a family portrait!

31. Make Paper Airplanes

Believe it or not, there are a lot of different ways to make paper airplanes. Some are more difficult to make than others, and they all fly a bit differently as well. For example, some are better for long-distance flights, while others are better for flips and cool maneuvers.

To see some options, head over to Fold N’ Fly. All the different designs will keep your kids entertained for hours.

32. Play Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is a classic indoor activity that never really gets old. There are always new places to hide!

33. Indoor Bowling

Grab some old bottles and a ball and you’ve got everything you need for a deluxe indoor bowling lane. See who can score the most strikes!

34. Make a Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are really simple but the young ones will love them. To make your own homemade one, fill a bin with random things that will help stimulate your child’s senses. For ideas, check out these sensory bin fillers.

35. Watch a Movie

This is an obvious one and it’s not something you should spend all of your time inside doing, but it’s a good occasional option! Pop some popcorn, turn one of your favorite movies on, and enjoy!

Check out these popcorn recipes:

PS: Check out Hulu and Disney+ for some great kid-friendly movie and TV streaming options!

36. Dye Eggs

Perfect for Easter time, use your time stuck inside to dye some eggs together! There are many different ways to do this, some of which you may have never tried before.

Check out these methods:

37. Have a Pillow Fight

You won’t want this one to get too out of hand but a friendly pillow fight is always a fun indoor activity. It’s also a good workout!

38. Do Some Baking

If you have the supplies, baking some goodies not only teaches your children a useful life skill, but it also gives you and the kids something yummy to snack on together! Here are a few of our favorite cookie and treat recipes:

39. Do Madlibs

Mad Libs have been around for years but they’re still an extremely popular way to pass time. Head over to the official Madlibs website to find printable activities, apps, and more.

40. Home Safari

Right now the Cincinnati Zoo is doing daily Facebook lives featuring an animal from the zoo and they’re including a home activity with every live stream! This is a great opportunity to learn about specific animals. Learn more here.

41. Learn Fun Facts Online

I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t love fun facts, and The Fact Site has thousands of them! For example, did you know that a single strand of spaghetti is called a Spaghetto? Or how about that a baby panda is smaller than a mouse when it’s born? Pretty neat!

Head over to The Fact Site for more fun facts surrounding all sorts of different topics.

42. Have a Lego Building Challenge

If your kids love LEGO or another building block product, host a building challenge! See who can build the biggest tower or the best house. You could also take on the task of building a DIY Lego table or DIY Lego display shelves.

43. Make a Time Capsule

If you and your kids are already stuck inside, why not gather some things from around the house like old toys, photos, and trinkets and put together a time capsule for your future selves? You could also film a video and put it on a USB flash drive and stick it in there too! That will be a great memory to look back on.

44. Do Kids Yoga

Last but not least, this is another great indoor activity to wind down while also getting some movement in. Check out Cosmic Kids Yoga on Youtube for guided mindfulness and yoga activities for kids.

Final Thoughts

Whew! With all the fun indoor activities above, being stuck inside doesn’t really seem so bad after all! In fact, I recommend trying to enjoy it as much as possible. It’s a great time to do some family bonding.

One last tip:

Create a daily schedule if you’re going to be having a lot of inside days for a while. Fill it with the at-home activities above and create a nice structure. This will help both you and the kids stick with a routine, and the days won’t seem so random that way.

Thanks to Cari on Facebook for some of these ideas!

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Categories: Family, #StayHome Resources