15 Indoor Games to Keep Kids Engaged

There are days when kids need to be indoors. Yes, they can be indoors, but should they be idle? Many parents don’t love it when they don’t know how to keep their kids engaged. Well, we have a collection of 15 indoor games to keep your little ones engaged. Kids will love and enjoy these games, as they are carefully selected to enable them to have fun and learn. These can also serve as parent/child bonding games and activities.

games

1. Pen and pencil games

This game requires simple items such as a pen, pencil, eraser, and a plain sheet of paper.

This is a game that kids of all ages can play. They can create a 6×6 square of dots on a plain sheet of paper. The dots can be joined with a line, and only two dogs can be joined simultaneously. Any kid who completes the box puts his/her initials in it. If it is a competitive game, the person that has the highest number of boxes wins the game. The variation includes;

The Tic Tac Toe is played on a 3×3 grid square using pencil and paper. The first player writes an ‘X’ in one of the grids, and the second writes an ‘O’. The person who gets three Xs or Os in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line wins the game.

Pictionary, similar to charades, uses pen and paper to express words or phrases that are drawn instead of being acted or spoken.

2. Obstacle course

This is an Indoor game that needs a large space. The game involves using hula hoops, chairs, exercise balls, blankets, and other items that can help you make the game fun.

In this game, an obstacle course is created with rules that act as guides during the game. The rules help players know what to do and maneuver around the space. For example, the kids could crawl under the chair, use the hula hoop several times before moving to the next course, etc. The kid is awarded when he/she completes the obstacles.

3. Puzzles

This is a great way to help kids learn and have fun indoors. All that is needed is books, puzzle games, and ideas as they play the game to make it more interesting.

In these indoor games, a picture puzzle book can be given to the kids to keep them engaged for a long time. Another option is a word puzzle that can aid kids’ vocabulary and spelling skills. There are also 3D puzzle toys for younger kids. Therefore, puzzle books or games should be stocked up in the house to keep them engaged indoors when necessary.

4. Card games

This is one of the most popular games among kids of all ages. Kids love to play the card game Freecell because it keeps them engaged for a long period. 

There are card games that aid a kid’s logical reasoning, color recognition skills, number identification or recognition, and arrangement abilities.

A deck of cards is needed for card games. Games that kids can play include spoons, which can be played by three or more players, garbage or trash for two players, GoFish for preschoolers and young kids, crazy eights, pounce for two players, and other card games for kids. The cards that can be used are Old Maid, Blink, and even Uno.

5. Build a fort

Kids don’t need to be construction workers to play this game indoors. They don’t need cement, boulders, bricks, etc., to build the fort. They can gather items such as pillows, blankets, cardboard boxes, sticks, tables, or chairs to build the desired fort.

The cardboard forts are easier for kids of all ages. They can gather large boxes and use tape to join them. If the fort is large enough, kids can sit or sleep there. Pillow forts are soft and fun to make when there are a lot of pillows, stacks of blankets and pillows, and some furniture to hold the fort together.

A fort can also be made with a combination of pillows, blankets, and cardboard boxes altogether.

6. Dominoes

Kids indoors all day can stack up the dominoes and watch them fall one by one. Kids can stack up the dominoes using any pattern known to them. They can arrange and design the way they like. Depending on the number of dominoes available in this game, it may take some hours.

In this game, the most interesting aspect to kids is when they come up with diverse patterns and try to see which takes the longest to fall.

7. Read books and tell the story

This game is more interesting when played by a team. Reading books under a warm sheet, especially on a snowy or rainy day, is a great way to spend time indoors.

In this game, kids can pick a book, each with a designated time to read during the day as they stay indoors. They can take turns telling the story in the book. This game can help improve children’s reading skills and attention span because nothing beats a good book. It brings joy, pleasure, and fun.

8. Listening game

This is an educational and fun game for kids because it exercises their listening skills while allowing them to concentrate on the activity at hand.

Kids can collect clocks, books, pens, remotes, bottles, toys, and cups because of their distinct sounds. The items are placed on a table, and kids can observe and make a mental note of all the items on the table.

Each item can be taken from the table as the kid turns the other side or closes his/her eyes. The kid has to identify the item when a sound is made. The kid scores a point after identifying the item correctly. A blindfold may prevent kids from peeping or having their eyes half closed.

9. Treasure Hunt

In this game, a treasure map or a list of instructions can be used to find the hidden treasures. A coin or a treat can be hidden indoors with clues on where the kids must look to locate the treasure. The clue can be written in a riddle to make the game tricky.

This game enables kids to use their cognitive skills to search for hidden treasure. After locating the hidden treasure, a reward is obtained.

10. Alphabet Game

This is an indoor game for younger kids. Two players can play the game. The first player can begin with an exercise saying, I went to the supermarket and bought a…”. The player can select an object beginning with any alphabet or letter. Each player takes turns to play the game and adds a word using the selected alphabet. Rules can be added to the game.

The game helps improve kids’ memory and language skills. It can also aid them in producing plenty of funny moments as they try to remember each object that has been chosen.

11. Dictionary Deception

In this game, words kids haven’t encountered can be selected and asked to write down their meaning. This game helps kids to expand their vocabulary and improve their spelling ability. The answers given by kids to all the selected words can be collected and read out. Corrections can be made using the dictionary to find the meaning of the words and other related information.

12. Riddles

It is good to test kids’ thinking ability. This is a thought-provoking game that can be used to initiate and encourage kids to think outside the box. For example, what makes people cry while using it- Onions, what is fragile and is broken when you say its name- Silence, and so many more.

13. Role-Play

This is a game that helps kids to work on their acting capabilities. It is more interesting when it involves a lot of kids who can act out a scenario. Kids can act out scenes such as going to the shopping center, learning how to choose a career, having a conversation with the president, having a car accident, arresting a criminal, etc.

Kids can be any character they want to be. They can have a short script to perform with, and after rehearsals, they can act out the role perfectly.

14. Lego

With the Lego game, kids can build new worlds indoors, such as a sprawling cityscape, a towering skyscraper, or a pastoral paradise. Lego provides the needed materials to help bring their imaginations and creativity into reality.

Lego allows kids to build a particular structure or scene and use creativity. They can create their design without following the instructions, keeping kids gripped for a long time. It is a fantastic way to develop creative skills.

15. Coloring, Arts and Crafts

Coloring, art, and craft are great ways to keep kids engaged for a long time. Kids need scrap paper, crayons, scissors, and glue to create unique designs. There can be the addition of stickers, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and other types of items to bring in new creativity.

Furthermore, kids can use worksheet copies that are left over to create arts and crafts. Coloring books can keep them engaged as they color images indoors, keeping them entertained for a long time.