28 Indoor Activities for Kids of All Ages

Indoor activities offer numerous benefits for kids, especially on a rainy day when outdoor play is not possible. First and foremost, indoor play provides lots of fun and entertainment for children, helping to keep them engaged and active.

Moreover, many indoor activities help to develop hand-eye coordination, motor skills, and overall dexterity. If you are stuck indoors and out of ideas to organize indoor activities for kids at home, you are in luck! Throughout this blog, we’ll dive into the best indoor activities for kids in a variety of categories.

Let’s get started!

5 Brain Training Indoor Activities for Kids

Indoor brain training activities provide a fun and engaging way for children to learn and develop cognitive skills. Here is a closer look at the most fun indoor activities for kids that’ll foster their minds.

1. MentalUP Learning Games

MentalUP is the ultimate learning app with which parents can revolutionize the way their kids learn and have fun at the same time. Designed by highly skilled pedagogs, academics, and game developers, MentalUP is guaranteed to keep your kids entertained and enhance their cognitive skills with engaging games and indoor activities for kids of all ages.

What sets MentalUP apart is its unparalleled focus on personalized learning, offering a tailor-made experience for each child based on their unique performance and progress. The app's adaptive nature ensures that children are always challenged at an appropriate difficulty level, keeping them engaged and motivated to continue learning.

With MentalUP, your kid can access a wide range of games, activities, and physical exercises from any device, whether it's a PC, tablet, or mobile phone. This means they can continue their learning journey wherever they are, whether it's at home or on the go as road trip games for kids.

Plus, with performance tracking and rich reporting capabilities, MentalUP provides parents and teachers with actionable insights into their child's development, strengths, and weaknesses.

2. Memory Games

Memory games can be fun activities for kids to foster their minds. Playing memory games helps improve concentration, memory retention, and visual recognition. You can utilize memory games, like Go Fish or Match It or search online for apps offering memory games.

3. Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are one of the most beneficial fun indoor activities for kids at home. These puzzles can provide kids entertainment for hours and expand their problem-solving, shape recognition, and fine motor skills. All you need to do is buy some puzzle sets or download learning apps that feature fun and challenging jigsaw puzzles. Don’t forget that this alternative can be used as one of the most effective extracurricular activities for kids.

4. Bananagrams

This is one of the best indoor activities for kids as brain words games. To play Bananagrams, players draw letter tiles and use them to create a grid of intersecting words. The game ends when one player has used up all their tiles, and the winner is the person with the most words. Don’t forget that you can use these kinds of alternatives as the most effective English games for kids to develop their language skills.

5. Mindfulness Activities

Practicing mindfulness can be one of the most fun children's activities that calm their minds and reduce stress. Mindfulness activities, like deep breathing exercises, guided meditations, and yoga, can improve emotional regulation, attention management, and impulse control.

If you are familiar with these activities, you can try practicing them at home with your kids or utilize mindfulness apps, like Headspace for Kids, Smiling Mind, Mindful Powers, and Smiling Mind.

5 Physical Indoor Activities for Kids

Indoor physical activities are essential for kids to burn off excess energy, reduce stress, and improve their mood and mental well-being. Let’s discover some exciting indoor physical activities for kids that’ll keep kids busy and entertained.

6. MentalUP Fitness Exercises

MentalUP, the award-winning learning app, offers more than 140 fitness exercises specifically tailored to different age groups. These exercises for kids contribute significantly to physical development, not only aiding in stress relief and physical improvement but also promoting better sleep and healthy habits.

With MentalUP, children have the opportunity to challenge themselves and improve their physical abilities through engaging and enjoyable exercises. The adaptive algorithm continuously tests children's physical skills and ensures that each exercise plan is customized to their unique abilities, providing a personalized workout plan that's perfect for each child.

In addition, the app's easy-to-navigate interface, colorful animated videos, and customizable characters keep kids engaged and motivated with a new challenge to look forward to every time.

7. Playing Twister

If it is raining or snowing outside, playing Twister can be one of the most enjoyable coordination exercises and indoor winter activities for kids and their parents. Twister is a great game to get kids moving and active.

In addition to providing hours of fun, Twister contributes positively to kids’ physical fitness, such as balance, coordination, and gross motor skills. It can also be played with friends and family members to make it more exciting.

8. Indoor Obstacle Course

This might be one of the best free indoor activities for kids. To create the course, you can set up various physical and mental challenges using household objects like pillows, furniture, and toys. Just ensure that there is enough space for your child to move safely. Your kid will love it and at the same time practice their spatial awareness, problem-solving, and coordination. Don’t forget that this alternative is also among the funniest rainy day activities for kids.

9. Indoor Scavenger Hunts

If you need some 5 year activities at home that’ll help your child develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, you can set up indoor scavenger hunts. Simply create a list of items that can be found around the house, hide these items in various locations, and give your child the list. They can then search for the items on the list, checking them off as they find them.

10. Dance Party

Dancing helps improve physical skills such as rhythm, coordination, and balance; turning it into a dance party for family members can be one of the most entertaining indoor kid-friendly things to do.

All you need to do is put some music on and encourage your kid to dance. If you want to spice up your dance party, you can try organizing themed dance parties too, such as disco or line dancing nights.

5 Arts and Crafts Indoor Activities for Kids

If you want to provide your kid with a fun and relaxing way to pass the time indoors, you might need arts and crafts indoor activities that they enjoy. So let’s dive into the best kid-friendly indoor activities aka creative activities that’ll foster kids' artistic and creative skills.

11. Indoor Garden

Creating an indoor garden is one of the most relaxing activities for kids indoor time. It's a great way to teach children about nature and the environment, while also promoting a sense of responsibility and caring for something living.

All you need is pots, soil, and seeds. Let your child choose which seeds they want to plant. Then, you can encourage them to water the plants regularly. Kids can watch as the seeds grow into plants and take care of them by making sure they receive enough sunlight and water.

12. Paper Plate Masks

If you are looking for some 5 year old activities at home, this one is for you. Paper plate masks are a fun and creative indoor activity that promotes kids' fine motor skills and expands their imagination and creativity.

All you need are some paper plates, paint, markers, and any other decorative materials you have on hand, such as feathers or stickers. Let your child use their imagination to design a mask, then help them cut out the eyes and mouth. Once it is complete, they can wear it and pretend to be whoever they want to be! Don’t forget to include drawing ideas for kids in the activity and enjoy the fun together with them!

13. DIY Slime

Making slime from scratch is one of the most fun indoor activities for kids. Plus, the activity can improve kids' fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory processing.

Simply mix the glue and water in a bowl and add a few drops of food coloring. In a separate bowl, mix liquid starch with water. Then, slowly pour the starch mixture into the glue mixture and stir until you get the desired consistency and texture. Your kid will enjoy this process and be motivated to create and play with their own slimes.

14. DIY Kaleidoscope

Creating a kaleidoscope can be an exciting experience for kids that improve their visual-spatial skills and encourages problem-solving and critical thinking. All you need is a cardboard tube, reflective material, and some colorful objects.

The kaleidoscope is made by inserting reflective material and colorful objects into the tube, which creates beautiful patterns when viewed through the other end. Your child can peer into their kaleidoscope and use their imagination by describing what objects they see.

15. Friendship Bracelets

This is one of the most classic indoor activities for kids that improve their fine motor skills and develop their creativity. To make a friendship bracelet, you'll need embroidery floss in different colors, scissors, and a clip or tape to hold the threads in place.

There are various techniques you can use to make different patterns and designs, but a simple starting point is the basic knotting technique, which involves tying knots with two threads at a time.

4 Science Indoor Activities for Kids

Are you wondering what are examples of indoor activities that promote kids’ science skills? If your answer is yes, keep reading to find out some of the best indoor activities for kids that provide a hands-on way for them to learn about scientific concepts and develop their curiosity and problem-solving skills.

16. Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcanoes

Creating a baking soda and vinegar volcano is one of the most fun children's activities that can help them learn about chemical reactions. You'll need some baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, red food coloring, and a plastic bottle or container. Mix the baking soda and vinegar together in the container, then add the dish soap and food coloring to create the lava effect.

17. Homemade Ice Cream

Making homemade ice cream is a delicious and rewarding activity that can teach kids the science behind freezing and how different ingredients can affect the texture and flavor of ice cream.

All you need is some heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and any flavoring your kid wants to add. Simply mix all the ingredients together, then pour the mixture into a plastic bag, and place it in a larger bag filled with ice and salt. Shake the bag for several minutes until the mixture has frozen and turned into ice cream.

18. Balloon Rockets

This is one of the most exciting indoor activities for kids at home that promotes visual tracking and hand-eye coordination. You need a long piece of string, some balloons, and a straw.

Tie one end of the string to a chair or other stationary object, and then thread the straw onto the string. Blow up the balloon and attach it to the straw using tape or a rubber band. Release the balloon and watch as it flies across the room!

19. Sink or Float

If you are looking for fun free indoor activities for kids, fill a large container with water and gather a variety of small objects, such as coins or toys. Have your child predict whether each object will sink or float, then drop the object into the water and observe what happens. This activity will not only keep your kid entertained but also expand their critical thinking skills.

5 Online Indoor Activities for Kids

Online indoor activities can be a great screen-based alternative for kids who are bored with traditional indoor activities. Here are the best alternatives to keep kids entertained and stimulated during their screen time.

20. MentalUP Tests & Events

The scientifically designed learning app, MentalUP, is one of the most trustable resources to provide kids with plenty of online indoor activities promoting their mental and physical development in a holistic way.

With its innovative approach to learning, the MentalUP platform, which is also one of the best educational websites for kids, blends 150+ brain training games and 240+ exercising activities to ensure that kids are practicing their abilities in a safe and entertaining way.

With its adaptive algorithm, MentalUP provides kids with 20 minutes of customized brain training sessions followed by a 7-minute workout to keep kids active. In addition to all these exciting games and exercises, the app is now equipped with a variety of IQ tests and live events kids can participate in.

21. Minecraft

Minecraft is a sandbox-style game that challenges kids' critical thinking skills to navigate obstacles and build structures. Additionally, Minecraft's open-world environment stimulates creativity as players have the freedom to design and build whatever they want.

If you want to turn this exciting game into a fun indoor activity, you can download the game and let your kid start exploring this virtual world.

22. Duolingo

Learning a new language with Duolingo can be one of the best free indoor activities for kids who are interested in learning new languages or cultures. All you have to do is download the app from an app store. Duolingo's gamified approach to language learning will keep your kid entertained for hours, thanks to its fun vocabulary games.

23. Virtual Museum Tours

If you are googling “indoor activities for kids near me,” you can try virtual museum tours with your kid. These tours offer various cognitive benefits, such as promoting critical thinking and cultural awareness. To take a tour, you can visit various museum websites or use online resources, such as Google Arts & Culture.

24. Toca Life World

Toca Life World is a digital playset that allows kids to create and explore their own virtual worlds. This app promotes cognitive development by encouraging creativity, imagination, and problem-solving. You can download the game on either the App Store or Google Play Store and let your kid enjoy creating their own virtual world.

4 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Fun indoor activities can be a great way to promote kids’ physical, cognitive, and emotional development, which is crucial for their growth and overall well-being. Here are the most entertaining indoor activities for kids at home that’ll keep them giggling.

25. Playing Pretend

Playing pretend has various benefits for children from expanding their language skills to boosting their creativity. To play, you can choose roles and characters with your kid and use your imagination to act out a story. If you want to make it even more entertaining, you can try dressing up in costumes or using other materials, such as Disney trivia questions.

26. DIY Indoor Fort

Building an indoor fort can be one of the most fun family-friendly things to do. Use blankets, pillows, and some furniture to create a cozy and private space for your family members. This process will develop your kid's spatial reasoning skills and give you a special space to bond with them.

27. Movie Marathon

Watching movies can be a fun and relaxing indoor activity with multiple benefits, like enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving.

To organize a movie marathon with your kid, choose a theme or genre and pick a few movies to watch. You can also make snacks together and create a cozy viewing area for an immersive experience.

28. At-Home Bowling

If you are thinking about what to do with toddler kids to reinforce their hand-eye coordination and spatial reasoning, try at-home bowling with them. To set up a bowling alley, you can use soft or lightweight bowling sets that are safe for indoor use. Then, you can take turns bowling and keeping score, encouraging friendly competition and socialization.

Benefits of Indoor Activities for Kids

Indoor activities offer several benefits for kids, including:

• Offering a safe and comfortable environment for children to play, especially during extreme weather conditions
• Stimulating creativity and imagination through various activities, such as drawing, painting, and crafting
• Improving cognitive development through games and puzzles that challenge problem-solving skills and logical thinking
• Encouraging physical activity through indoor games, such as dancing and yoga
• Enabling children to learn new skills and hobbies
• Serving as a calming and stress-relieving activity, especially for children with anxiety or sensory sensitivities
• Providing an opportunity for quality time and bonding with family and friends through cooperative games and activities
• Facilitating educational activities
• Fostering a sense of accomplishment and pride when children complete a project or finish a game
• Allowing parents to supervise and monitor their children's activities, ensuring their safety and well-being
• Providing a cost-effective way to keep children entertained and engaged

Frequently Asked Questions About Indoor Activities for Kids

Now that we have learned about the best indoor activities for kids in various categories and their benefits, let’s answer the most commonly asked questions about these activities.