While most people, especially children, would prefer to have the option to be outside on a nice day, unfortunately, sometimes this isn't possible. Whether it's because of the weather, school closures, or other reasons, if you aren't prepared to be inside for extended periods, things can get dull very fast. So, we've developed a list of activities that can help preoccupy children that find themselves looking out of the window, longing and wishing they could be outside.
Bring On The Board Games
Unless you have a family that religiously plays board games in their free time, the chances are that your closet is full of them, and they have been slowly collecting dust. What better time to bring them out when playing outside is no longer an option?
Surely, there's one or two out of your collection that everyone can agree upon, and its a great way to bond with one another. Plus, many board games are designed to get your child thinking!
Get Your Body Moving By Having a Dance Party
Considering that all you need is a portable speaker or maybe just a phone, you can have a dance party wherever you are! This is a great way to get little kid's bodies moving when they restricted to being inside.
Put on some of your child's favorite tunes and let them tucker themselves out through the art of dance. Not only is it good exercise, but it will help make time feel like it flew by!
Everyone Can Get Involved With A Jigsaw Puzzle
For most people that have children, and even if you don't, it's not uncommon for people to have at least one jigsaw puzzle lying around the house.
Jigsaw puzzles are great because everyone can do them on their own time, and all you have to do leave them out on a surface for anyone to try their hand out. Furthermore, your whole family will have a sense of accomplishment when everyone is smiling over the finished product.
Give Each Other Makeovers
If you have any on hand, take out your old makeup, nail polishes, brushes, and whatever else you have on hand. Then, lay out a sheet or create an area to keep the ground and walls clean and let your kids have at it.
Whether they are a boy or a girl, they'll enjoy being allowed to not only use makeup for once but use it however they want. Whether they want to actually do their own makeup or just go crazy with it, their creativity will shine through.
DIY Lasers
A lot of kids dream about being able to effortlessly cross through a maze of lasers like in the movies, well now they can!
All that's required for this activity is some regular painters tape and allow your child to hang it up however they want between two walls, although preferably a hallway. Then, watch as they struggle to make it through without getting caught! Additionally, they get to enjoy themselves by ripping it all down afterward!
Reading Out Loud
Although some children grow out of this past a certain age, if they're young enough, don't forget to read to them out loud! Few children dislike having a good book read to them, and it's great for their brain's development.
However, if your child is a bit older and has moved onto more advanced books, there's always the option of listening to an audiobook or an appropriate podcast. This can also be done while they're preoccupied doing something else.
Bring The Outdoors Inside
Something a lot of kids like to do, even if it's just in the yard, is camping. It's a positive way for children to enjoy something out of the usual while also using their imagination. So, if you're in a situation when you're stuck inside, bring the feeling of camping indoors.
You can do this by either setting up a real tent, making one of your own, just whatever feels best. You can also make traditional camping food inside to really feel like you're out in the wilderness!
Sardines In The Dark
This game works best in the dark, but you can play it at any time if you want. Try to get your house as dark as possible by turning off all of the lights. Then, one person is chosen as the "hider" and goes and hides somewhere within the house.
Then, everyone else goes and looks for the hider. However, when someone finds the hider they continue to hide with them. The last person searching is the loser.
Make Your Own Origami
Although a lot of origami may seem to complex with small children, there are actually several projects that anyone can do, especially with the help of a parent. All you need is some construction paper, different colors if you want to spice things up, and then hop on the Internet.
There, you can find countless different projects for you and your child to try, that can then be used as decorations throughout the house. It's a project you can keep forever!
Make Your Own Individual Pizzas
If you already have the ingredients or can make a quick trip to the store, making your own individual pizzas is always a great way to make lunch or dinner fun and interesting. All you need is some dough, sauces, and toppings, and let your kids get creative with it.
Another major benefit is that your kids are less likely to be picky about what they're eating for dinner. Because what kid doesn't like pizza?
Fingerprint Art Is Always A Hit
One extremely popular arts and crafts to do inside is known as fingerprint art. How it's done is that children dip their fingers in paint and place it on a piece of paper. They can then draw on and around their fingerprint to create whatever they feel like.
Furthermore, there are also books dedicated to teaching children how to make a variety of fingerprint art in the form of animals that could be fun to learn as well!
There's Nothing Wrong With A Little Screentime
Although it's not the best idea to spend all of their time staring at a television or a smart device, there's also nothing wrong with snuggling up to a good movie every now and then.
However, if you're going to chose to put on movies, make sure that they're as educational and fulfilling as possible. Of course, it can be hard to avoid using screens as a way to entertain your child, so you might as well make it worth it.
Make A Sensory Bin
All it takes is some rice, a few toys, and some other treasures, and you have a sensory bin that will entertain your little ones for ages. Simply mix the toys are to hide them in the rice and let the kids used their hands to find the toys you hid for them.
To make it even more fun, use toys that they haven't seen before but are still small enough to be hidden in the rice. Nevertheless, you'll probably have to vacuum after.
Mad Libs And Other Word Games Are Always Fun
Considering that Mad Libs have been around since the 1950s, it's a proven method used to preoccupy not just children but adults too. It's also a great way for children to work on learning their grammar terms.
There are other creative word games you can play such as the story game, in which one person writes the first sentence of a story and the next player adds on the second sentence, and so forth. The final story (which usually makes no sense) is then read out loud.
Make Your Own Clothes!
Although this doesn't mean you have to fashion your own clothes from pieces of scrap cloth (unless you want to), there's plenty of things you can do to enhance your regular clothes.
While you might want to use an inexpensive white t-shirt, there's so much you can do to it. You can use tie-dye, use spin-art, or fabric markers to create your own unique clothes. All of the other students will be jealous that their parents weren't as experimental as you!
Have An Indoor Scavenger Hunt
If you are having a scavenger hunt, whether it's inside or outside, you and your young ones are sure to have fun. All you have to do as a parent is select items around your house and write them down as a list on a piece of paper.
Then, set your little ones loose to run around the house to see who can collect all of the items first. Don't forget to award the players with a special prize once they have acquired all of the items.
Bake Something Delicious
A lot of kids enjoy the prospect of baking. Not only is the process fun, but they know that there's usually a tasty treat waiting for them at the end.
Baking is also the perfect way to introduce youngsters to the kitchen and to teach them about different ingredients, measurements, and techniques. Plus, there's no limit to the things that you can bake! While your goods are baking, it's also the perfect time for another quick activity.
Put On A Play Or A Show
To see how creative your kids really are, ask for them to put on a play or some type of show for you. To make it even more interesting, allow them to raid the adult's closets so they can wear some unique costumes.
If you really want to have your children think, sit down with them and help them write a script to memorize or something like a choreographed dance. Then, sit back and enjoy the show!
Write A Heartfelt Letter
There are few things that grandparents or other relatives and close friends appreciate from small children more than a handwritten letter. Unfortunately, these days, a lot of children are doing this less and less.
So, if you're stuck inside, there's no better time to take the opportunity to write letters to your loved ones. Your children can also decorate them however they want to show their personality. Besides, it's also an excellent way for your child to practice their handwriting.
Have A LEGO-Building Contest
If you have or have had young children, it's more than likely that you have a stash of LEGOS somewhere around the house. These are the perfect toys to break out on a day stuck inside the house.
You can follow the instructions to build something incredible or just use your imagination to see who can construct the coolest creation. The opportunities are endless, so they're definitely worth the investment! Just watch out when you're walking barefoot because you do not want to step on one!
