Baby It's Cold Outside! Indoor Activities for the Kids

Kids Activities Blog 

Active Things for Kids to Do When They are Stuck Inside

Cross-Country Skiing – This is one of the most genius ways of upcycling I have seen in a long time!  Playtivities created an entire ski set out of cardboard and…well, I am not going to ruin it.  Go see for yourself!

Paper Airplane Accuracy Game – I adore this from How We Learn!  It could be themed for something your child is currently learning or you could make targets to get kids throwing and fetching!

Math Pattern Hop – Learning to skip count can be a very interactive experience!  This could easily be done in doors with painters’ tape instead of chalk.

Balloon Tennis – Toddler Approved has a fun idea to allow her kids to play tennis indoors!  Kristina replaced a tennis ball with a balloon.  I think their racquets are very creative!

Recycled Bottle Indoor Bowling – Learn with Play at Home has a fun and simple craft that turns bottles into a bowling game perfect for indoor energy expenditure.

Flashlight Games – The fun doesn’t have to stop when night falls!  There are all sorts of fun games to play after dark.

DIY Marble Run – Buggy and Buddy’s kids created a fun marble run from things they had around the house.  My kids would love, love, love this!

Cardboard Stair Slide - Milk and Cuddles has perfected the absolute gold standard of outdoor kids activities moved indoors, a slide!

Super Mario Obstacles – Inspired by the favorite video game, you can create an obstacle course that would stump kids to get to the next level.

Homemade Indoor Croquet – Toddler Approved has a fun indoor game for kids of all ages {my husband would adore this}.  She and her kids created a indoor croquet game with all sorts of upcycled household items.

Mini Golf – Create a tin can mini golf course just like The Craft Train!

DIY Ball and Cup Game – We adore this simple upcycle to create a game that can be played by two or even alone.  There is no reason to leave your recycling bin untouched!

Climb a Beanstalk – Inspired by the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, 3 Dinosaurs and her kids created a painted beanstalk and then worked on several creative ways for Jack to climb it!

Play Store – This fun idea from Kids Play Space is a shoe store!  At first this doesn’t sound very active until you see the pictures of her kid playing!  What fun.

Learn to Juggle – Use these super fun-to-make juggling balls to inspire a bit of coordination practice.  Is the circus in your child’s future?

Pyramid Crash – If you shop in bulk, you will love this activity from Mess for Less.  She and her kids have all sorts of fun with a common paper product including building a pyramid and then knocking it down.

Cardboard Box Carnival Games – Oh!  I can’t wait to do this fun project from What Do We Do All Day?!  Your recycling bin can be emptied and transformed into a carnival.

Catapult Competition – Everyone builds in this game and then let the contest begin!

Fake Snowstorm – This is crazy messy which means it probably is crazy fun!  The Playtivities kids created an indoor snowstorm!

Animal Charades – These printables from Buggy and Buddy will have kids acting like a zoo!  What a fun way to shake out the wiggles.

Balloon Rocket – This is such a fun science activity and if you string up the clothes line indoors, it would be easy indoor fun!

Pillow Case Races – The Meaningful Mama kids had a ton of fun with their modified gunny sack race!

Hopscotch – The Happy Hooligans made a indoor hopscotch track.  What I love is that it could be modified for all sorts of jumping and hopping fun.

Grab a Handful of Craft Sticks – A few craft sticks and a kid or two can be the perfect combination for any of these 15+ active ways to play indoors.

Winter Olympics-inspired Yoga – These fun poses from Kids Yoga Stories will get even the most reluctant yoga participant stretching and holding with enthusiasm.

Racquet Game – Even if there is no one to play with, this simple activity from Frugal Fun 4 Boys will keep kids bouncing and running in circles to keep playing.

Build a Road – A roll of masking tape is the perfect way to create highways and streets all over your home.  Watch out for traffic!

Build a Castle – This cardboard box was transformed into a dwelling fit for a queen or king.  I love how KC Edventures’s kids created something really special.

Milk Jug Toss – Creative Connections for Kids has a upcycling project that will give hours of play.  A pom pom, a string and a milk jug becomes an active toy.

Avoid the Web – Create a spider web for kids to negotiate just like Hands On As We Grow.

Indoor Snowball Fight – Coffee Cups and Crayons will have the “snow” flying around your living room in no time.  This activity can have a fun learning component too!