Indoor Games Ideas For Kids: Keep Them Active Indoors

Here are detailed instructions for a selection of 10 games:

1. Hide and Seek

• Requirements: None, just a home with different hiding spots
• How to Play:
  1. Choose one player to be “It.”
  2. “It” closes their eyes and counts to a predetermined number (e.g., 20 or 50).
  3. Meanwhile, the other players hide around the house.
  4. Once the count is done, “It” searches for the hidden players.
  5. The first person found becomes the next “It,” and the last person found wins the round.

2. Simon Says

• Requirements: None
• How to Play:
  1. One player is chosen as “Simon.”
  2. Simon gives commands, such as “Simon says touch your nose” or “Simon says jump up and down.”
  3. Players should only follow commands that start with “Simon says.”
  4. If Simon gives a command without saying “Simon says” and someone follows it, they are out.
  5. The game continues until there’s one player left.

3. Freeze Dance

• Requirements: Music player
• How to Play:
  1. Play music and have everyone dance.
  2. Pause the music at random intervals.
  3. When the music stops, everyone must freeze.
  4. If a player moves while frozen, they are out.
  5. The last person remaining wins.

4. Treasure Hunt

• Requirements: Small treasures or treats, paper for clues
• How to Play:
  1. Hide small treasures or treats around the house.
  2. Create clues that lead players from one spot to the next.
  3. Hand the first clue to the players and let them follow the clues to find each treasure.
  4. The game ends when all treasures are found.

5. Balloon Volleyball

• Requirements: Balloon, string or tape to mark a “net” across the room
• How to Play:
  1. Set up a “net” using string or tape at a reachable height.
  2. Divide players into two teams on opposite sides of the net.
  3. Players hit the balloon back and forth over the net.
  4. A team scores a point if the balloon hits the ground on the other side.
  5. Play until one team reaches a set number of points (e.g., 10).

6. Charades

• Requirements: List of words or actions to act out
• How to Play:
  1. Write words or phrases on slips of paper (movies, animals, etc.).
  2. Divide players into teams.
  3. A player from one team picks a slip of paper and acts it out silently.
  4. Their team has a set time (e.g., 1 minute) to guess the word or phrase.
  5. Teams alternate turns; the team with the most correct guesses wins.

7. Obstacle Course

• Requirements: Household items (pillows, chairs, blankets) to create obstacles
• How to Play:
  1. Set up an obstacle course using items around the house.
  2. Include challenges like crawling under tables, jumping over pillows, or balancing on tape lines.
  3. Players complete the course one at a time, and time each player to see who is the fastest.
  4. The player with the shortest time wins.

8. Scavenger Hunt

• Requirements: List of items to find around the house
• How to Play:
  1. Make a list of items to find around the house (e.g., a red book, a spoon, a stuffed animal).
  2. Hand out the list to each player or team.
  3. Players must find and bring back each item on the list as quickly as possible.
  4. The first to collect all items wins.

9. Hot Potato

• Requirements: Small soft object (e.g., stuffed toy), music player
• How to Play:
  1. Players sit in a circle.
  2. Start the music, and players pass the “potato” around the circle.
  3. When the music stops, the player holding the potato is out.
  4. Continue until one player is left and declared the winner.

10. Balloon Tennis

• Requirements: Balloons, paper plates, popsicle sticks (optional)
• How to Play:
  1. Inflate a balloon and optionally make “tennis rackets” by taping popsicle sticks to paper plates.
  2. Use the balloon and rackets (or hands) to hit the balloon back and forth.
  3. The goal is to keep the balloon off the ground.
  4. Count how many hits can be achieved without the balloon touching the floor.

These Indoor Games Ideas For Kids provide lots of fun with minimal materials. Let me know if you’d like more game details or additional activities!