I have a four year old and during this crazy time of our world, it’s become apparent that indoor activities are needed like I need a third cup of coffee right now. So, I came up with a great list of Indoor Activities that Rock. These are mostly no prep, using things from around the house. There are a few that require things you may not have on hand, but I’ve included links on where to get them.
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Bath Time for Toys
This is actually a win for you. Gather a large bucket, some water, dish soaps, and their plastic toys. Cups, ladles, and other kitchen tools are great too. Place their toys in the bucket and have them wash them clean! Clean toys and fun water play.
Sorting Items by Color
This can be with literally anything. Clothes, toys, books, legos. Anything. Have them name their color and place each item in the appropriate pile. This is a great way to get them learning, talking, and thinking. Let them find more items around the house of the correct colors!
Pom Pom Sorting Game
With a bag of poms and an empty ice cube tray, you can have them use different tools to grab and sort them. This not only works on identifying colors, but works on their fine motor skills. You can store them a large Ziploc or a small bucket for next time.
Set up a Sensory pathway
Using painters tape and a little creativity, lay out a path across the house of tasks. There are also sensory pathways you can purchase, but you can wing it if you need. Come up with activities your kids must do along the way. Think hop on one foot, pushups on the wall, walk like a bear, jumping, tiptoe, leap like a frog….Anything goes here! This could really be an all day activity. Just have them do it over and over.
See who can clean the house the fastest
Again, this works in your favor. Give each kid a list of tasks and see who can do them the fastest. A race to clean their room, sweep the floor, pick up toys, throw trash away, feed the dog….the choices are endless! Your kids may not do things perfectly (I mean do they ever?) but you will at least make some progress in cleaning the house.
Box Play
So, I recently discovered that Walmart carries moving boxes of all different sizes for under $2.00. This is great. Really great. Get a few boxes, let your kids color all over them. Make castles, forts, space ships, or a race car. Let their imagination run wild. This can bring DAYS of fun and imagination.
Create a race track
Get that painters tape back out and make a course in the living room. You can include parking lots, buildings, and whatever your mind can come up with. If you have a day or two, you can pick up some awesome race-track tape (see below) to make it more real and exciting.
Obstacle Maze
Take your crepe paper out of the closet and string it all over the hall. Make a course and set the kids free. The goal? Don’t break the paper! They’ll have to twist, crouch, crawl, and figure out how to get through the course! It’ll definitely burn some of their energy.
Playdoh
Now, I know some moms that are very anti-playdoh for the fact that it can make messes if not cleaned up properly. I taught my daughter from early on where to play with it and what the rules are when playing with playdoh. She can sit for HOURS and create things. It’s a great way for her to have a creative outlet and sit quietly and play. (Great if you need to get work done)
Role Reversal
Let your kids be “mommy” for a while and you be the baby. Let them take care of you, put you down for a nap, sing you a song, etc. It’s pretty cute to see what they come up with and how they treat you. My daughter loves to play with my hair, cover me up, and read books to me. Some of my greatest memories are made during this game.
Yoga/Stretch/Exercise
This is great for everyone in your house! Clear some furniture out of the way, and turn on a YouTube video, or just make it up! Try to spend 20-30 minutes doing this and afterwards you will feel great! My daughter started doing yoga with me at the age of 2. Obviously, she has her own way of doing things, but she tries and is able to stay focused during the entire time!
I hope that you are able to beat some boredom blues with some of these activities. I’ve included some of the products below to help you get started. I know that days at home with kids (especially when you have no idea how long you’ll be stuck there) can be monotonous. I really enjoyed making this list for you! What are some of your favorite indoor kids activities that rock?