As moms, we know the days all too well when we are stuck inside with our kids who are bored out of their minds and as a result are driving you crazy. Whether the rain or heat is keeping you inside, or you’re too sick to take your kids anywhere, or you are working from home and need to keep the kids entertained, here are a few suggestions for indoor games to keep those antsy kiddos out of your hair:
1. Balloon Paddle Ball
What is it about balloons that make all kids go crazy over them? If they see a balloon it’s like a moth to a flame. They can’t resist playing with it. Hence, I’ll be willing to bet your kiddos will be so excited to play this homemade game. Just take some popsicle sticks and glue them onto the back of some paper plates and you’ve got paddles. Then, blow up a ballon and now you’ve got your ball. This indoor game is perfect for playing inside because the ballon is so soft and light that if it touches anything in your home it won’t break it. Sounds perfect to me!
Source: Jacob Joaquin via Flickr
2. Streamer Hallway Maze
We know the scene from the spy movie where the the spy is moving through a maze of lasers. How fun would this be to create in your own home for your little ones to play in? Buy some crepe paper from the dollar store and stream them up in a hallway with tape. You can make them go really high, really low, or anywhere in between. You can also make it as difficult or as easy as you’d like depending on the ages of your kids. Such an easy, and not to mention cheap, game to keep your little ones occupied for hours.
3. Paper Plate Tic-Tac-Toe
For this game you don’t need any special supplies. You can use supplies you already have in your home. Take 10 paper plates (you can even use regular paper if you don’t keep paper plates in your home) and write X’s on 5 of them and O’s on the other 5. Then take some tape (painters tape, duct tape, washi tape; any of those will work) and tape down a square with 9 smaller squares inside. Now you have a giant Tic-Tac-Toe game for your little ones to play with.
Source: alittlelearningfortwo.blogspot.com
4. Paper Plate Ring Toss
Who knew that paper plates had so many uses? Cut out some holes in your paper plates, then tape a cardboard roll from paper towels or cling wrap and tape it down onto an uncut paper plate. Now you’ve got your rings and your stand to throw the rings on. I’m sure the kids will love this one.
5. Tape Maze
Mazes are great for kids to do because it not only keeps their attention for a while, but it’s also great for their mind to work through. To make your own maze, take some more of that tape and create a simple, large rectangle on the floor with one small opening. Then, make lines that connect through out the maze. Depending on the ages of your kids you can keep it simple or make it more involved. Your children can navigate the maze themselves, or use cars and trucks to move through the maze. Let them use their imagination.
Source: LYDIA and her SALAD DAYS via Flickr
6. Indoor Hopscotch
This indoor game is similar to the tape maze. You can create a hopscotch game on your floors with tape as well. Lay out some squares and then make the numbers with the tape as well. You can use any small ball you already have in your home to throw inside the squares. It’ll be a fun activity for them that they can play by themselves, with siblings, or friends.
7. Water Bottle Bowling
Bowling is something all kids love to do and this version is perfect to play inside. Set up some empty water bottles at the end of your hallway, then let your kids use one of their balls as the bowling ball. It’s safe to play and won’t hurt or break anything in your home since the ball and bottles are so light.
8. Pool Noodle Basketball
Have a few extra pool noodles laying around? Take one and connect the ends together so that the noodle forms a circle. Tape the ends together and then tape it onto the wall or the back of a door. If you want the hoop to be a little smaller you can cut the size of the pool noodle down. Let your kids shoot some hoops either with a bouncy ball, a real basketball, or if you don’t want to worry about the ball hurting anyone or anything, give them a balloon to shoot some hoops with.
9. Bean Bag Toss
Time to get out that handy dandy tape again. Set up a bean bag toss game in your living room with some tape and some bean bags. If you don’t have the traditional bean bags, you can even use fruit snack bags, or any snack bag really. There are a few ways to set this game up indoors. You can either use the tape to draw two squares at the opposite ends of the room that the kids can aim for. Or you can create different shapes on the floor such as a circle, a square, a triangle, etc., and tell your children which shape to aim for.
10. Balloon Volleyball
If you haven’t already caught on, balloons are the perfect toy for indoor games. They are harmless and so fun for your little one. To set up a volleyball court, take two dining chairs and set them across from each other. Then tape a string up between the two to make a net. Let your kids get on either side of the net and spike the balloon back and forth to each other. It’s up to them if they want to keep score or not.
Mary Mulroney
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