Indoor activities you can do at home—from educational play to physical games! Fun ideas that will fill your day with smiles.
“Isn’t there something we can play indoors?” When it’s raining or you’re spending a day off at home, it can be surprisingly hard to come up with ideas once you actually decide to play.
So this time, we’re introducing indoor activities you can enjoy in the living room or any room at home.
From educational play that fosters learning to active games that get bodies moving, we’ve gathered fun ideas sure to bring smiles all around.
There are plenty of activities that parents and kids, friends, and even different generations can enjoy together, so feel free to check them out!
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- Get moving and have a blast! A collection of safe play ideas
- Games that get the whole family excited! A collection of ideas you can start right away with no equipment
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- [For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- Games you can do in 10 minutes: Ideas for fun activities indoors and outdoors
- Fun that’s a blast solo or in groups! A collection of game ideas even first graders can do.
Indoor activities you can do at home: from educational play to active games! Fun, smile-filled ideas (1–10)
Building a secret base
A play idea that will get kids’ hearts racing with excitement! Here are some ideas for building a secret hideout.
Just hearing the words “secret base” makes both kids and adults excited, doesn’t it? This time, let’s make one using plastic bags and newspapers.
Use clear tape to attach large plastic bags and newspapers together to build your base.
If you blow air in through the entrance with a fan or blower, the base will gently inflate and feel nice and spacious! Napping inside or playing with balloons sounds fun, too.
It’s a unique idea that’s perfect for summer!
knitting
If you’re looking for an activity that helps you focus, how about trying knitting? People often think knitting is difficult, but it’s actually easy enough for kids to do.
Finger knitting and methods that use a milk carton are classics, but using cardboard is also recommended.
For example, if you’re making gloves, cut the cardboard into the shape of a glove, snip small notches around the edges, and wrap yarn around it, hooking it onto the notches.
After that, simply weave another yarn over and under through the gaps.
You can enjoy knitting with a fun, craft-like feel.
Balloon Basketball
Basketball with fluffy balloons!? Here’s a balloon-basketball idea.
When you think of balloons, you probably imagine them popping up and then drifting down slowly.
But apparently, with just a simple wrap of something, a balloon can transform into a ball.
All you need is a balloon, vinyl tape, and a pool noodle.
Inflate the balloon and wrap it with vinyl tape, and your ball is ready! Cut a pool noodle in half to make a hoop, and you can enjoy basketball at home.
It’s a fun idea that even infants can play with!
Indoor activities you can do at home: from educational play to physical activities! Fun ideas full of smiles (11–20)
Mario Run Brain Break
@renamama_asobi♬ Mario like action game 2 – Jun Takahashi
It’s a program where you move your body along with a fun, Super Mario–style video world.
It feels like you’ve jumped into a game, but there are no controls—just play the video, so setup is easy.
Each movement is simple, like dodging attacks or shooting them down, so even if it could run unattended, you still get the fun sensation of responding on your own.
We recommend projecting it on as large a screen as possible and progressing by moving your whole body left and right.
Sparkly Coloring Book
It’s an activity that combines coloring and collage, where you decorate a picture with sparkling sheets to make it colorful.
The themed illustration has small sections that can be peeled off; when you peel them, an adhesive surface appears, and you stick the glittery sheet onto those areas.
After firmly applying the sheet and then peeling it away, the glitter remains in that exact shape—so it’s a special material that lets you keep coloring without any need for cutting.
You can also express your originality by choosing which sheet to use in which spot, so we recommend keeping that in mind as you add color.
Trump ‘Speed’
This is a game where you quickly choose and play a card from your own field that connects to the card placed in the center, aiming to run out of cards in your hand faster than your opponent.
There are two cards in the center and four cards in your field.
If you have a connecting card, stack it on the center card, then replenish the card you played from your own deck.
If your opponent stacks first, you can’t play your card, so focus on identifying the right card and placing it faster than your opponent.
Even if you have a connecting card, you might deliberately keep it so your opponent can’t play—this kind of back-and-forth mind game is part of the fun.
board game
There are many types of board games, with a wide range of player counts and rules, so it’s nice that you can choose one to match the mood of the moment.
In most board games, building a strategy is important, so they’re an easy way to get your brain working.
Beyond flat games like card games, some are three-dimensional, which also adds to the variety of board games.
While some include strategies like bluffing, it might be important to focus on playing cooperatively and enjoy the give-and-take.