This is the best list of indoor games for kids.
A bold statement, I know. You come to this lady on the internet, and she assures you she has the best list of indoor games.
As a stay-at-home mom of three active boys, I give this list of indoor games my five-star review! They are tried, tested, and played dozens of times through rainy days and newborn babies with energetic siblings.
Are you ready? Let’s get these indoor games for kids going!
RELATED: Want indoor activities without the search? You need our activity cards.
You can entertain a child at home with simple play prompts.
Being home with children all day can sometimes be a challenge. But what, if I told you a predictable rhythm to your day at home with kids, is possible? Being inside with kids all day has its ups and downs, and I can help with the in-between to hit restart.
In our home, we begin each morning with a simple morning play prompt. We call these Breakfast Invitations! Breakfast Invitations are easy learning games that inspire play.
Most of the time, these simple play ideas carry right on over into independent play. I like to say it “plants the seed” to creativity.
You will find many of these play prompts listed here in our list of indoor games!
RELATED: Looking to create a playspace? Everything you need to know about toys and storage listed right here.
This list of indoor games is the best.
To help simplify the searching and scrolling, I list the activities for kids into five easy-to-navigate categories. Within each category, I keep the activity list light to help get you instantly to an idea.
You can even take the quick and easy navigation one step further with our activity cards.
Types of Indoor Games
- Games for Toddlers
- Preschool Indoor Games
- Indoor Games for Fine Motor Skills
- Indoor Games for Gross Motor Skills
- Big Kid Indoor Games
Indoor Games for Toddlers
Here is how you can entertain your toddler in between naptimes.
- Primary Color Toy Sort Rainy day? Set up this indoor game for your toddler. Use toys you already own to search, sort, and classify.
- Indoor Sensory Play – The step-by-step action plan to get started.
- Kitchen Match-Up – Everything you need, already in your kitchen. A toddler favorite!
- Drive and Drop Have a box? Of course, you do. (wink, wink) Cut a hole and grab the race cars!
- Learn colors with 35+ Color Activities – This is an incredible list of ideas!
- Paint with your Toddler – You have got to check out this mess-free way to get started.
Preschool Indoor Games
Our bread and butter. This corner of the web is loaded with preschool activities. Here is just a taste of our favorites.
- Ice Skating Bears – Bring out the muffin tins and counting bears. This is a great way to entertain your preschooler!
- Sticker Maze – Gather the stay stickers! We’ve played this preschool game for YEARS!
- Sticker Match – Let’s keep those stickers out just a little bit longer for another popular game to encourage pencil grip.
- Color by Number – Draw a large monster on paper and add a key code for your preschooler to color in.
- Clay – Inspire art by introducing clay!
- Cloud Dough Construction Site – Sensory play is on repeat by adding a little cocoa to our cloud dough.
- Letter Park – Invite children to review letters learned with this risk-free way to play.
- Sound Shaker – Make a DIY sound shaker and guess what’s inside.
- Transportation Toy Sort – A sorting activity that always heads right into independent play!
Indoor Games for Fine Motor
Strengthen hand muscles and improve dexterity with play.
- Sticker Pairs – Stickers make a terrific supply for fine motor strength.
- Tape Cut Rescue – Hide some counting bears in a muffin tin and cover with painter’s tape. Have your child rescue the bears using scissors.
- Squirt Paint Color Mix – Squirt bottles strengthen small hands in the best way!
- Highlighter Trace – A sneaky way to improve pencil grip through play!
- Toddler Fine Motor Grab – Use clothespins to introduce squeezing to your toddler.
- Bring the Bears Home – A favorite amongst fine motor games! Encourages pincer grasp and hand-eye coordination.
- Alphabet Dot to Dot – Encourage pencil grip by connecting the letters in alphabetical order.
- Bear Boat Rescue – Use kid tongs to rescue bears into a boat made with recyclables.
Indoor Games for Gross Motor Skills
Even indoors, kids don’t stop moving. Here are some ideas to help tame the couch-jumping.
- Tracks at the Tree Farm – We played this at Christmas, but the idea continues to carry on here in March. Time to dig out the wooden tracks.
- Indoor Golf Tracks – Keep the tracks out and make this epic golf course!
- Magnetic Tiles Bowling – Scoop up the magnetic tiles for this indoor game.
- Pour to the Lines – Where water play meets measurement to strengthen those arms.
- Color Words Parking Lot – Drive race cars around the kitchen floor with this simple color words play prompt!
- The Claw – Have you seen Toy Story? Here is my play on the classic game, The Claw.
- Garage Ball Toss – Rainy day got you down? Grab some painter’s tape and practice tossing the ball.
- Movement Cube – Tissue boxes make the best movement cubes. We’ve played dozens of times indoors and out.
- Treasure Map – Get kids moving by searching for different items to add to the treasure map.
Big Kid Indoor Games
Terrific games for Kindergarten age and big kids.
- Activity Cards – Big kids need hands-on learning prompts too!
- Decoding Addition Activity – A creative spin on your average addition game.
- DIY Coin Bank – Sort coins with your leftover milk carton.
- Secret Message – Share a fun riddled with your big kid.
- Build It – Inspire inquiry-based learning with a simple question such as, how tall? Invite the others to join!
- Bubble Wrap Art – Have extra bubble wrap? Hand it over to your big kid and watch them create.
- 18+ Play Ideas for Magnetic Tiles – Don’t skip over magnetic bowling!
Yahoo! Now you have an incredible list of indoor games!
Which activity will you try first when you are inside all day? Add to your Pinterest board and save this for repeated use. Be sure also to check out these 50 Play Ideas for Kids at Home.
