49 FUN THINGS TO DO INSIDE WITH TODDLERS AND KIDS
Are you always at a loss for something fun and exciting to do with your little ones when you have the choice of either being housebound or braving the heat or cold outdoor weather?Ā
I know I always am. Especially on those long summer days when it is too hot to go anywhere, or on wintery days when it is too cold and wet to go out. So today, I am bringing you heaps of ideas for fun things to do inside with toddlers and kids.
These are super easy and won’t cost you a penny. ( Time to rummage through your drawers, sewing baskets, pantry and toyboxes!)Ā
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Fun things to do inside with toddlers
Want to know the secret code for a happy and cheerful toddler? I know it’s not a secret, but the answer is stimulation and variety! Having said that, I know we, as parents, struggle sometimes doing this.(Been there)
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Let’s see the fun things we can do inside to make our little ones happy.
- Homemade sensory bin– You can use cereal or rice bawl with a lot of treasures like bugs, snakes and pebbles hidden inside. Give them a light- weight spoon or spade to dig in.
- Puzzles– Simple puzzles are a great way for toddler to develop fine motor skills and build up vocabulary.
- Play Simon says– Most of us have played it as kids. It’s a great way to have fun while improving children’s vocabulary and Listening skills.
- Play Freeze dance– Another game to practice listening and attention. It’s wonderful that these simple games can teach our little ones so much, isn’t it?
- Play dough– Gives a lot of exercise to their little hands and prepares them for fine motor skills like drawing and writing in the later years. There’s a super easy and cheap recipe to make your own playdough.
You can make your own homemade playdough using 8tbsp of plain flour, 2 tbsp of table salt, 60 ml warm water, food colouring and 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
Mix dry and wet ingredients in 2 separate bowls and mix together. Knead together for a few minutes for a smooth pliable dough.
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Store in a plastic sandwich bag in the fridge to keep
- Make an egg carton caterpillar– This is so easy and fun and also a good way to talk about recycling and reusing. Your toddler will learn so much!
- Felt finger puppets– Great way to tell them a story. If you are trying to teach new words to your toddler, I recommend you tell stories using finger puppets.
Change your voice accordingly to make it more interesting. Check out my article – Help toddler talk to get more ideas to help your little one communicate.
- Sort colours with Lego or building blocks– Simple yet our little ones learn so much from this activity.
- Pasta necklace– Another activity with a kitchen staple! yes it’s pasta this time. You can colour your pasta(macaroni or penne) using food colouring and make a rainbow necklace.
- Play with soap bubbles– Who doesn’t like soap bubbles? It’s a simple yet sure way of entertaining your child. I usually let them play in their bath tub. It’s less messy and they can have a bath at the end. (2 in 1)
- Sort Pompom– Improves their cognitive skills and a great way to introduce colours to our little kiddos. Do you know that we can make them at home with yarn? It’s so easy you won’t buy pompom again!
- Play with shaving cream and food colouring–
Squirt 2 dollops of shaving cream onto the work surface and add a few drops of food colouring or washable paint on to the top of each dollop. Voila! Choose two of the primary colours red, blue or yellow to mix together to make a secondary colour.
- Bang on pots and pans- They love it and I let them do it when I am cooking in the kitchen. However, if you are sensitive to sounds, it’s probably not the best idea.
- Play balloon badminton– OK I don’t know who enjoys this more! Me or my kiddo!
- Make tape roads to ride cars or trucks– Make tape roads on the floor using tape , it’s so simple that there’s really nothing to it.
I know some who would spend hours riding their cars and trucks on them. Let them help with clean up for fine motor fun.
- Colour sorting with cereal– Another simple way to introduce colours to your toddler. Some will end up in their tummy. haha. Win-win to me!
- Stack cups and knock on them– This might look like too simple but stacking cups requires a lot of attention and fine motor skills.
- Soapy jars -Fun to shake up and watch settle
- Play family– May be your toddler likes to be mommy or daddy and imitate what she sees everyday. Play this game and see how they remember every little detail. You will be surprised!
- Rip magazines– oh we love this. must-do exercise for their little hands to prepare them for complex fine motor skills like holding a pencil, drawing etc. And a great stress- relief for parents (not kidding)
Fun things to do inside with kids (pre-schoolers)
Pre-schoolers are the best to do fun activities together, seriously. Their motor skills, coordination skills and vocabulary are grown and mature so you can be more creative and there’s so much we can do together.
However, they have so much energy that if you run out of ideas to keep them engaged, there’s a high chance you regret not having planned anything.
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Here are some simple yet exciting ideas to keep the kids occupied.
- Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Download Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheets,
- Plastic bottle bowling– Reuse all the milk and juice bottles and make your own bowling arena. It feels like the real thing but won’t cost you anything.
- Indoor picnic– Kids can have an indoor picnic any day of the year, on a hot day or on a rainy day.
It may not be as fun as outdoor picnic but you can make it interesting with yummy snacks, a gingham picnic rug, food served in rattan trays and baskets. It’s a totally different feeling. So soothing and relaxing!
- Print colouring pages– This works for me if I have no energy to play with them and need some rest. My kids love this so I can have some time to myself.
- Make bird feeder using milk cartons– Reusing, recycling and sustainability are interesting topics to have a chat about. This activity will not only inspire them but also help them understand the value of close-to-nature life.
- Paint leaves– You can do leaf art, leaf garlands, leaf printing and there are so many fun ways to combine nature and art.
- Lego and building blocks – Unstructured play is best for improving children’s imagination and creativity.
It also helps children develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness and reasoning. So many reasons to encourage it for kids.
- Make friendship bracelets– Use colourful beads and make friendship bracelets to share with best friends.
- Make your own bookmark– You can use pressed flowers, leaves, glitter, painting and make your own bookmarks. Kids can gift their handmade bookmarks to grandparents and relatives. They will be much treasured!
- Top your own pizza– Ok this is my absolute favourite. And don’t forget to be creative.
You can use colourful peppers, sweet corn, pepperoni, peas, onion rings basically anything you like to eat and make monster faces, butterflies, bugs and so many more.
- Paint stones and pebbles -(Acrylic paint is ideal for them) Hide these treasures in local playgrounds for other children to find.
You guys can make someone’s day with those PRECIOUS stones! In return , your kids will learn to contribute to the community without expecting anything in return. Yes it’s a tiny step but everything counts !!
- Paper flowers to decorate their room– You can make paper flowers with colourful papers and decorate the kids’ play area or bedrooms. They will love this project.
- Cut out paper snowflakes– It doesn’t have to be winter to have fun with snowflakes. Cut out paper snowflakes. let them throw them at each other. Of course, you need to vacuum it after that š
- Make rainbow popsicles– Use colourful fruits like strawberries, oranges, kiwi, pineapple, blueberry and grapes to make your own popsicles. A great, fun way to add fruits to your child’s diet.
- Paint with vegetables– Can use onion, carrot, broccoli, celery hearts, parsnips, courgettes to make charming designs and great time to learn Art in nature.
- Face painting– Bring out the artist inside you and light up your kids day with some painting skills. (Don’t worry, it’s so easy to learn) Use only water-soluble, non-toxic face paints made for kids.
More fun things to do inside with kids, continues…
- Shadow puppet show– All you need is a flashlight and your imagination
- The larva game– I do this to cheer up my gang because the anticipation and physical action lift up their mood instantly. Try it!
- Play school– Kids love to recreate what they experience at kindergarten or school. Let them play the teacher role and get to know how well they imitate their favourite teacher.
- Indoor obstacle course– Use up pillows, cushions and chairs and make your own indoor obstacle course. Anticipate falls or slips and use cushions to avoid them getting hurt. Hurray for our little Ninja Warriors!!
- Make something out of a cardboard box -(mailbox, washing machine, castle, clock)- This activity can improve so many skills in your child such as Focus, concentration, following directions ,patience and problem solving.
- Put on a play– Write a script, make your own costumes, be their makeup artist and hair dresser and now it’s time to enjoy their acting skills.
- Hide and seek– This one never gets old. An all-time-favourite.
- Choreograph a dance– Staying indoors doesn’t mean you can’t sweat it out. Time to showcase all the dancing steps you guys know and have a dance party!
Things to remember
Planning these activities ahead makes life so much easier and it also makes a relaxing and calming environment for young kids.
Having said that, I think it’s ok to let them get bored sometimes as it can lead their little minds to think of something new and be creative.
Always be careful with the small parts of toys, beads, pasta when giving it to children as they can cause choking hazard. Adult supervision is necessary.
Don’t forget that you deserve a pat on the back to trying so hard. We all are doing our best and we are GOOD ENOUGH for them.
Your kids will enjoy all these fun things to do inside and develop so many skills at the same time. I’d love to hear which activities they loved the best!! Leave a comment and share with our community š
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