Indoor Activities for Kids

Home & Family, Kids
on February 1, 2012

Kids love to play outside. Unfortunately, going outside isn’t always an option. When that happens, try these indoor activities instead.

Books. Kids might be surprised to learn that a long time ago, people’s main mode of entertainment and learning came from books. Although you may be blessed with children who will read without being prompted by mom or dad, most kids need a little encouragement. The best way to encourage children to read is to read with them. Other ideas include listening to a book. There are a bevy of audio books for kids and adults at your local library. Creative children might find acting out a story more enjoyable. The child who just loves books might be inspired to write a book, with a little encouragement from a positive role model, of course.

Performances. If your kids tried acting out a book or a story, there’s a good chance they enjoyed it. The performances don’t need to end there. The Simple Mom suggests staging a puppet show or a play. Part of the performance can include building a puppet show set. You probably have materials around the house that would engage your kids in the building process.

Games. It’s a good idea to have a closet full of games. Games satisfy a number of parenting objectives. They help kids develop cognitive skills. They provide a good opportunity for sibling-sibling and parent-child bonding. They provide siblings with an opportunity to work out differences with or without throwing dice. An inexpensive way to accumulate games is by visiting the local thrift store.

Creations. It’s amazing how kids take pride in creating something that bears no resemblance to what they claim it is. Encourage creativity and you encourage self-confidence. Stocking the play cabinet with markers, pencils, crayons, papers, Play-Doh, and arts and crafts supplies all will encourage creativity.

Parties. Even if it’s not a party, say it’s a party and kids will think they’re having fun. And if they think they’re having fun, they are having fun. You can stage a hot chocolate party, a stuffed animal party, a day-off-from-school party or an indoor picnic party. If you need ideas what to do at the party, just read the previous four paragraphs.

This article was originally published as Indoor Activities for Kids on DailyParent.com.

Found in: Home & Family, Kids