5 Indoor Kid Activities For Less Screen Time

I recently spent time watching old movies and sorting through old pictures. It reminded me of some of the things the kids would love to do if we were stuck inside, besides something on a screen. These indoor kid activities worked for a variety of ages and you probably already have supplies at home.

1. Swimming Pools

I called this activity swimming pools because I would create small swimming pools for the kid’s water-friendly toy characters or small bath toys. I used plastic bins, cake pans, bowls, etc…filled about 3/4 of the way with water. Each kid would get a spot at the table with a beach towel and their pool placed on top. I would give them a couple of extra small hand towels for spills. The first time we played, we had to learn what toys could go swimming. Nothing with parts that could not get wet or would hold water and create mold. Once they had played a few times, the kids would all go grab their favorite swimmers if I said we were playing swimming pools.

2. Scavenger Hunt

I’ve done custom lists to find around the house or lists confined to one room. You can give them a word and they need to find an object that starts with each letter of the word. When they were very little and couldn’t all read, we would hunt for colors. I would use colored bowls or bins and they would need to find 5 items to match the color and put it in the correct bowl or bin. You can make it a contest or have them work as a team.

3. Blue Painter’s Tape

The kids would use blue painter’s tape to make courses for their toy cars. Sometimes they would share the same course or I would give them each an area of the room to come up with their own thing. Another way we have used blue painter’s tape is to create an obstacle course throughout the house. The tape would mark the start and finish line, as well as items that needed to be touched or jumped over on the course.

4. Build Forts or Pop-Up Tents

I suggest you pick a location where their creation could stay for at least a couple of days. Once they build it, they might not want to take it down on the same day. Bed sheets and clothespins are the most common things my kids used to build. Blankets can become heavy and droop. We also had some pop-up tents they would use sometimes, but it seems they enjoyed the ones they created themselves the best. It’s a great place to read books and snuggle with their critters.

5. Hide and Seek - Hot Cold

Simply pick a favorite toy, stuffed animal, or special object to hide somewhere in the room, while the seekers wait out of sight. Your kids can go search and you will tell them if they are getting colder or warmer depending on how close they are to finding the hiding place. This gets lots of giggles when you tell them they are frozen or getting hot! Take turns with who is hiding the object and who is seeking it.