Fun Family Activities for When You’re Stuck Indoors

Whether you’re indoors to avoid extreme weather conditions or to help limit your spending, here’s ideas to help your family still have fun.

It might be tempting to let your kids spend hours in front of a screen, but many experts recommend limiting their screen time. If you want to add some variety to their day, consider these fun and creative activities that the entire family will enjoy.

Indoor Family Fun

Have A Game Night

Bring out the board games, and let the fun begin! To up the ante, organize a tournament with small prizes for the winners. Games like Monopoly and Life can be great tools for teaching kids about the value of money. If you don’t have any board games, then dig out a deck of cards. Can’t remember all the rules? A quick online search will give you everything you need!

Get Creative With Crafts  

Try a craft project such as knitting, model building, or tie-dyeing t-shirts. Find inspiration online for age-appropriate craft projects. If you’re short on supplies and can’t make it to the craft store, choose a project that uses common household items. For example, you could cut pictures out of magazines to make a collage.

Put On A Skit Or Play

This is an activity that could fill hours, if not days. Write a script for a skit or a short play, put together costumes, and design a “set” from household furniture and whatever props are at hand. Then, rehearse – when everyone has memorized their lines, it’s show time. The kids could put on a play for the adults, or the entire family could join in. Remember to film the play to share with friends and relatives.

Create A Scavenger Hunt  

Hide clues throughout the house and yard – each containing a puzzle or riddle that needs to be solved to find the next clue location. It’s a great way to squeeze in a math or critical thinking challenge without the kids noticing. The kids (either alone or in teams) will work their way through the clues to find a special prize at the final, “secret” location. You can vary the degree of clue difficulty based on the age or grade of your children.

Tell A “Pass-On” Story  

A “pass-on” story is a collaborative tale where each person takes turns adding to the narrative. It could be a mystery, a comedy, a ghost story, or whatever comes to mind. One person begins the story, then the next person continues from where they left off – adding a few more sentences before passing it on to the next person. The resulting story can be very wacky and entertaining. Record it and play it later for more laughs.

Video Chat With Family & Friends

Check in with family and friends over the phone or with a computer. If you have an unlimited data plan and a good internet connection, create an epic family versus family game or activity. Pictionary, karaoke, and charades are just a few examples of activities that would be easy to do online.

Cook Or Bake A Special Treat  

Cooking together, as a family, can be a wonderful bonding experience. Or each family member could choose a special dish to prepare on their own. Kids who aren’t old enough to cook unsupervised could help parents with tasks such as measuring and mixing ingredients. Make a list of the supplies you’ll need to estimate the cost, and the next time you cook together, challenge your family to create a delicious meal that costs even less.

Sing Songs

In addition to being fun, singing is a great morale-booster. If any of your family members play instruments, they could accompany the singers. Or, go online to find instrumental versions of your favorite songs, and have a family concert night. Who knows, you might be the next YouTube sensation.

Redecorate A Room  

If your family is experiencing cabin fever, then it might be time to change your surroundings. Enlist the entire family to help re-decorate a room. Move the furniture, rearrange decorative items on shelves and tables, or paint the walls. If you have money to spend for this type of project, set a budget to know what’s feasible. As a parent, you’ll have the final say on how the room is decorated, but you can engage your kids by giving them control over specific tasks, such as how to arrange the figurines on a shelf.

Summary 

Being house-bound doesn’t have to lead to boredom. These activities will help your family to pass the time, learn a few things and create some long-lasting memories together.

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