12 Indoor Activities For Kids

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1. Puppet Show - We're doing it old school style here. Go through the sock drawer and remove any matchless white socks. Have your kids create faces on the socks using markers, glue, scraps of fabric, pipe cleaners, and any other craft materials you have lying around. Push the couch off the wall, and voilà! You have the perfect stage for a puppet show. For the storyline, have your kids put on their puppet personas and act out a favorite memory or an embarrassing moment. It's certain to garner some laughs again, especially if their siblings are involved.
2. How Cold Is It?- This is a fun way for your kids to envision life in other places.  First, ask them to think of the coldest place in the world.  Then, go to weather.com and type in their answers, one by one in the search bar to find out the current temperature.  See who can come up with the coldest location.  Then, warm things up by having them think of the hottest place in the world.
3. Get Dressed Fast!-This is a fun game you can play relay style with teams, or you can play it with just one child.  The goal is to put on an assortment of items as quickly as you can.  So, for one child, set the items in front of them… gloves, a hat, a belt, you get the idea.  Then, say, go!  See how long it takes them to get dressed.  Let them try it again to better their time.  For teams, have each player put on the clothes, take off the clothes and pass them to the next team member.  The first team to finish, wins!
4. Fort Film Fest - Build a fort surrounding your family's TV using tablecloths, blankets or your camping tent. Make sure all of the blinds are closed and the lights are off. Find two or three movies that are sequential like Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Spread out blankets and sleeping bags for a comfy pallet, pop loads of popcorn and enjoy a dark, quiet house in the middle of the day!
5. Roller Derby - This was my absolute favorite rainy day activity growing up. Remove anything from the kitchen that's not nailed to the floor. Let the kids don their rollerblades or skates and explore the kitchen on wheels. Don't worry! your kitchen does not have to be big for them to think this is the best idea you've ever had!
6. Tie-Dye party - You'll need a couple of boxes of different colored Dye kits (try RIT), some kitchen gloves, and some old white t-shirts. Follow the directions for making the dye. Meanwhile, have the kids grab some old white t-shirts (tip: it's ok if the tee has a graphic on it, as long as the base of the shirt is white) and bind them in different spots with rubber bands. Have them dip sections of the t-shirts into the dye. Ring them out, wash them (make sure you don't have anything else in your washer), unbind them and hang them out to dry.
7. Talent Show - Make it quirky, like having your children balance spoons on their noses, or make it real, like showing off what they've learned at piano lessons. For the full effect, create a stage by pulling their box spring out from under their mattress.
8. Wii™ Tournament - Pick your family's favorite Wii™ game. Bowl, box, swing, or rock your way through the rainy day until the last man is standing. Bragging rights is the only prize they'll want.
9. Try not to laugh - Create a circle by having each family member lay their head on another member's belly, and so on until everyone is lying on someone else's belly. One at a time let out a "Ha" --from the depths of your belly. Go around the circle once saying "Ha." The second go-around let out two "Ha's," the third round let out three. You're out if your one or two "ha's" turn into uncontrollable "ha's" (laughing). The last one left on the floor is the winner.
10. Scavenger Hunt - Send each child with a list of items to scavenge from around the house. They can either make a picture of the items or actually collecting them. Use riddles whenever possible, especially for the older ones. Example: It gives and takes away light. Their answer could be blinds, a light switch, or a lamp. There's no wrong answer for these riddles, as long as it keeps them guessing, and busy!
11. One word at a time - Create a story with your kids by each of you contributing just one word at a time. You'll never create the same story twice.
12. Treasure Hunt - Start saving up for a rainy day, toys that is. Scour your favorite superstore or dollar store for low (like under $3) priced items. Keep them from the clingy hands of your kiddos and stash them in a makeshift treasure box. When the rainy day arrives hide the box, create clues and maps that will take them on a fun (and hopefully long) adventure.

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