Eight Indoor Activities for Children
It’s National Children’s Month, and this month is all about celebrating childhood. It’s also a time to raise awareness about children’s rights, one of which is the right to play in a safe environment. By encouraging play, we help children exercise their participation rights – that is, the right to actively engage in society. What better time to encourage play than now, especially when the 3rd week of November is National Play Advocacy Week! Play builds active, healthy bodies and helps develop imagination, cognitive abilities, and emotional intelligence. And did we mention fun? There are so many good reasons to engage in play.
Getting kids to play without digital gadgets can be challenging these days, especially because young ones are still required to stay home. That doesn’t mean non-digital play has to end, though. Here are eight gadget-free activities you can do with a child that’s special to you – or to just bring out your inner child.
1. Balloon Game – a classic activity for kids of all ages, including kids-at-heart. Blow up a dozen or so balloons and throw them in the air. The objective is to not let the balloons fall to the ground. Make sure you keep your space free from sharp objects during this game to avoid any accidents. A variation for the more competitive folks is Balloon Volleyball, where you replace the ball with a balloon!
2. Blowing Bubbles – young kids are especially enchanted by this one, but older kids can be challenged to blow the biggest bubble they can. Experiment with different objects to use as the bubble maker, and see how big the bubbles can be!
3. Tape Maze – If you have a big enough floor space, try creating a maze using masking tape. Have the kids go around and figure out how to get from point A to point B. This can also be a learning activity by laying number cards along the maze for young kids to pick up and count along the way. They also serve as hints to getting out!
4. Sock Basketball – Laundry can be fun. Get a laundry basket and some rolled up socks, and have the kids shoot as many socks as they can into the basket. Older kids can stand further away while smaller kids have the option to ‘dunk’ straight into the basket. To make things more interesting, have the kids step back each time they are able to score a point. Whoever gets the furthest wins!
5. Indoor Obstacle Course – Indulge your toddler’s climbing interests by designing an obstacle course using furniture. Older kids will also enjoy the opportunity to crawl under tables and climb over sofas without getting scolded. You can tape down areas that are ‘off limits’ to have everyone move only in one direction. Incorporate exercise like jumping jacks every few stations.
6. Hide-and-Seek or Sardines – This never gets old. Classic hide-and-seek can be played by kids of all ages. Sardines is a variation of the classic game where only one person hides. Every time he or she is found, the finder hides alongside them until the last person finds the whole crowd.
7. Alphabet Game – If you’re not into moving around (or want your kids to stay still), this game is perfect for you. Think of a broad category, like animals, and have everyone take turns naming an animal as you go down the alphabet. The first child names an animal that starts with A, the second one names an animal that starts with B, and so on. Keep doing it until you run out of animals!
8. Pictionary or Charades – Another relatively ‘stay still’ game. These games can be done anytime, anywhere!
Do you have other indoor activities to keep children occupied? Do share them with us! Remember, play is a great way to keep children engaged and attuned to their surroundings.
