January 2023 – Published by 4-C

It’s no secret that young children need to stay active to ensure healthy physical and mental development. But what do you do when bad weather keeps them at home or inside? Sure, you could let them watch TV or play video games, but that doesn’t really count as being “active.”

So what should they do, instead?

Black father in foreground holds marker and colors on a sheet of paper on a table. Also seated at the table is a young Black or mixed race child watching him draw. The father is wearing glasses, an earring, and a beaded bracelet. The child has curly natural hair.

Here are some fun indoor activity ideas:

Indoor Obstacle Course

Set up an obstacle course using everyday items like cushions, blankets, and chairs. Encourage your child to move through the course, either by crawling, jumping, or walking on their hands and feet. If you have stairs, you can add those too.

Dance Party

Put on some upbeat music and encourage your child to dance. Add fun props like scarves, hula hoops, or streamers. Try taking turns teaching each other dance moves and see who can be the silliest. Build in breaks by pausing the music and having everyone freeze.

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Hide items around the house and make a list of the items for your child to find. You can also assign points to each item, so you can keep track of who finds the most. Help or have your child make a list of different shapes, colors, or letters of the alphabet. Can they find a corresponding item to match each?

Indoor Bowling

Set up some empty plastic bottles or cans and use a ball to knock them down. You can even draw a lane with chalk or painter’s tape on the floor for some added fun.

Build a Fort

Grab some blankets, sheets, pillows, and chairs and have your child help you make a fort. Once the fort is complete, you can use it for playing hide and seek, as a cozy reading area, or for pretend play. For added complexity, you can have your child draw or re-create their fort using blocks.

Yoga

Teach your child some simple yoga poses and encourage them to practice. Yoga is a great way to develop strength, balance, and flexibility. Once they’ve learned the basics, have your child take a turn leading.

Indoor Ball Games

There are lots of indoor ball games that your child can safely play. Some popular ones are balloon volleyball, paper plate basketball, and balloon baseball. Try having your child come up with their own game with rules and a point system.

Indoor Hopscotch

Use masking tape or painter’s tape to make a hopscotch grid on the floor. If you have a beanbag or a small ball, your child can toss it into the squares and hop around the grid. Tape cutouts of hands or feet to each square to add complexity to the game.

Indoor Snowball Fight

Make some paper “snowballs” and have a snowball fight. Once that game is finished, try using the “snowballs” to play other ball games like the ones mentioned above.

Indoor Adventure

Create an indoor adventure with your child. Have them pick an imaginary destination, draw a map together, and then have them complete tasks to get there. Once you’ve arrived, throw a dance party!

Cook Together

Collaborate with your child to decide what you want to cook or bake together. Grab aprons and talk about each ingredient as you measure it for your dish. This is a great opportunity to discuss math, explore differences in texture, and engage your senses.

No matter what you choose to do, the key is to find activities that your child enjoys and that keeps their body moving. By encouraging them to be active, even when indoors, you can help them maintain their physical and mental health in engaging ways. Spend your time together having fun, even when bad weather keeps them inside.

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