240+ Unique Indoor Activities for Kids – You’ll Be Inspired!

Did You Just Google “Indoor Activities for Kids?”

Because if you did, you’re in the right place. You just found a huge list of clever kids activities that you can do at home with regular household supplies.

Most of them are indoor activities, but some are also outdoor activities. You won’t need to search for things to do with kids anytime soon now that you’ve got this resource filled with fun activities to do at home!

“I’m Bored” is like a 4-Letter Word in Our House

I am not a “bored” person. Even as a kid, I did not get bored. There were way too many things to investigate, read, create or do.

But I’ve got a kid that drops that tiresome word every day. If he’s not on screens, he’s “bored.”

It makes me want to pull my hair out. He has no clue how lucky he is to be a kid and have so many toys and projects at his disposal. Plus, being bored can be good for kids…

bored kid playing board game

I’m learning that sometimes, he just needs some ideas that intrigue him. This boredom-buster list is for kids who want to do something, but don’t know where to start.

bored kids playing with cardboard box

The Big List of Boredom Buster Indoor Activities for Kids in Six Different Age Groups

These ideas don’t require a special trip to the store for supplies or for you to take a field trip anywhere. Bust that boredom with common household items.

And, don’t let our age groupings stop you from trying something new from a different category. Many of these fun activities to do at home are for all ages – read through the whole list, see what sounds fun, and jump in!

Toddler Boredom Buster Kids Activities

Oh, mama! Keeping a toddler entertained is a full-time job. It’s so adorable to hear those little voices playing make believe with their toys or watch them figure out how something works. But most of the time, we’re just cleaning up one big mess after another, aren’t we?

Toddlers are investigators extraordinaire! While the messes are tiring, their sense of wonder at basically everything is delightful. Here are some things to dazzle your toddler with and help pass the days at home.

Play

02

Put some tape on a doorway and throw pom poms or ping pong balls at it and see how many stick

03

Squirt some shaving cream onto a pan and play

04

Set up your own bowling alley and bowl with a ball and plastic bottles or paper towel rolls

05

Make a crazy tape path on the floor in different shapes and designs, and walk across it

06

Play with your stuffed animals in an empty, clean, dry bathtub

laundry-basket-fun-kids-boredom-buster
07

Use a toy hammer to hammer golf tees into styrofoam

08

Teach them how to do somersaults

09

Play hide the pajamas before bedtime.

Parents, hide your kid’s pajamas around the house (or just the bedroom) and tell them “hot” or “cold” as they search for them.

10

Blow bubbles for them to catch outside

boy blowing-bubbles
11

Give them a mesh strainer and have them “fish” for items in a sink full of water.

(Throw in bath toys, plastic alphabet pieces.)

12

Give your toy cars a carwash in the sink or the tub

Create

13

Make a necklace with big beads and string or pasta noodles

14

Put some hair gel into a plastic bag and add food coloring, googly eyes, and beads

15

Make cardboard box trains, houses or airplanes

Panda-Car-Box-fun-
16

Put a spaghetti noodle in some Play-dough and see how many Cheerios you can stack up on it

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Take some ice or a popped frozen water balloon and squeeze warm water onto it, and watch it melt

18

Make some cloud dough with flour and oil – and if you have it, oil-based food coloring

19

Play-dough. Don’t have a lot of the “tools?” Use household objects to make impressions, cut out shapes, etc.

Playdough-kid-fun-craft
20

Tape cardboard tubes to the wall and roll pom poms through them

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Don’t recycle that box! Let your toddler decorate it with markers or stickers. Or put their toys in it.

You know how mesmerizing old boxes are!

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Or make something from other recyclables

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Make colored rice

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Make edible finger paint with cornstarch, water, and food coloring. This can also be used outside on sidewalks.

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Make bath paint with food coloring and shaving cream

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Get out the kinetic sand

Kinetic-sand-kid-things-to-do-

Preschool – Indoor Activities for Kids

Sometimes I think that preschoolers are the funnest. I teach Sunday School to 4 & 5 year olds and I hope church staff never asks me to try another age group. Preschoolers are curious, they are beginning to grasp bigger concepts, and they say the funniest things, all the time.

When you’re not hurriedly scribbling down the latest thing they said (today my son had me guessing why we needed a Truck House in our life, until I realized he meant a motorhome!) or convincing them of the merits of quiet time, try some of these fun activities to do at home that preschoolers will dig.

Learn

27

Build a foil boat and see how many pennies you can add to it before it sinks

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Make a cloud in a bottle with your mom or dad

29

Craft a story together

30

Go on a walking (or stroller?) tour of your city. Don’t forget snacks.

31

Have a baking theme day. Choose a topic and a recipe to bake.

Follow actual baking with pretend kitchen play, and then go outside to explore and create “recipes.”

33

Plant a seed and watch it grow

34

Do the Magic Paper Towel activity

kids indoor activities: magic paper towel activity

Create

35

Lego Masters at Home: Challenge all participants to build the same thing and compare designs. You could have everyone build a hotel, a house or a car. Can combine all houses to build a small neighborhood, or all cars pull up for a car show when finished.

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Make a mask out of a cereal box

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38

Build a house of cups – or cards or anything else you have around the house

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build a cardboard train
40

Make a cereal necklace

41

Do a puzzle

42

Build a city out of toys

43

Draw pictures in chalk on the sidewalk

44

Painter’s tape + chalk art = Stained Glass window sidewalk chalk art

45

Make a car wash for riding toys

46

Create a spider web with glue-coated spaghetti

47

Sing along and then add your own verse with Kevin Kammeraad

48

Make paper-bag masks and decorate them

Learn

fireworks in a jar
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50

Polish each other’s nails. Or, trace and cut out a hand on cardboard, draw on the nails, and polish those.

51

Make hand shadow puppets

54

Create bunny or dinosaur doodles

55

Make a bird feeder with a rice cake, peanut butter, and birdseed

56

Stick Magna-Tiles to your garage door and make designs

57

Trace shadow figures. Put one of your favorite animal figurines next to a piece of white paper, and use either the sun or a lamp as a light source to cast a shadow. Trace the shadow that your figurine casts onto your paper!

Homemade-vending-machine

Play

61

Dig in the dirt

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Play dress-up

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Make a path of pillows to use as stepping stones – or call it Hot Lava

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Play I Spy with colors

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Have a Hula-hoop competition

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Play Freeze Tag

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Play Hide and Seek

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Have a tea party. Get dressed up and pull out the fancy plates and cups (however you want to interpret that with a preschooler) to make it extra fancy.

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Play Go Fish

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Jump rope

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Do storybook yoga with Renew Mama

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Race pompoms by blowing them with a straw

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Play Follow the Leader

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Keep a balloon in the air as long as possible

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Play Hot and Cold with a hidden object

Grades K – 2 Boredom Buster Kids Activities

Early elementary kids can play a lot more independently, and can read and understand simple science concepts. They can miss afternoon quiet time and still keep it together (mostly). This means that you can do even more projects with this age group.

We tried to include in this K-2 list a mix of fun activities to do at home that either involve you or have them playing on their own.

Learn

79

Do the Naked Egg (Dissolving Egg Shell) Experiment

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Watch the beluga whales at the Georgia Aquarium

81

Look at your city – then your state – then the world – from Google Earth view.

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Learn to bike without training wheels.

83

Learn to play an instrument from mom or dad – or YouTube!

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Practice tying shoes with laces.

85

Take a trip around the world – and see all of the animals – with the live cams at explore.org

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Go to Mars. NASA’s Curiosity Rover recorded the surface to give you this 360 view.

87

Express yourself with SadMadBadGlad Poetry

88

Go on a Home Safari with the Cincinnati Zoo. Zookeepers hang out with and teach you about red pandas, Komodo dragons and more.

89

Tell “Strange Stories.” Draw 5 pictures or words from a pile (that you created) and tell a story using those images or words.

90

Become a pen pal with a buddy from school or a far away cousin

92

Stop in at the AirZoo’s YouTube channel to virtually explore planes or watch story time with an astronaut

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Meet some of the animals in behind-the-scenes videos at John Ball Zoo

Create

94

Draw a picture with some funny drawing prompts. We personally dig these funny daily drawing prompts in both English and Spanish.

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Build an epic fort

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Make a card for your Grandma, Grandpa, or other favorite adult, telling them why you love them

98

Make a maze on the floor with painter’s tape

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Make your own popsicles

101

Doodle along with Mo Willems

102

Make rock candy

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Make a sidewalk chalk obstacle course for your neighbors to do as they walk by

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Save cardboard rolls (toilet paper and paper towel) to build a complex ball contraption on the wall

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Make slime. Instructions here

107

Build a Lego volcano and then put in baking soda/vinegar/soap for the eruption

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109

Paint a rock pet. Or paint rocks and hide them around your home for family members to discover later.

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Make your own sock puppet – and then put on a show.

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Make a Time Capsule with your family

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Bake and paint salt dough ornaments

113

Make your bed into a fort and sleep in it like that overnight

114

Draw eyes on an Amazon box and then PARTY

Play

115

Go on a virtual scavenger hunt with Goose Chase. You can have your family, extended family or friends even join, and you can all play in your own homes. Everyone from age 2 to 92 can have fun with it!

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Do at home PE and other active moves

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Get your moves in with Go Noodle on YouTube. (Tip: Start with Pop Se Ko.)

118

Do a family bootcamp workout

119

Make a stuffy hunt for your siblings. Hide favorite stuffies around the house and have them search for them.

120

Head outside and bike, scooter or rollerblade

121

Roast marshmallows and have s’mores with your family

122

Have a Just Dance party with your siblings

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Have an indoor snowball fight (aka Sock Wars). Set up your living room with two barriers. Choose teams and get a stockpile of socks on each side. Whoever doesn’t get hit wins.

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Learn how to Hip Hop Break Dance.

125

Play Burning Hot Lava outside. One person is the lava monster, and everyone else has to avoid getting tagged, but warning – the grass is hot lava! Jump from stone to stone, or porch to swings as you avoid getting burned.

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Go fly a kite

Grades 3 – 4 At Home Kids Activities

Kids who are 8-10 love playing independently and learning about the world around them. They become more sure of themselves and their skills and interests and can be trusted to do creative activities on their own with relatively less mess (maybe??).

You can set them loose on YouTube to watch a tutorial while you do the dishes. You can even tell them to do the dishes if that tutorial didn’t spark their imagination and they’re still “bored.” (Pulled that on my third grader today when she dropped the B word. She quickly disappeared for a while.)

Basically, 3rd and 4th graders can take a little guidance from you and then run with their fun activities to do at home.

Learn

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Do the GR Public Museum’s Science Scavenger Hunt

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Skype a scientist. Fill out a form so they can match you with a scientist for a Q&A chat about your questions or topic of interest.

129

Dive into the Google Arts & Culture App. Take a selfie and apply it to a historical painting, take a virtual tour of famous museums & more.

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Do the classic vinegar & baking soda experiment – with a twist

131

Learn how to throw a yo-yo, plus 11 other yo-yo tricks.

132

Learn how to grow new plants from your house plant cuttings (water propagate) and set out some experiment planters.

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Learn how to tie knots, be a tree detective and more with Michigan DNR.

Create

134

Build a Lego metropolis

135

Have your mom or dad make up the name of a fictional character. Write a story about that character.

136

Find that old sock that hasn’t had a match in forever and make a sock puppet with googly eyes, yarn, or whatever you can find around the house. (Ask mom or dad for permission to use this rogue sock. Also have them help you with hot glue gun.)

137

Make a map of your house and neighborhood

138

Write and illustrate your own book from start to finish

139

Build a house out of cards and see what it can hold

140

Mail a handwritten card to your teacher

142

Take the one-hour cartooning challenge

143

Send a video puppet show to your friends or family, and challenge them to send one back. You can use re-imagined nursery rhymes or stories, or make up your own

145

Make a surprise story book with your siblings or parents

Play

146

Play town with your siblings. Create jobs and names for each person, as well as your own currency. Visit each other’s businesses and even invite mom and dad to visit your town.

147

Play Cards Against Humanity – Family Edition. It’s free for now. Beware of the potty humor, but otherwise, we think this is safe. Ages 8 and up.

148

Practice rollerblading backwards.

149

Do family karaoke, where each person can pick a song. You can find Karaoke playlists on many music streaming services, YouTube, and even through cable (like Comcast’s Music Choice Karaoke).

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Set the table and serve your family a “fancy dinner.” Everyone comes to the table all dressed up.

151

Put on a virtual talent show with your friends using Zoom

152

Do pilates with toilet paper rolls

153

Movie Series Marathon! Get some cozy blankets and popcorn, and then binge-watch Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, or some of the Avengers series.

154

Have a spa day. Paint nails, do your hair, put on face masks – whatever you want! (That your parent approves of.)

155

Teach your dog a new trick. Here are 10 cool tricks to start with.

156

Dribble your soccer ball

Grades 5 – 6 Boredom Buster Kids Activities

If you have tweens, it may be beneficial for them to stew in their boredom for a while. Often they’ll come up with their own creative ideas. Other times, they may need a bit more of a nudge to find fun activities to do at home.

If they’ve stewed for a while and are ready to do something, let them loose with this list.

Tweens, have fun with these ideas. We tried finding something to do for each personality – which things on this list look really fun to you? There are tons of cool ideas for all the other ages too, that also work for your age.

Learn

158

Ask your Mom what her favorite animal is. Research weird facts about that animal and see if you can stump her.

159

Take up the science challenge with these cool experiments from the James Dyson Foundation

160

Research your state bird, flower, tree, etc, and see how many of those you can find in your neighborhood.

161

Build your own lava lamp and make milk explode with the Michigan Science Center.

162

Learn to do new hair styles on YouTube

163

Learn a new language

164

Learn Morse code. Then write a letter to a cousin in Morse code.

165

Learn to sew a button

Create

166

Get your siblings to recreate a pic of you together when you were really little

167

Make gifts for relatives

168

Make a pinball machine with recycled material

169

Practice Origami. Here are some easy animals to start with

170

Bake something. From scratch. Please clean up your mess before you eat it.

171

Do a puzzle. Timed.

172

Plan a meal for the family. Bonus points if you make it and clean it up yourself!

173

Make invisible ink (with lemon juice) to write messages.

175

Write a chalk note on a neighbor’s sidewalk

176

Plant flowers

177

Create a dinner experience for your family. Pretend you are in Paris, what would dinner be like? Pretend you’re on an airplane – what would dinner be like?

178

Create a new language with your siblings

179

Learn how to draw a dog

180

Paint rocks and place them around the neighborhood

181

Build a simple kite with a parent, and then fly it

182

Play

183

Make up new rules for a board game you’ve always played

184

Plan a movie night for your family. Pick the movie, start time (confirm with a parent) & snacks. Make and hand out invitations to your family.

185

Facetime/Skype Grandma & Grandpa and ask them what games they played when they were your age.

186

Go for a bike or scooter ride

187

Facebook Messenger with a friend.

188

Sport it up. Play basketball, kick a soccer ball or practice T-ball

189

Start a new hobby – what have you wanted to learn?

190

Try a Minute-To-Win-It game such as cup stacking

191

Take a careers quiz to see what kind of profession you’d be good at

193

See how many times you can jump rope in a row. Now try to beat that number doing it backwards

Grades 7 – 8 At Home Boredom Buster Activities

Activities for big kids come in handy while at home. They need an outlet for all their energy. Whether it’s a step-by-step instructional project or more of a free form open-ended fun activity to do at home – it gives them a way to put those budding skills to action.

Kids this age can explore possible career or hobby interests and use their free time to really develop new skills.

Middle schoolers, we didn’t even try to have “uncool” adults make you this list. We outsourced this one to a really creative middle schooler who knows what’s up. You’re welcome!

Learn

194

Make your own Stop Motion Video

195

Find a new author and read a book

196

Learn how to bullet journal

197

Do crossword puzzles

198

Write a letter/draw a picture, and actually address and stamp an envelope and put it in the mailbox

199

Choose a recipe to memorize and practice until you can make it without looking at written instructions

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201

Write a letter to your favorite musician telling them why you love their music

202

Take an enneagram test to learn about your personality

203

Ask your parents if you can take over (or help with) the family budget for a month and learn about finances

204

Make a list of things that make you happy

205

Plan a dream vacation. Research the destination, where you would go, what you’d do, and how much it will cost.

206

Learn a choreographed dance from YouTube

207

Take a free online course from Great Courses

209

Plan your next party with X budget. You have an imaginary budget of $X to plan ________ (your next birthday party, a Halloween party, a party for your sibling/best friend, Mother’s day/Father’s day)

Use the internet for pricing and decide on your venue, food (ingredients or restaurant meals), entertainment, decorations and so on.

Is there a dress code? How many people will you invite? What will the invitations look like?

Create

210

Do a Lip Dub

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212

Doodle a positive message for your mom

213

Make rad paper airplanes. But not like when you were a kid. These airplanes are totally extra.

214

Do a 1000 piece puzzle

215

Paint an elaborate design on your nails

216

Make a video of you jumping on a trampoline or playing outside. Or make a Tik Tok video of it.

217

Bake cookies

218

Photograph/draw/paint spring flowers emerging from the ground or something else in nature.

219

Make donuts that taste better than Krispy Kreme

220

Make Macrame Friendship Bracelets

221

Create a Streamyard news broadcast with a friend

222

Try a fun make-up tutorial on YouTube

223

Design a slogan or image for a t-shirt

224

Create window art with washable paint

225

Have straws? Make a geodesic dome.

Play

226

Plan a dance party – complete with outfits and music

227

Host a virtual hammock party with your friends. Everyone hops in their hammock and then do a FaceTime or Zoom call together.

228

Make popcorn and deliver a serving to each member of the family in a unique container. If no popcorn in the house, substitute dry cereal.

229

Plan and present a themed dinner for your family, like this teen who’s done the hibachi experience, princess theme, and Mexican Cantina night

230

Rearrange your room, books, etc.

231

Play Toy Story 3, IRL. Sort books, toys, and games to find things you’ve outgrown. Then think of who might enjoy them.

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Go for a run

233

Do some yard work

234

Go for a nature walk

235

Call a grandparent or older relative or close family friend who might be bored, too

236

Get assigned a character from Disney’s random character generator.

Now you have to talk and act like that character for the next 30 min, but don’t tell anyone in your house what you are doing.

237

Practice a tripod handstand

238

Have a virtual face masking party

239

Go for a walk and think up nice notes you can write to your neighbors as you walk by their homes. Then send them.

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Do Zumba

 fun activities to do at home kids activities

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