Teaching kids how to entertain themselves for hours can be pretty challenging.
In this age of smartphones, tablets, and high-speed internet, it is increasingly difficult for parents to get their kids to do something productive that doesn’t involve tapping on a touchscreen for hours.
Playing indoor games are not only helpful in promoting physical, emotional, and social development but they also naturally help limit the screen time. It’s a win-win for both kids and parents!
Below is a list of 7 thoroughly entertaining and super engaging indoor games that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages and skill set –
7 Engaging Indoor Games for Kids
1. Pictionary
There are not many indoor games that are just as fun for both kids and adults as pictionary. The rules of the game are pretty simple.
Write some words on a few pieces of paper, put them in a bowl, make two teams (at least 3 kids in each group), one team member from each group has to draw a cue card and make a sketch that best describes the word.
The other team members have to guess the word correctly within a minute. Guess the word correctly and get a point. Whichever team scores 10 points first wins.
This game is a perfect icebreaker for shy kids in schools and birthday parties. It’s also one of the most effective and fun ways to help promote the development of communication skills, language and imagination.
Moreover, the game can be easily adapted to the age and intellectual capacity of kids of every age group by dividing the group of words into three levels – easy, medium, and difficult.
You can also replace regular words with names of movies or books.
2. Scrabble
I’m a huge Scrabble nerd to this day. If you are looking for an indoor game that will keep your little ones entertained for hours and actively encourage them to build a remarkable vocabulary, Scrabble is the way to go.
The games of the rules are pretty straightforward. Set up the Scrabble board, shuffle the tile letters, pick a tile and play a word. Note that you can only place the tiles horizontally or vertically, diagonal word play is not allowed.
Tally the score and pass the bag of tiles to the player to your left (in clockwise direction).
3. Indoor Car Race
This one’s the perfect adrenaline-pumping, action-packed indoor game for little humans, especially the ones who get bored easily, like my 5-year-olds.
Setting up an electric race car track with varying levels of obstacles and navigating their vehicles with a remote control through them could keep your kids entertained for hours.
Another great part about indoor car racing is that it is just as fun to play solo. Apart from the entertainment aspect, RC car racing is also a fantastic indoor game for promoting great hand-eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills, and quick thinking.
4. Hide-and-seek
I don’t think I will have to explain the rules for this one. Hide-and-seek is unarguably one of the most universally popular indoor games for kids.
Epic fun factor aside, hide-and-seek or peek-a-boo has been proven to be a highly effective gross motor and cognitive skill development exercise for toddlers. It also helps with visual tracking and sensory development.
Multiple studies have also suggested that playing hide-and-seek can ease separation anxiety in kids.
5. I Spy
I Spy is a wonderful sensory game that can be enjoyed by both toddlers and 10 to 11 year-olds alike.
In this game, each player takes turns to find an object around them that everyone can see and announces the first letter of the object.
For example, if the objection in question is a tree, the player will announce “I spy with my little eye something beginning with T”.
The Spy can also help other players narrow down the search by providing more clues i.e the color and shape of the object.
I Spy is fun and engaging game that helps kids learn how to communicate effectively, improve visual discrimination and build a strong vocabulary while they’re at it.
6. Musical Chairs
Musical chairs are a great recipe for fun in children’s birthday parties, playdates, and family get-togethers The objective of the game is simple – you place a bunch of chairs in a circle.
There should be one less chair than the number of players. So for 11 players, you will need 10 chairs. One person should be in charge of the music.
As soon as the music starts, players walk in tight circles and as soon as the music stops, everyone has to find a seat. Whoever fails to find a seat is out.
If you don’t have enough chairs or lack the space to accommodate that many chairs, replace a bunch of chairs with just one throw pillow and turn it into a game of musical pillow!
Throw around the pillow clockwise while the music is playing. Whoever has the pillow in hand when the music stops is out.
7. Jenga
Now, who, in their right mind, won’t love jenga? This classic block-stacking game is ideal for kids ages 6 and up.
The gameplay involves setting up the tower with tiles. Whoever builds the tower gets to be the first one to remove a block from the middle and place it on top of the tower using only one hand.
Each level contains three blocks. Jenga is a game of precision and strategy.
If you are looking for a fun and creative activity to improve your kid’s dexterity, hand-eye coordination, logical thinking, and precision, get them to play jenga.
In Conclusion
So that was my list of some of the best indoor games that kids of all ages can enjoy. Physical benefits aside. Indoor games are also a brilliant icebreaker for shy kids.
These games motivate kids to become a team player and communicate with their teammates to reach their common goal – a skill that’s going to come in very handy in the times to come.
