Indoor Activities for Kids

Hands-On Pizza

Make easy-peasy pizzas with your kids by giving them full reign of their own pie; buy pizza dough to let their (clean) hands knead for you and make fun shapes, like a heart or Minnie Mouse (talk about the original play dough!). Put various toppings in plastic bowls to let them make a delicious masterpiece.

Homemade Play Dough

Check out how to make this two ingredient play dough – spoiler alert – you already have the ingredients in your house!

Homemade Greeting Cards

I keep a miscellaneous craft box from random trips to the Dollar Store where I pick up supplies like glue, glue sticks, stickers, pom pom, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and construction paper. Bust out your craft box and make homemade greeting cards for your family or friends – have your child dictate what she wants to say in the card, write it out, then let her decorate and send it in the mail (or hand deliver if you can).

Preschool activity sheets

Since my daughter is used to (and loves) the structure of school, we’re recreating her school setting by playing class. Google “preschool or toddler activity sheets,” print them off, and hold classroom at your house.

Moon sand

Check out this easy DIY Moon Sand recipe – only 2 ingredients!

Kitchen Sensory Boxes

All you need is some kitchen supplies/ingredients, bowls or Tupperware, and an optional blindfold for these fun kitchen sensory boxes. Fill different bowls with interesting textures, like cooked noodles, peeled grapes (I love this one!), dry rice, a sponge, etc. Have your kids close their eyes or blindfold them, letting only their little hands explore the boxes and guess their contents.

Indoor Beach party

There’s nothing that can change my kids’ negative moods like a good old fashioned bath. Extend bath time and frame it as a full-blown indoor beach party to spice it up. Barbies, toy figurines, trucks and cars are encouraged to attend. Let your child wear her bathing suit and sunglasses to make it feel more authentic.

Multicolored crayons

You know all those broken crayon bits you have at the bottom of your crayon box? You can make them new again – oil up a muffin tin and put the bits of crayons in there. Put in a warm oven to melt, then cool and enjoy your unique multicolored crayon creation.

Easy clean finger paint

I always have finger paint on hand, but I don’t always offer it as a play option because while my 3-year-old is great with it, my one-year-old would make too big of a mess. The solution? Put them in the tub with finger paint!

As my mom always used to say, only boring people are bored, and you’re not boring – encourage your kids to try new activities with these fun and easy to implement indoor play ideas.

What are your favorite indoor activities? Share them with me so we can learn from each other!