27 Indoor Activities For Kids Stuck At Home Because Of The Coronavirus
Make being cooped up inside unforgettable.
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1. Use electrical tape to put "roads" on the floor that your kid's toy cars can drive on.
You can do this on carpet too!
2. And while you're putting tape down, try playing indoor hopscotch!
3. Play balloon ping-pong — all you need are paper plates, paper towel rolls (or popsicle sticks), and a balloon.
How you play the game is really up to you! A couple options: A) Kids can work together to see how many times they can hit the balloon back and forth without it hitting the floor, B) Kids can stand on opposite sides of a couch and play competitively, winning points when their opponent lets a balloon drop.
4. Your kids can also play ACTUAL ping-pong indoors even if you don't have a ping-pong table.
Get a portable ping-pong set from Amazon for $18.92.
5. Put a bar of soap in the microwave to make soap clouds.
Learn more about this on Our Best Bites!
6. Hang a target to test your kid's paper airplane tossing abilities.
The target above was professionally made, but you can make your own using butcher paper, a paper bag, an old towel, or anything else you can cut holes in.
7. Try experimenting with water marbles.
Now these are cool. Get a 2-ounce pack from Amazon for $5.95.
8. Try out some kid-friendly yoga lessons to keep your kids centered and limber.
View this video on YouTube
YouTube is loaded with kid-friendly yoga videos. The popular video above takes kids on a Frozen-inspired yoga adventure.
9. Put hot water on leftover Skittles to create pretty patterns.
Kids can do this over and over, using different colored Skittles to create different patterns. The best part? Your kids won't eat the candy and get hyper in your enclosed space.
10. Make fireworks in a jar using water, oil, and food coloring.
11. Play "The Donut Game" — which is like Jenga with stuff you have around the house.
Kids pull out pencils until the (cardboard) donut falls! Learn more at Playtivities.
12. Have kids cut out hands and then apply nail polish to them.
Kids love to apply nail polish, but instead of letting them apply it (poorly) to their fingers or yours, try this activity!
13. If your kids love slime, they'll have a blast making foam dough.
You'll need shaving cream and corn starch. Check out a tutorial here.
14. Little kids can give their plastic toys a bath.
Not only is this an activity to pass the time, but it's also a good opportunity to teach about the importance of washing — especially with viruses afoot.
15. Penny games are fun for kids to play — and all you need are some pennies!
Kids can stack them, try to toss them into cups, and more! Learn details here.
16. Turn a milk jug into a storm trooper helmet from Star Wars.
Find the DIY on Filth Wizard!
17. Tape papers towel rolls to the wall to keep toddlers busy.
Toddlers will drop the pom-poms into the bowl over and over, and develop their fine motor skills in the process.
18. Older kids will enjoy the same idea — just jazzed up a little.
19. Painter’s tape and some balled-up newspaper are all you need for this “sticky spiderweb” activity.
Learn more at Hands On As We Grow!
20. Preschoolers can continue to learn how to draw letters with an easy-to-make sugar-writing tray.
21. Make a bowl of popcorn and challenge your kids to play the Popcorn Olympics.
Find a list of popcorn games, like “straw blow” and “distance throw,” here.
22. Let your kids draw on the walls — that is, after putting up butcher paper or something similar.
If this stresses you out too much you can put the paper on a table or the floor. Either way, kids love being able to work on large canvases!
Get a 4-foot by 200-foot roll of white paper on Amazon for $24.97.
23. Play kid-friendly games on Amazon Echo/Dot or Google Home.
There are a LOT more fun games kids can play than you may realize. Here's a good list for Amazon Alexa, and here's one for Google Home.
Get an Amazon Echo from Amazon for $49.99 and a Google Home from Target for $99.99.
24. Balloon rockets are super fun and — bonus! — teach an important science lesson.
Kids learn the concept of “action and reaction” while having a blast. Learn more on here.
25. Cut a pool noodle in half to make a marble racetrack.
Find a tutorial on Homespun Threads.
26. Freeze water to play mini ice hockey.
Find a tutorial, plus a number of game ideas, on Playtivities.
27. If all else fails...let your kids play dress up in the far end of your closet.
Do you have some clothes you haven't worn in a long time? Or ones that aren't dear to you (extra points for wacky hats)? Kids LOVE to play dress up, and getting to do it in some of your clothes will be extra exciting.