15 Fun Indoor Games for Kids Aged from 1 to 6 Years

This article lists 15 fun indoor games that will help entertain and educate your kids. These games will not only diversify your child's everyday life, but also teach them something new.

15 Fun Indoor Games for Kids

How to have fun with kids at home? Say goodbye to boring cartoons and gadgets! Even at home, you can organize a good and fun leisure time for your child. There are many fun things to do with your child at home.

Infancy

• "Pots." Gather small saucepans or plastic bowls on the table. Together with your child, select the appropriate lids for each container. Turn the pots upside down, take chopsticks, and tap them like drums. Place small bowls into large bowls.

• "Cinderella." Mix nuts and beans. Have your child sort them. These fun indoors children games will help develop their motor skills.

• "Fishing." Draw water into a large basin. Make several balls out of foil or paper. Give your child a filter, and let them "catch" each ball.

• "A vacuum cleaner." Scatter breadcrumbs or cereal on the table. Let your child use their fingers to collect each piece. You can pour some water and give your child a sponge to collect all the drops.

• "Performance." Buy toys for the finger theater or make them yourself with bright socks, beads, and ribbons. Arrange a home performance based on fairy tales. This fun indoor game develops imagination.

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Toddler

• "Monkey." Ask your child to repeat everything you do and say. Perform ordinary actions (stand up, walk around the room, say a few words) and something non-trivial (jump on one leg, portray a sinister laugh, sing with operatic vocals). Such fun indoor games develop artistry.

• "Disco." You can dance to rhythmic music or introduce your child to different dance genres. Play a video and imitate the dancers: tango, ballet, hip-hop, etc.

• "Traffic light." Cut out circles from colored cardboard – red, green, yellow. The condition of the game is that each color is assigned a specific action. For example, red is to stand, green is to run, and yellow is to crouch. Show your child different colors and follow the correct response- this is one of fun indoor games for toddlers that will help them learn colors and shapes.

• "Cold-hot." Hide a toy and ask your child to find it using your clues. "Hot" means the child is close to the hiding place, and "cold" means they are far away. Expand the range of indications: freezing, warmer, hot. 

• "Arts." Finger paints, drawings on clothes (t-shirts), modeling from multi-colored dough or special clay, plasticine – create artistic masterpieces daily with your child, these are creative things to do with your kid at home.

Preschoolers

• "Letters." Take turns with your child to name words starting with a given letter. Make the game more challenging by choosing certain letters. For example, more "m" words come to mind than "Y" words. The next step is to name the word with a hidden letter. These fun indoor games help develop memory.

• "Board games." Quests, logical tasks – choose games not only according to the age criterion but also according to the tastes of the child. Board games can captivate several children at once and make them an element of the holiday program.

• "Fantas." Write on pieces of paper the names of objects, characters, and phenomena. Invite the child to portray them without using words. Play with the whole family or a children's team: the more players, the more enjoyable.

• "Things." Making jewelry from beads, rubber bands, or beads will interest both boys and girls. The main thing is to choose the right material and technique, as well as the colors of the future product. These fun indoor games are helpful not only for the development of imagination but also improve hand motility.

• "Cooks." Cook simple meals, sweets, and pastries with your child. Involve them in decorating dishes and the main stages: beat eggs with a mixer, roll out the dough on a board, etc. The next step is for your child to prepare the chosen dish themselves (under your supervision).

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Organizing Fun Indoor Games

• Fun indoor games and developmental activities at home require parents' full attention. You first need to buy the necessary supplies, familiarize your child with the rules of the game/activity, check the proper execution and safety, and help if something does not work out. Plan your schedule ahead of time.

• Children are more active in the first half of the day, so spend that time playing outdoor games. Leave the evening for quiet activities.

• Do not be upset or scold your child if something does not work out for him or her. Doing so will discourage them from trying new things that you can do with your kid at home, undermines their self-esteem, and causes stress. Be patient and understanding: the child is still learning, and this process is impossible without trial and error.

• Clean up the room together after the fun indoor game. Even a three-year-old can help you put the cubes in a basket or put filthy things in the washer.

• Make a progress calendar in which you will record your child's achievements for each activity. Then you can evaluate the results together and have fun with your kids at home.