Indoor games for kids: weatherproof fun

It's stormy, rainy, and your child simply doesn't feel like going outside? There are days like that. But how good that indoors plenty of play options and ideas are waiting for you. Whether alone, with siblings, parents or friends – your own home provides the ideal playground for exciting afternoons full of action and fun.

The best part: Many indoor games for kids can be played entirely without any equipment or with items from your household. This means your children can get started right away and a long setup of play equipment is not necessary. Of course, at HABA you can also find a wide range of toys, which are ideal for playing and Indoor romping are suitable and get children's hearts racing.

As you can see, all possibilities are open to you to tailor your indoor play to your own preferences and wishes. If your children have explored everything indoors and the little explorers are drawn outside, they will also find exciting Games in all weather.

These indoor games are available

There are plenty of indoor play options. You can count on finding the right children's game for every age and taste. Below you will get an overview of the different game categories.

Role-play games

Dressing up is fun. And children's games with many players wearing different costumes are even more fun. For group or role-play games you don't always need not always much space – even in the smallest children's room you can have a wonderful time playing and slipping into other roles.

Logic and guessing games

Little puzzle masters love cracking codes or bringing order to the guessing chaos. Logic and guessing games playfully train concentration and memory. Children who reach for logic games indoors also foster their mental and cognitive development as they play.

Memory and search games

Memory is one of the most popular and timeless play ideas for indoors and is popular with children of all ages. Whether cute animal motifs, speedy race cars or unicorns – searching for the matching pair provides playtime fun for the whole family.

Circle games

Circle games are especially popular in kindergarten and school, but can also be implemented at home without much effort. For this you usually need not even any equipment – simply roll out the play rug on the floor and let the fun begin. The advantage of circle games: they work even with many players – ideal for the next children's birthday party or a scout group's afternoon at your place.

Movement games

Does your child have a a strong urge to move and would most of all like to jump, romp and hop all the time? Then Movement gamesfor indoors are suitable, where little sports fans can really let off steam. Here you're independent of wind, weather or season and can build your own sports course right in the children's room.

Solo games

Some children also sometimes want to play alone indoors in peace. If right now no playmate is nearby or your child can keep themselves well occupied, puzzles or other toys offer great fun. The advantage: if the child loses interest in the game, it can be quickly and easily put aside and played again the next day.

Dexterity & coordination games

In dexterity games children can prove their skills and alone or in competition competing against each other in stacking, balancing or threading. That's fun and at the same time the mental development as well as the fine motor skills are promoted.

Crafting

Especially creative children get to enjoy themselves fully when crafting. Depending on the season, you'll find plenty of materials on walks in the fresh air to seasonal decorations to make. Whether colorful Easter decorations for the garden, autumn crafts made from chestnuts and pine cones or Christmas tree ornaments during Christmas crafting – imagination knows no bounds.

Indoor games at home – ideas for fun kids' games

Indoor games without equipment

Do you want game ideas and tips for fun indoor games that you can play right away and without much preparation play?

Then children's games without equipment are ideal. These can usually be played straight away, without having to first look for suitable materials.

The 5 most popular indoor games without equipment

• The floor is lava

• I pack my suitcase

• Little Bunny in the Pit

• Charades

• Telephone

Indoor children's games with equipment

For some indoor games you need suitable equipment or toys. But you don't always have to buy these directly—household items like cushions, socks, balloons, chairs, or blankets can often be repurposed and integrated into the game without any problems.\n\nIf you decide on purchased toys, the advantage is that your children can use them for a long time and can play with them on their own without getting bored.

The 5 most popular indoor games and toys

• Memory and puzzle games

• Marble runs

• Crawl tunnels and ball pits

• Soft toys and dolls

• Building blocks

Instructions: Our 9 best indoor games

In the following section we provide instructions and ideas for popular indoor children's games that your children can play at any age.

For toddlers (2-3 years)

Crawling monster

You can play this children's game indoors with 2–10 children. The little crawlers get down on all fours and hold the ankles of the child in front of them. The child crawling at the front may determine the direction – and off goes the crawl monster. On the way through the whole apartment the children hold on to each other's ankles.

Doll fashion show

Use the time when playing indoors with your children to give the dolls a new outfit to dress them up. Whether a cuddly pajama, a smart dirndl, or a sporty casual look – the doll owners can decide how their little one goes through the season. At the end your children can hold a small fashion show and proudly present the look to everyone.

Telephone

This game is even more fun when as many players as possible join in. Sit in a circle on the floor. Now the first child starts and whispers to their neighbor a word into their ear. That child must then whisper the word — or what they understood — into the next child's ear.

The game continues until the last player has been whispered the word. Now the child may say the word out loud. You will be surprised at the strange and funny words that result.

For (older) preschool children (4-5 years)

Marble run race

This game works best with at least two players and two marble runs. Place the two tracks side by side and the children release the marbles at the same time. Which marble will reach the goal faster? If more children play than there are marble runs, the other players can also guess which track will win. On your marks, get set, go!

Rattle the tune

In this game it is the sense of rhythm of your children that's required. Make rattles from tin cans or cardboard tubes, which you fill with uncooked rice and seal. Now the first child begins to rattle a song they have chosen. The other players must try to guess which song it is. If you guessed correctly, you can rattle the song together to the end.

Crafting with salt dough

Salt dough is quick to make and can be easily modeled by children. Simply mix two cups of flour with one cup of salt and one cup of water until a smooth dough forms. The children can now knead and shape the dough as they like. You can also use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

If you are satisfied with the shape, either let the dough dry for a few days near a heater or gently bake it in the oven (several hours at 100 °C). After baking or drying, the dough can be painted or further decorated.

For primary school children (from 6 years old)

Balloon shaving

Balloon shaving is about your children's fine touch. Inflate a balloon — preferably as large as possible. Now smear the balloon with shaving foam. The aim of the game is to remove the shaving foam from the balloon with a disposable razor without popping it. Which child can shave the balloon without damage?

Charades

Charades is an indoor game for the whole family. It involves movement, action and fun. The aim of the game is to mime terms, professions or films — that is, only through movements and without sounds or words to be used. Who will manage to guess the most answers?

Who am I?

In this game, each player first thinks of a character or person for their neighbor and writes it on a sticky note that is later stuck to the neighbor child's forehead. Make sure that the person themselves cannot read the note on the forehead and that a character is chosen that all players know.

Now the big guessing begins. In turn, players ask questions about their person that can be answered with 'yes' or 'no'. Each child may ask questions as long as the answer is 'yes'. Then it's the next child's turn. Who will find out their identity the fastest?

Celebrate a birthday at home – exciting indoor children's birthday party games

Do your children want to spend their next celebrate a child's birthday at your home, it means for you as parents: finding suitable indoor game ideas. But we can reassure you, with the right preparation, exciting birthday party games on hand and a little Organization you can organize a party for your children where boredom isn't invited.

Musical Chairs

You need cushions or chairs that you place in the middle of the room. There are always one fewer seat than players. Now the music starts and all the children run around the chairs or cushions. When the music stops, each child quickly finds a seat. The child who couldn't get a seat is out. Then a chair or cushion is removed and the game continues.

Pot Hitting

For this game you need a pot, a wooden spoon, a small gift and a blindfold. The child whose turn it is first has their eyes covered and the wooden spoon placed in their hand. Now the pot is hidden in the room and a small gift placed underneath it. The child may now, with eyes covered, search for the pot and while doing so feel their way forward with the wooden spoon.

The other players can help by saying "hot" or "cold" to indicate the direction to the sought object. Once the child has found the pot, they hit it with the wooden spoon, may remove the blindfold and keep the gift.

Dressing Up

Not only at Fasching or Carnival do children enjoy dressing up and to take on different roles. A child's birthday is the perfect day to hold a big costume party with all their friends and run wild through the whole house as a pirate, police officer or princess.

Treasure Hunt

A successful treasure hunt can not only take place outside, but also indoors. For this, you as parents first hide the treasure and roughly draw the hiding place on a treasure map in. Now it's up to the little explorers to find the treasure – together the children should try to read the map and reach the goal.

Chocolate-eating contest

For this popular indoor kids' birthday party game you need a die, a pair of gloves, a hat, a scarf, a knife and fork and of course a bar of chocolate. Place all the items in front of you on the table or floor. Now the first child begins to roll. This continues in turn until a child rolls a 6. In that case they quickly put on the hat, scarf and gloves and try to to eat the chocolate with a knife and fork. In the meantime the other players continue to roll. As soon as another child rolls a 6, it is their turn and they try to eat the chocolate in full outfit. The game continues until the chocolate is completely eaten.

Image credits

Parents jumping with children on the floor © fizkes - stock.adobe.com

Grandmother swings grandchild through the air © fizkes - stock.adobe.com

Children cover their eyes with food and laugh at the camera © pressmaster - stock.adobe.com