5 Indoor Activities Your Kids Will Love

Guest blog post by Amanda Moore

One of the best ways for your children to learn something new is by incorporating the material in fun activities that will not only engage your kids but will also allow them to retain that new information. Many people think that school is the place where children go to learn. Although that may have some truth to it, learning should continue at home. Many schools provide ways to keep kids active and learning outside of school by sending home homework, providing before & after school care or organizing summer camps programs. However, it’s always nice to change up the pace and find new ways to learn and have fun at home. And while it may seem daunting to think of different indoor activities that your children will enjoy, committing to providing your children with engaging, entertaining, and educational activities will be absolutely worth the effort you invest in the end. If you’re uncertain of where to start, look no further. Here are five indoor activities that your children will love.

Baking with the kids is a great way for children to learn while having fun at home. In addition to spending much-needed quality time with the kids, there are quite a few benefits associated with baking. For one, by baking, your kids will learn their way around the kitchen, familiarizing themselves with different ingredients. Baking also teaches your children math, allowing them to learn about fractions and different units of measurements. Additionally, baking is a great way for the kids to learn about certain scientific concepts, such as how dough reacts to baking soda or baking powder. If you’d rather not experiment with the sweets, try introducing the kids to cooking. Like baking, cooking provides children with a creative outlet in which they are able to learn about math, scientific concepts, and even develop an understanding of different flavors, allowing them to become more interested in trying different foods. This is also a great way to teach your child how to make healthier choices, instilling healthy eating habits while they’re still young.

Making slime might seem like a strange trend that has taken over social media; however, it has its own benefits. Slime is something that is relatively easy to make, comprised of regular household items. Children typically enjoy playing with slime because the unique tactile sensory experience that it provides. The squishy texture of slime actually helps children relieve stress, providing a break from their busy school schedules. Some kids also find focus by keeping their hands busy while playing with slime. Slime can also prove to be an educational experience. While mixing the slime, try talking to the kids about the ingredients added into the mixture, and the reactions that are caused by each ingredient.

The 10 Minute Challenge can be a fun game for young kids that will help them develop problem-solving skills, give them confidence, and allow them to stretch out their young creative minds. The game is quite simple: give your child a simple task that needs to be completed within 10 minutes, provide them with the items necessary to complete the job, and watch them go. Some examples include: Drawing a map of their own dream city, making up a special dance, pick up 20 things off the floor, and writing down the names of as many animals as they can think of. The purpose of this game is to get your kids up and moving, whether they’re challenged to do twenty jumping jacks or challenged to envision a new kind of animal, draw it out, and proudly present it before their audience. 

Creating works of art using sand is another awesome tactile sensory experience that your child can benefit from. Typically, when people think art for kids, the first thing they’ll come across is paint and crayons, but sand is something that is more hands-on and can be visually appealing with colored options that are vibrant and eye-catching. The process of creating sand art can be equally fun and engaging. Have your child draw an image and apply glue to the areas where you want the sand. Add the sand, brush away the excess, and you have a masterpiece that you can proudly display on your refrigerator. Though the process to creating sand art seems simple, your child will definitely be hard at work for the better part of an hour—adding the piles of sand to the sheet of paper, and pushing it around to ensure that it sticks (while playing with the sand) will take up more time than one thinks. The Floor is Lava is a game that many of us have played as children, and it seems only natural that we would want to pass on the tradition of clinging to any and all piece of furniture to ensure your safety from the imaginary lava to your children. If you aren’t particularly fond of the kids essentially performing hardcore parkour on the furniture and possibly breaking a leg, try taping down sheets of paper to the floor or purchasing the game. This will still give your child the opportunity to come up with a way to avoid touching the floor while providing them with a sense of adventure.