101 Indoor Activities for Children of All Ages
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101 Indoor Activities

Updated: Apr 26, 2020

Rainy Day Activities for Children of All Ages.



Whatever your reason for being stuck in the house, we have activities for your little one! Many parents want to know, aside from playing with a tablet or phone, how can I engage my child on this otherwise gloomy day. Below is a list of many activities for children 12 and younger to play inside. Of course, one activity that transcends all ages is reading a story. You can read to your child or they can read to you. You can take turns. Or, you could make up a story!

Non-Mobile Infants

At this age, toys are unnecessary. Your baby’s favorite toy is your face. Face-to-face activities will be their primary engagement.


1. Peek-a-boo

Always a classic; Hide your face and ask “Where’s baby?” Then, uncover and show your baby how happy you are to have found them.

2. Scarf Peek-a-book

Instead of using your hands, find a light, breathable scarf. Lay your little one flat on the floor and let the scarf float until it gently lands on his or her face.

Any left over party balloons? Tie the string of a helium balloon to your baby’s ankle. They will enjoy watching the balloon dancing and soon make the connection that they control it.

4. Mirror Play

Place a mirror on the floor or leaning against the wall during tummy time and talk to your baby about what they see

Place your baby’s feet up against something hard (e.g. couch, box, pan, etc.) and let them make their own music

6. Make Shadow puppets

7. Sing a Nursery Rhyme

8. Put on a Puppet Show

9. Make a Sensory Bottle

Sensory bottles are easy and can be made quickly out of recycled materials. I would suggest using super glue or hot glue to seal the top and ensure that the content are not accessed.

Mobile Infants (Babies who can crawl)

As babies become mobile, their world is expanded beyond their parent's face and they want to explore it, primarily with their mouth.


10. Musical Band

Grab, or make, an instrument and jam out to your favorite nursery rhyme

11. Sandbox Discovery

Smash graham crackers (approximately 1 box) in a storage bag until it looks like sand. Then transfer the contents to a plastic container. Hide some trinkets that cannot be swallowed in the “sand” and let your little one explore. Be sure to do this activity in a contained space, it can get messy.

12. Make a Tent

13. Make a Sensory Bottle

Sensory bottles are easy and can be made quickly out of recycled materials. I would suggest using super glue or hot glue to seal the top and ensure that the content are not accessed.

14. Play Peek-a-Boo

15. Make Shadow Puppets

16. Put on a Puppet Show

Self-feeding is an adventure in its own right for these little ones. Place them in a high chair with a handful of soft, bite-size, healthy snacks and let them have at it!

Toddlers (Children 2 years and younger who can walk)

The twos don’t have to be terrible with the right activities to engage and empower your little one. A toddler's misbehavior is often their way of exhibiting a need for autonomy. This need, coupled with their often immature communication skills can lead to minor, or major, meltdowns. Thankfully, most children thrive with structure and games are a great way to teach self-control, build language and increase autonomy.


18. Play-doh

Scary, I know, but Play-doh is great for strengthening fine motor skills and content areas. Start with a small amount of one color to introduce the texture and rules. Then, add more as you see your little one is ready.

21. Musical Band

Grab, or make, an instrument and jam out to your favorite nursery rhyme

22. Box Art

Recycle a large cardboard Amazon or moving box. Place your one inside with a box of crayons, markers, paints or all three and let their imagination roam

23. Make a Tent

24. Make a Sensory Bottle

Sensory bottles are easy and can be made quickly out of recycled materials. I would suggest using super glue or hot glue to seal the top and ensure that the content are not accessed.

25. Do a Puzzle: 5 pieces or less

26. Color a Picture

27. Make a Mask

28. Color Hunt

Make piles of different colors with things from around the house

29. Make a Sun Catcher

30. Put on a Puppet Show

31. Sort by Color, Shape or Size

Cut construction paper into various shaped pieces, then sort and glue onto a collage

Preschoolers (3 and 4 year olds)

Your little one is blossoming into an independent child with increased fine and gross motor control as well as language skills. Sharing and taking turns is an important social skill that children at this age are learning to use as they begin to enter the classroom setting.


33. Musical Band

Grab, or make, an instrument and jam out to your favorite nursery rhyme

35. Make a Tent

36. Bake cookies

37. Make a Mask

38. Play-doh

39. Do a Puzzle: 24 pieces or less

40. Play Jenga

41. Color a picture

43. Play Candy Land

44. Sort Lego or Blocks

Build a tower for each color then count and compare

45. Make a collage out of magazine clippings

46. Make a card for someone special

47. Play Hot Potato

48. Sort by Color, Shape or Size

Cut construction paper into various shaped pieces, then sort and glue onto a collage

49. Put on a Puppet Show

50. Color Hunt

Make piles of different colors with things from around the house

51. Bingo: Rhyming Words

52. Bingo: Colors and Shapes

53. Bingo: Numbers

54. Bingo: Letters

Primary Grades (K- 2nd Graders)

Almost all of the learning that takes place during these years is used for the rest of our lives, but interestingly enough, most of us cannot remember how we learned our ABCs and 123s. Here are some games and activities that they won't be able to forget!


55. Bingo: Letters

57. Bake Cookies

58. Musical Band

Grab, or make, an instrument and jam out to your favorite nursery rhyme

59. Make a Tent

60. Clean the House

Kids at this age love to help. This age group can help do anything that doesn't involve chemicals like sweep, dust, sort laundry, etc.

61. Play-doh

62. Play Simon Says

64. Play I-Spy

65. Play Hot Potato

66. Do a Puzzle: 24 pieces or less

67. Make a Mask

69. Color a picture

70. Put on a Puppet Show

71. Play Connect 4

72. Play Goldfish

73. Play Twister

74. Make a collage out of magazine clippings

75. Make a card for someone special

76. Bingo: Sight Words

77. Bingo: Rhyming Words

78. Bingo: Numbers

79. Bingo: USA

Intermediate Grades (3rd- 6th Graders)

At this age, children can use what they have learned in school to engage in more complex games and activities.


81. Musical Band

Grab, or make, an instrument and jam out to your favorite tunes

82. Play Simon Says

83. Play I-Spy

84. Make Origami

85. Do a Puzzle: 50 pieces or less

86. Do a Crossword Puzzle

87. Color a Picture

88. Play Pictionary, Charades, Or Taboo

89. Play Hot Potato

90. Sort and Count the coins in a piggy bank

91. Play Solitaire

92. Play Checkers

93. Play Chess

94. Write and illustrate a story

95. Play Twister

96. Make a collage out of magazine clippings

97. Make a card for someone special

98. Bingo: USA

99. Bingo: Fractions, Decimals and Percents

100. Bingo: Multiplication and Division

101. Bingo: Telling Time

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