4 Fun Physical Activities to Keep the Kids Entertained Indoors

As every parent knows, children are not only bundles of joy but also bundles of energy. That’s why it is so important for much of their playtime to be physical, so they can properly develop their bodies and keep mentally healthy too. However, organising active playtime can be easier said than done when it’s cold or rainy outside and you’re stuck at home with the little loves. Let’s face it, there’s only so many fairy cakes you can bake together, or art & craft sessions they can sit still for until mental fatigue sets in and the fidgeting starts. What next?

The trick is to have some ideas up your sleeve that you can pull out at short notice and save the (rainy) day from descending into whining behaviour or destructive boredom. We’ve rounded up some top tips for desperate mums, dads and other carers to keep the little darlings entertained indoors while letting them have the exercise they so clearly need.

With our unpredictable winter to spring time weather and the cost-of-living crisis making many families rethink expensive outings, the timing for some practical and affordable advice couldn’t be better.

1.      Balloon Sports

Invest in a large pack of multicoloured balloons, ideally biodegradable ones for the sake of the planet. Not only are they basic decorating staples for every family event, but there’s a lot of fun to be had playing with them too.

Balloon Hockey – You’ll need two rectangular laundry baskets, laid sideways, for goals, and an improvised hockey stick (DIY cardboard ones will do nicely) for every player. Set out your hockey pitch in a large room with not too much furniture and split the group of participants into two teams. Add balloons and let the fun begin. The team scoring the most goals wins, obviously. If needed, you can download full instructions here.

If hockey isn’t a game that ticks boxes, you can do a similar thing for tennis, using masking tape to separate the room into two halves of a tennis court. Play singles or doubles and see who can keep the balloon in the air the longest. Doing away with (homemade cardboard) tennis rackets and simply using hands to bat the ball across the ‘net’ also works; it’s called Balloon Volleyball –  just take a look at this video!

2.      Indoor Golf

If your kids love playing crazy golf outdoors, how about recreating a putting course for them to play at home? It’s a great way to improve hand-eye coordination and build the beginnings of a game strategy. All you need is a bit of space – just move furniture to the side of the room – and some scarves to edge the playing surface with, then create some target ‘holes’ with an upturned cardboard box with cut-outs that are big enough for golf balls. It’s a bit like adult golfers playing on a golf simulator, but without the tech and with more cardboard involved! Actually, we would also recommend using ping-pong balls instead of real golf balls, for obvious reasons.

If golfing seems like too much effort, the alternative is a family-friendly version of Beer Pong. You’ll need those ping-pong balls again, a dining table, and 10 or so plastic cups. The game, in case you’re not familiar, involves throwing or bouncing balls into cups, with points awarded for every successful throw. Here’s a video of a family doing just that.

3.      Games with Masking Tape

Sometimes the simplest games are the most fun. Masking tape is a DIY staple found in most households and it can be used in a wide variety of ways to create indoor entertainment for youngsters of all ages. Take Hopscotch, for example. All you need is to create your Hopscotch design by outlining the squares with no-mess, easy-peel tape on hard flooring or carpets, and you’re ready to jump straight in!

Even simpler, though potentially more demanding, are Tape Lines. Use masking tape to place 8-10 parallel lines about 6 inches apart on the floor and encourage the children to jump (or hop on one leg) from one to the other, or stretch from one to the other, run in between the lines or any other activity that gets them to physically interact with the lines.

Finally, if you have any paper streamers left over from the last kids’ birthday party, use the upstairs landing to create a ‘laser maze’. Here’s how they do it in the spy movies! Back in the real world, though, you can get a similar effect with 3D zig-zag pattern across the landing, weaving the crepe paper in and out of the stair spindles and taping it to the wall on the other side. The challenge, should your kids choose to accept it, will be to work their way through the ‘maze’ without touching.

4.      Obstacle Course

Indoor obstacle courses are a great way for the kids to burn off tons of energy, and they never get boring. That’s because no two obstacle courses are ever the same! Dedicate a room or area of the house and expect it to be ‘out of use’ for the duration of the game (sorry!). Get the children to help design and set up the course, then make the whole thing into a competition with prizes.

To build the course, you can use anything you have to hand. Sofas to jump over or navigate around, chairs for crawling under, sheets and pillows for making tunnels, simple fitness toys (balls, hula hoops, skipping ropes etc) to create individual activity ‘stations’ – there really is no limit to getting really creative when designing station concepts and obstacle course layouts. Just bear in mind the ages, abilities and number of children involved as well as the space you have available.

And if you really can’t stand the idea of your house being ‘repurposed’ for children’s activities, here’s a simple alternative that may well suffice for younger children. All you need is cushions, strategically placed on the floor to create a ‘safe’ path through the shark-infested waters (i.e. the floor)! Let them jump from one cushion ‘island’ to the other to get to the other side of the dangerous ocean, also known as the sofa. Job done.