Top 100 Indoor Winter Activities For Kids

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Fun indoor winter activities for kids when you are stuck inside at home. Perfect for rainy days or for when winter cabin fever strikes. We’ve got fun ideas for children of all ages.

Includes active games to burn energy, imaginative play, crafts, sensory fun, and quiet games to play.    

Pinterest pin featuring a child in blanket fort. The text overlay reads 100 Indoor Winter Activities For Kids To Encourage Creativity and Play

Do you want some fun indoor winter activities?

Are you stuck inside trying to figure out what to do with our child that doesn’t involve screen time? Below is a list of fun indoor winter activities for any child to do when they’re stuck inside!

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Having a list of fun, easy indoor winter activities ready to go at a moment’s notice is a sanity saver.

To save you time, I scoured the Internet to create this list of the very best indoor activities to help you when the weather is horrid. 

You might want to pin this post, since you’re likely to need it again. … and again….and again. AGHH!

Over 100 of the best fun indoor winter activities start with secret codes.

Kids love secret codes, and they make for the perfect rainy-day activity. Check out 6 Amazing Secret Codes Your Kids Will Really Enjoy

display of pages from the secret codes kit with a magnifying glass

“Secret Codes For Kids” introduces 5 secret codes. 18 pages of fun for junior spies and their parents. Download your copy here.

Spark the Imagination

Most kids have great imaginations and love to use them. Here are some great activities that will get those creative juices flowing.

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  • Get out some blankets and cushions and create a blanket fort in your living room. Once constructed, invite your children to join you in some imaginative play. What will your fort become? Will it be a pirate’s lair, secret agent headquarters, or will you go exploring the jungle? Let your children take the lead and follow their imaginations into wondrous lands. When you are done, it can simply become a place to snuggle and read together.
  • Make some puppets and create a show. You’ll find some great ideas here and here.  Alternatively, challenge family members to make puppets out of household items. If you want to go one step further, learn how to make a puppet theater from an old cardboard box.
  • Set out a large cardboard box and some markers, and see what happens.
  • Make fairy houses.
  • Raid your recycling box and invite your kids to create a cardboard city. Barley and Birch provide great instructions. This should get the creativity going.
  • Buy some road tape and invite your kids to create a road system all around the house.
  • Older kids might enjoy making these adorable tin can robots. This activity requires a little more planning, but it would be super fun to do.
  • This book has loads of fun robots to build.

Sometimes all you need are the right toys to spark the imagination. Here’s 40 Epic Open-Ended Toys Your Kids Will Actually Play With.

Indoor Activities to Burn Energy

When kids are stuck indoors, they need to get that energy out. Here are some great indoor games and ideas to get them active!

  • Turn on some lively music and have a crazy dance party. Move the furniture back to create a large open space.  Raid the kitchen cupboards to make some impromptu musical instruments, then have a parade.  Perhaps you could even learn how to dance the Charleston.
  • Have a dirty-sock fight. Take the socks right off your feet, ball them up, and challenge your kids to a throwing battle. This activity is almost guaranteed to get everyone laughing. Raid your laundry hampers for extra ammunition. Form teams to help younger children.
  • Hand out some balloons and see how long they can keep them up before they drop. Older kids can have more than one balloon or use only one hand.
  • Set up indoor activity stations! Make signs for different activities: jumping jacks, planks, crawling through tape/rope, and balancing activities. Set a timer, and have your kids move through the stations.”
  • Make a ginormous pile of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals, near a couch or the bottom of your stairway. Then invite your kids to jump away!
  • Invite your kids to create an obstacle course using furniture and household items. How fast can you go through?
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Play Indoor Volleyball

You’ll need a clear space to play, and at least two players, but four players are better. String a piece of yarn across the middle of your playing area about one foot from the floor. Have children take off their shoes.

Divide into two teams and instruct players to walk like crabs, facing up and using their hands and feet.

Toss a coin or roll a die to see which team goes first. That team throws the balloon up in the air, and players must kick it over the string. Teams kick the balloon back and forth across the string.

When the balloon hits the floor, it earns a point for the team that sent it over the string. That team can then restart the game. The first team to reach 15 points wins.

More Energy Busters

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Get Creative

Bring out the art supplies. It’s time to get creative!

display of pages from the comic book kit with a flying superhero

My Comic Activity Kit” contains everything kids need to create their own comic. Download your copy here.

More Creative Activities

partially colored growth mindset coloring page on a table with markers and toys. The page reads I am always moving forward.

Grab our inspiring coloring sheets that promote positive thinking. Each sheet features cute animals and inspiring messages for your kids. Get your copy here.

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Quieter Indoor Games

Quieter games make great indoor winter activities. Some of them double as learning activities, which is always a plus.

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Sensory Games

I know lots of kids who just LOVE hands-on, sensory play. Here are a few fun ones I’ve found to share.

Science Fun

Kids love doing science experiments, and they are remarkably simple to set up. Here are some fabulous ideas from Babble Dabble Do. We also have

This post is part of my Seasonal Activities collection. You can find all my Holiday & Seasonal Activities here, or head to the Kids Activities resource hub where you’ll find hundreds of fun ideas all in one place.

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As a mother of three adult children, I understand the demands and joys of parenthood. With a teaching degree focusing on children aged 6-13, I've dedicated over 40 years to designing educational programs for children and tweens. I know what activities work and what kids need from you. My passion lies in supporting busy parents in making the most of their valuable time with their kids.