12 Awesome Indoor Activities for Kids

These indoor activities for kids are perfect for snow days or hot summer days when no one can get outside.

No time for screen time? With the weather being so unpredictable all year round now, it means I’ve been trying to think of new ways to keep my kids entertained that don’t involve screen time!

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I love it when I find activities that keep them busy in a productive way.

In my search I’ve discovered 12 awesome indoor games, crafts and activities that are easy, fun, and educational: DIY Kinetic Sand, Easy Magazine Flowers, Fizzing Kool Aid Experiment, Leaf Imprinted Necklace, Cotton Ball Painting, Mess Free Finger Painting, DIY Rainbow Slime, Homemade Busy Bags, Indoor Bug Hunt, Ice Cream in a Bag, and Frozen Erupting Snowballs.

See Also

• Make the most of a snow day with these 6 LEGO Party Games and Activities to keep them busy all day long.  
• Let their imagination soar with these 10 Milk Carton Crafts Boys Will Love.
• Create any of these tents and you’ll create a magical space for kids to imagine inside.
• These slime recipes will keep hands busy and imaginations soaring! 

Indoor Activities for Kids

1. Activity Kit 

From Ivy Kids
Ivy Kids kits promote critical thinking and problem solving with hours of hands-on activities. Each month, kids will receive a book and over 10 fun, creative and educational activities to complete, based on the story and characters from the book. All subscription plans come with a monthly personalized item for the child and a gift in the first kit! Get 20% off your first Ivy Kids kit with code: IVY20

2. DIY Kinetic Sand 

From Parenting Chaos
DIY your own kinetic sand for hours of fun, at a fraction of the cost of the store bought variety. Plus, there is relatively no mess and cleanup is easy.

3. Easy Magazine Flowers 

From Organized 31
These easy magazine flowers are a fantastic kid-friendly activity that help use up those magazines and catalogs you’ve got piling up at home.

They make great gifts and/or party decorations and only require a few simple tools: scissors, hole punch and green pipe cleaners.

4. Fizzing Kool Aid Experiment 

From Artsy Momma
Hands-on learning is the best kind of learning and makes this fizzing Kool Aid experiment a perfect indoor activity for kids.

Let your kids explore the basics of a citric acid (found in the Kool Aid) and baking soda reaction. It’s colorful, hands-on fun.

5. Leaf Imprinted Necklace 

From Happy Hour Projects
Kids will love making nature-inspired jewelry in a few easy steps. All you need to make this leaf imprinted necklace is a little bit of polymer clay, leaves, a jump ring and chain and some acrylic paint and sealer (optional).

6. Cotton Ball Painting

From Domestic Mommyhood
This kids’ painting activity focuses on creativity and developing fine motor skills. No paintbrushes required!

Separate washable paint into the cups of a muffin tin and let kids use clothespins attached to cotton balls to dab paint onto their paper canvases.

7. Mess Free Finger Painting 

From Hippie Housewife

So long messy finger painting! This mess-free option for encouraging pint-sized Picassos to paint uses gallon sized Ziploc freezer bags with paint and paper safely contained inside and taped to a table.

This clever way of painting will have you smiling and wondering why you didn’t think of this sooner.

8. DIY Rainbow Slime 

From Learn Play Imagine
You’re three simple ingredients away from one awesome indoor activity for kids—rainbow slime. It’s almost as fun to make as it is to play with and lasts for a long time. Rummage through your cupboard for liquid starch, school glue and some food coloring (or liquid water color paint) and get ready to fall in love with slime.

9. Homemade Busy Bags 

From Teach Beside Me
Create your own homemade busy bag to keep your children engaged in fun activities throughout the day.

Items in a busy bag could include puzzle cards, matching games, color sorting activities, bead lacing, playdough and a chalk and chalkboard.

10. Indoor Bug Hunt 

From No Time for Flashcards
I scream. You scream. We all scream for making ice cream in a bag? Yes! As the weather heats up, follow this easy-to-make recipe for ice cream in a bag. It’s a fabulous indoor activity for kids that results in a tasty treat.

11. Ice Cream in a Bag 

From Simply Designing
I scream. You scream. We all scream for making ice cream in a bag? Yes! As the weather heats up, follow this easy-to-make recipe for ice cream in a bag! It’s a fabulous indoor activity for kids that results in a tasty treat!

12. Frozen Erupting Snowballs 

From Learn Play Imagine
A great sensory play activity, these frozen erupting snowballs will keep children entertained indoors as they watch vinegar interact with balls of frozen baking soda playdough.

Frozen movie lovers will especially get a kick out of the fun colored snow balls and watching them erupt.

Bonus Ideas:

• Find fun ideas here you’ll all love or go here for even more.
• If you still need ideas – check out these awesome Mod Podge craft ideas!

Have a blast at your next family game night with these great game ideas…

(Amazon Affiliate Links)

• Connect 4 Game
• Sorry! 2013 Edition Game
• HedBanz Game
• Trouble Game
• Chutes and Ladders Board Game
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Game!
• Monopoly Junior Board Game
• Frozen Olaf’s in Trouble Game
• Chutes and Ladders Super Hero Squad
• Hi Ho Cherry-O
• Beat The Parents Board Game
• Qwirkle Board Game
• Operation Game
• Peaceable Kingdom / Hoot Owl Hoot! Award Winning Cooperative Board Game
• World of Disney Eye Found It Board Game

Check out more great fun game ideas…

• 5 Classic Party Games for Kids Your Boys Will Still Love
• DIY Board Games Kids Will Love
• Birthday Party Games