May 13, 2019

Loads Of Fun Games To Play Inside With Kids | free downloadable booklet

Fun games to play inside with children

Every parent needs a handy list of fun games to play inside with kids (find the free printable booklet at the end of the post).

Whether you’re stuck indoors because of the weather or simply because you have little outdoor space then these indoor games are pretty much guaranteed to keep your kids entertained.

I’ve split the games into a few lists so that it’s easier for you to find what you want.

Some are noisy games that involve lots of running around while others are calmer games that children can play sitting down.

Games to play inside with kids

Quiet indoor games to play inside with kids

This first list of indoor games don’t involve a lot of moving around and so are better for smaller spaces or if you’d prefer to keep noise levels to a minimum.

RING STRING GAME

Can you guess who’s hiding the ring?!

For larger groups

You will need:

– A long length of yarn or string

– A ring

How to play:

Get everyone to sit in a circle with a little space between each person (Note: one person will stand in the middle).
Cut a piece of yarn or string that’s long enough to go around the inside of the circle.
Thread a ring or similar onto your yarn and tie the ends of the string together to form a full circle.
Ask everyone in the circle to hold the string with two hands.
The person in the middle has to close their eyes while the ring is hidden in someone’s hands.
They have three guesses to find the ring.
The ring must move around the circle (in any direction) for the entire game…preferably without the guesser seeing!
It helps if other people in the circle pretend they have it.

THE ALPHABET GAME

A game that’s perfect for car journeys!

For smaller groups

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Think of a topic and players like countries, animals or celebrities.
Players have to name something in that category following the letters of the alphabet.
So, if you choose animals it might go something like “Ardvark, Bat, Cat…”
Keep going for as long as you can.

THE WINKING GAME

Guess who’s knocking everyone out with their winks!

For larger groups

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Ask everyone to sit in a circle except one person who is the guesser.
Ask the guesser to leave the room while the rest of you choose a ‘winker’. If children can’t wink then either let them try (which is always fun!) or choose a different action like pointing.
The guesser stands in the middle of the circle.
When the ‘winker’ winks at people it knocks them out. They can act this out as theatrically as they wish!
The guesser has to determine who is winking in no more that three guesses.

POOR LITTLE KITTY

Just make sure that you don’t laugh 🤣

4+ people

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Choose someone to be the kitty.
Everyone else can stand/ sit as they wish.
The ‘kitty’ needs to pretend to be a cute little cat and crawl around the room interacting with everyone.
The first person to laugh becomes the ‘kitty’ next.

PILLOW FORT

This is such a lovely rainy day activity when you just feel like snuggling.

For just a few kids

You will need:

– Sheets and blankets

– Books

– Snacks

How to play:

Build your indoor den by draping sheets over sofas, cabin beds etc.
Fill with comfy pillows and blankets.
Snuggle up with a book and some apple slices or popcorn.

INDOOR CAMPING

Great for if you’ve been rained off a camping trip.

For just a few kids

You will need:

– A small tent

– Sleeping bags

How to play:

Put your tent up as normal (minus the pegs obviously 🤣)
Throw in your sleeping bags and pillows and have a sleep over in your lounge.
Picnic on the floor and play some indoor games.

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS

Two people

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Both players close their hands into fists in front of them and count “1,2,3”
After “3” they choose a rock, paper or scissors.
Rock – closed fist
Paper – flat hand
Scissors – open fingers to gesture cutting.
Working out the winner: rock blunts scissors/ paper covers rock but is cut by scissors.

WHO AM I?

For just a few kids

You will need:

– Post-its and pens

How to play:

Everyone writes a character on a post-it without showing anyone.
Carefully stick a post-it on someone’s forehead without them seeing the name of the character.
Everyone should have a post-it on their forehead before starting the game (you can pre-make these in advance if easier!)
For smaller groups you can take turns asking a question to try and guess who you are. Answers can only be “yes” or “no”. E.g. Am I a character in a book.
Variation: for younger children you can draw animals for them to guess.

I SPY

A great game to play in the car.

For just a few kids

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

One person to say “I spy with my little eye something beginning with…”
The others to try and guess.
Younger children can use colors…”I spy with my little eye something red…”

THE YES NO GAME

Guaranteed laughs!

For just a few kids

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Player one can’t say “yes” or “no”.
Player two has to question Player one until they say “yes” or “no”!

THE FOUR SENSES GAME

A game for all but one sense.

For just a few kids

You will need:

– Various edibles.

How to play:

Have some edibles ready prepped on a tray and cover with a tea towel.
Blindfold the players and place an edible in front of them.
Using their senses they can smell, touch, listen to and taste it. They take turns to guess what it is.

WHAT’S IN THE BAG?

A game that’s great for teaching kids adjectives.

For just a few kids

You will need:

– A bag full of objects.

How to play:

Fill a bag with various objects.
Children take turns to feel an object inside without looking.
If they guess correctly they keep it.
Player with most objects wins.

I WENT TO THE SHOP…

A fun memory game.

For large and small groups.

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

A player starts “I went to the shop and a bought…a banana”.
Each person repeats the sentence and adds an item on their turn.
So, the next player would say “I went to the shop and I bought a banana and a toothbrush”.
Get it wrong and you’re eliminated.
See how long you can keep it going for!

CHINESE WHISPERS

This game can have hilarious results!

For just a few kids

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Everyone to sit in a circle.
One person to think of a sentence and whisper it in the ear of the person next to them…only once.
The sentence must continue to pass right around the circle until it has gone all the way around.
When it reaches the last person they must say it out loud.
It will hopefully have morphed into a hilariously funny sentence that is nothing like the original.

WORD ASSOCIATION

I love this game!

For just a few kids

You will need:

– An inflatable mallet or small cushion/ soft toy. (optional)

How to play:

Two children to stand opposite each other.
An adult or another child becomes the judge starts the game by saying a word.
Player 1 says a word associated with the word. Player 2 follows with a word associated with Player 1’s word. This should be quick!
The judge has to decide whether a word is related enough or totally random. Also, the judge can decide of players are too slow responding.
If the judge thinks someone has said an disassociated word or have been too slow then the player gets “malleted” gently! (This is from the game show Mallet’s Mallet).

Paper games to play indoors with kids

Great for smaller groups

HANGMAN

Player one thinks of a word and marks a line for each letter on the paper.
Player two guesses a letter at a time.
Each incorrect guess means a section of the hangman is drawn. Click here for image.

DOTS

Make a square of dots on your paper (it can be any size but around 10 by 10 works well)
One at a turn place a line between two dots.
If you manage to draw the final line to complete a square then place your initial in the square.
The winner is the player who has their initials in the most boxes.

PICTIONARY

Someone has to draw a person, thing or animal while other players guess what it is.
The person who guesses gets a point.

NOUGHTS AND CROSSES / TIC TAC TOE

Make a 3×3 grid square on your paper.

Player 1 puts an ‘X’ in one of the squares and Player 2 puts an ‘O’.
The winner is the first player to get three Xs or Os in a line.
The line can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal.

NEVER HAVE I EVER…

game for getting to know each other better.

Everyone sits in a circle.
Each person has 8 marbles or small sweets.
Each player takes turns to make a statement beginning with “never have I ever…”
For example, “Never have I ever danced in the rain”.
Any player that has danced in the rain looses one marble/ eat one sweet.
The first player to get rid of all their marbles/ sweets is the winner.

NAME THE SONG

A game to test your musical knowledge.

Put together a playlist.
Play a few seconds of a song (beginning, middle or end).
First player to call out the correct song gets a point.
Winner has the most points at the end of the game.

CHARADES

A game to show off your acting skills.

Write lots of famous people, books, songs and movies on pieces of paper.
Divide your players into teams of around 2-4 people.
One player from one team is given a piece of paper and has to act it out to their team.
They can give their teammates clues by indicating the number of words by holding up that many fingers.
To tell teamates that it’s a book they pretend to read/ a movie they mime a camera rolling/ a song they pretend to sing/ a TV show they draw a a square in the air.
To start acting words out the can let teammates know which word they will be focusing on by holding up that many fingers.
So, for “The Lion King” they may hold up 2 fingers and roar like a lion.
You can also break words into syllables by tapping the corresponding number of syllables on your wrist.
Or hold your ear to tell your team you’ll be acting a word that ‘sounds like’ your word.
Team wins a point if they guess within the set time.

THINGS

A game to get to know each other better.

One player at a time asks a question that starts with the word “Things”.
For example, “Things you should never wear to work…?”
Everyone must note their anwser on a strip of paper.
The questioner reads out the answers and the other players guesses who wrote the answer.
They get a point if they guess correctly.

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE

A great game for a group of new friends.

Players sit in a circle.
One at a time, players tell two truths and one lie.
Other players vote on which statement is a lie.
If players guess wrong then the lier wins a point.

WOULD YOU RATHER

One player asks the group “Would you rather…or…”
The question must give two possible answers.
For example, “Would you rather have to walk everywhere backwards or have to crawl everywhere?”.
Other players must answer and explain their reasoning.

Noisier indoor games to play inside with kids

These games will involve moving around and as a result will make more noise. They’re great fun though and most will work well with large and small groups of children.

MUSICAL BUMPS

This is a classic for birthday parties!

For larger groups

You will need:

– Music

How to play:

Everyone dances.
When the music stops randomly they must drop to the floor.
The last person sitting is out.
Keep going until one person remains dancing.

MUSICAL STATUES

Another classic!

For larger groups

You will need:

– Music

How to play:

Play like above but instead of sitting when the music stops, players must freeze.
The judge then walks around the frozen dancers to see if anyone is moving.
Anyone caught moving is out…until only one remains.

TABLE TENNIS

Great if you have a largish dining table!

For smaller groups

You will need:

– A table

– A table tennis set like this.

How to play:

Set up your table and clear away breakables.
Play singles or doubles.
Winner stays on.

SWAP WITH SOMEONE…

Organize chaos!

For larger groups

You will need:

– A circle of chairs

How to play:

Place chairs in circle.
One person is chair-less and stands in the middle.
Adult says “Swap with someone…who is 8”
Everyone who is 8 must stand up and swap – they’ll have to be quick to make sure they get a seat!

PARACHUTE

I think this is the only game I’ve suggested in this collection of fun games to play inside with kids where a specific purchase would be necessary.

Parachutes are so much fun and are great for hanging over a trampoline or climbing dome (the best garden play equipment we ever bought!)

A book like this is packed with ideas of games to play indoors and outdoors with kids.

DINOSAUR OF THE YEAR

This game sounds awesome and was thought up by one of our followers five year old child. Thanks Jess Latham for sharing!

For smaller groups

You will need:

– Toy dinosaurs

How to play:

Choose a dino and compete in rounds.
Who has the loudest and best roar, who is best at flying, best at charging.
Feel free to get creative…Jess even has a baking round!

INDOOR OBSTACLE COURSE

Burn off some energy with this one!

For smaller groups

You will need:

– Blankets, cushions, chairs

How to play:

This game won’t suit everyone but if you don’t mind cushions on the floor and furniture climbing then it can be great fun.
Lay out some cushion stepping stones to jump between, a blanket to crawl under etc.

CAT AND MOUSE

Fast paced fun!

For larger groups

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

One player to be the cat and another the mouse.
All other player form a circle holding hands.
The mouse stands inside the circle while the cat stands on the outside.
The mouse needs to get outside the circle and while avoiding being caught by the cat.
The mouse has to stay moving but can’t stay inside the circle for longer than 10 seconds!
The cat isn’t allowed to step inside the circle but they can reach inside to grab the mouse.
The players that make up the circle must help the mouse by opening their arms to let it pass but blocking the cat.

INDOOR BALANCING BEAM

Simple fun!

For smaller groups

You will need:

– Tape or chalk

How to play:

Draw or tape a line along the floor (we actually use a plank of wood that we have.
Kids take turns balancing across.
This works well as part of an indoor obstacle course.

INDOOR BOWLING

Easy to set up!

For smaller groups

You will need:

– Bowls or figure toys.

How to play:

Stand up your bowls or figurines and take turns to roll a small ball towards them.
Count how many you knock down and keep score.
Winner has the highest score.

WARMER, COLDER

This game works well indoors.

For any size group

You will need:

– A small object to hide.

How to play:

Someone hides the small object.
Everyone else tries to find the object while the hider says “warmer” when they get closer and “colder” when they get further away.

NERF GUN OR SOCK WARS

Apply your own rules and be careful!

For any size group

You will need:

– Nerf guns or socks rolled into balls

How to play:

Make two teams if you’re a large group or play as individuals.
Use cushions, blankets, furniture to hide behind.
Get hit and you’re our until the next round.

HIDE AND SEEK

For any size group

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

One person seeks while everyone else hides.
First person found is on first next time.

HIDE AND SEEK IN THE DARK

I loved playing this with my cousins at Halloween!

For any size group but best with older kids

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Play like normal hide and seek but in the evening with lights out.
Don’t make it totally dark as this could be dangerous…just dark enough to make it a little spooky!

HOT POTATO

For any size group

You will need:

– A potato or small object

– Music

How to play:

Stand in a circle.
Throw object to each other as music plays.
Person left holding the object when music stops is out until next round.

SIMON SAYS

For any size group

You will need:

– Nothing

How to play:

Someone becomes Simon and gives commands to the rest of the group.
If Simon says “Simon says sit down” they must sit down but if Simon just says “sit down” then they must ignore him.
Anyone who gets it wrong is illuminated until the next round.