Hello Coastal Bend Mom Readers!
It’s Ariel and I have a fun list for you today: A compilation of all the best indoor activities to do with your kids!
Living in the Coastal Bend, whether is our short winter, a brutally hot summer day, or it’s the rainy season, sometimes you just need to stay indoors. I thought it would be a good idea to share some fun things to keep you and your family occupied if you’re planning to stay indoors! I’ve come up with five ideas for families with little kids, and five more for families with older children.
Indoor Activities For Younger Kids
1. A personal favorite indoor activity of mine is playing dress-up with my kids! Especially if we’re stuck inside because of bad weather. Putting on a princess Tutu, or some funky sunglasses can take the day from dreary to playful in just a few moments. We also have some fun dress-up costumes like a baker with a cute puffy hat and an apron- that’s my youngest’s favorite outfit. For Christmas, I got my niece a super cute superhero cape and mask set that would be perfect for any dress-up collection.
2. My 2-year old likes to dress up but will always choose painting over any other indoor activity. Since she’s younger we tend to do watercolor painting because it’s fun, she can do it on her own and it keeps her entertained for quite a while. We also do finger painting but an amended version. I get the Crayola bathtub paints and let them finger paint the bathtub. Both of these painting options are easy to clean up which is why they are my go-to!
3. I am personally not a skilled baker but I keep trying because my kids love to bake! This is the perfect indoor activity because it’s very engaging and interesting for the kids, and hopefully, you’ll have a yummy dessert at the end. I tend to make banana bread when I bake with the kids because I have an egg-free recipe memorized that is quick to make. The girls love to put their hands in the bowl and help mash up the bananas, so it’s a fun sensory activity as well! Another fun recipe to bake is baked oatmeal if you’re a novice baker like me- it’s a very forgiving recipe.
Recipe- https://www.food.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-eggless-banana-bread-447487
4. My personal favorite indoor activity to do with my girls is a dance party! My oldest daughter loves Taylor swift and it always lifts her spirits to sing and dance along to her music. This is also a great way to get some exercise when going outdoors isn’t an option. It’s also just an instant mood boost to hear your favorite songs and watch your kids being silly and goofy.
5. My last indoor activity idea for toddlers is sensory bins! These are so fun and something I started doing with my 2-year-old when I noticed she was becoming a picky eater. I would make sensory bins with dry pasta, rice, and lentils. My favorite sensory bin I made was inspired by Christmas and it has red and green lentils with pinecones and plastic silver ornaments. We don’t do these often because they are quite messy, but when we do get them out it’s always such a fun time. I also made one with jello and put some toys in the jello while it was setting, this one was a huge hit and lots of fun but it was MESSY- so proceed with caution.
Indoor Activities For Older Kids
1. When my cousins came to visit me this summer we had lots of fun but we stayed home for the majority of the time they were here. One of my favorite things we did was braid friendship bracelets. I got a pack with lots of different colors of string at Walmart and it was very inexpensive. We made lots of cute designs and learned different patterns. It was a fun indoor activity that was engaging and you can make cute colorful bracelets for your friends, I would definitely recommend it!
2. Another fun indoor activity to do with older kids would be to let them choose what to make for dinner and then help them cook it. My mom used to do this with me when I was younger and it was always such a good time. I would always choose outlandish things like black bean burgers that required a minimum of 10 ingredients and lots of time in the kitchen but she was patient and understanding.
3. This is an indoor activity that I always do when my little brother comes to visit me- play board games. My husband has built up a collection of odd board games over the last decade and my little brother loves to pick a game and play it with us. Sometimes we play his crazy games, but usually hell give in and just let us play monopoly. No matter what board game you choose, you can’t go wrong with this indoor activity.
4. One of my favorite indoor activities to do growing up with my siblings was building a pillow fort. This was always the best because we got to steal all the chairs from the kitchen, and every sheet and blanket from the hall closet. My brother and I would stay up all night watching scooby doo and eating brownies.
5. My last indoor activity is a house cleaning competition. Task each family member with a chore list and whoever completes their chores first gets to choose what’s for dinner and second place can choose a movie for the family to watch for family movie night. Cleaning can be drudgery but it’s a little less monotonous with competition behind it.
Whatever reason you find yourself indoors, I hope this list inspired you with some fun ideas to help keep your kids occupied. Please share in the comments your go-to indoor activity with your kids or a nostalgic indoor activity that you did as a child. I’d love to read and see what all the other Coastal Bend Moms are doing!